Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/85914
PREGAME REPORT N O R T HWE S T E R N @ P E N N S T A T E N O O N , O C T . 6 E S P N NORTHWESTERN FACTS COACH Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern, '97) COACH'S RECORD 45-36 in seven sea- sons with the Wildcats. TEAM'S RECORD 5-0 (1-0 Big Ten) RECORD VS. PENN STATE The Nittany Lions lead the series, 4-3. (Eight Penn State wins have been vacated.) PREVIOUS MEETING Gerald Hodges was marvelous in Evanston, Ill., tallying 14 tack- les and a third-quarter interception that Tom Bradley said "probably changed the whole game around." A touchdown on the following drive sealed the Lions' 34-24 tri- umph on Oct. 22, 2011. THE GOOD HEALTHY PORTIONS The Wildcats posted a school-record 704 yards of total of- fense – a nifty balance of 394 rushing and 308 passing – in their 44-29 win over In- diana last week. It ranks as the eighth- best offensive performance in major college football this season. THE BAD FOURTH-AND-GO-FOR-IT During North- western's first five games it struggled on fourth down. Its opponents found success on nearly 60 percent of their fourth-down conversions, while the Wildcats converted only once. THE UGLY BENT, BUT NOT BROKEN Northwestern's defense allows 379 yards per game, includ- ing a conference-worst 289 through the air. But it has the best rushing defense in the Big Ten, and opponents average just 20.6 points per game. DID YOU KNOW? After Saturday's game, the Nittany Lions and Wildcats won't face each other again until at least 2017. MAKER'S MARK Venric Mark was a return threat vs. Penn State in 2011; now he's Northwestern's leading rusher. Northwestern aims to extend its undefeated season at Penn State RALLY 'CATS TIM OWEN | OWE N . T I M . B WI@G M A I L . C O M It isn't out of the ordinary for Northwest- ern to have an undefeated record through the season's first five games. In fact, it's al- most routine, with this being the team's third 5-0 start in the past five seasons. It's that sixth consecu- tive victory that has been elusive. Not since 1962 have the Wildcats started a season 6-0 – when they were voted the No. 1 team in the country. Now ranked 24th in the Associated Press poll and 22nd O C T O B E R 3 , 2 0 1 2 1 in the USA Today coaches rankings, Pat Fitzgerald's squad will have its sights set on win No. 6 when it visits Beaver Stadium on Saturday. A sixth victory would make Northwestern the first Big Ten program to become bowl eligi- ble this season. Said Fitzger- ald, "That has a good ring to it." With gritty wins over Syra- cuse, Vanderbilt and Boston College, along with routs of South Dakota and Indiana, Northwestern has built an impressive B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Steve Manuel