Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/998819
130 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY BRYAN DRISKELL Northwestern began playing football in 1893, and since then has had just five 10-win seasons. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald has been a part of four of those double-digit win cam- paigns. In 1995, Fitzgerald was named a consensus All- American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after leading North- western to its first 10-win season since 1903. In his 12 years as head coach, Fitzgerald has guided the Wildcats to three 10-win showings, including two in the last three seasons. Northwestern went 10-3 last fall, and its seven con- ference wins were the most since 1996, Fitzgerald's se- nior season. Repeating that success will be difficult. "They won 10 games last season but will be hard-pressed to match that," WildcatReport.com publisher Louie Vaccher said. "This team may have close to the same talent, but adding a crossover game against Michigan as well as a November non-confer- ence game against the Irish will make reaching double-digit wins a long shot. "Plus, everything broke the Wildcats way last year — they set a Football Bowl Subdivi- sion record by winning three straight overtime games." Northwestern has Fitzgerald's DNA writ- ten all over it. It won in 2017 with a strong defense, which should continue in 2018. "It all starts up front," Vaccher explained. "The defensive ends are as good against the run as they are rushing the passer. "Up the middle, the Wildcats lost their 305-pound beast in the middle, Tyler Lancaster, but have a pretty stout tackle rotation led by senior Jor- dan Thompson." The Wildcats ranked 56th in scoring offense last season, and that side of the ball must improve if it is going to repeat the double- digit win season. Senior quarterback Clay- ton Thorson is tied for the all-time passing touchdown record (44) at Northwestern and he's second in passing yards (7,548), but the knee injury he sustained in the bowl game has raised ques- tions about his health. Fortunately for the Wildcats, four starters along the offensive line return. "The key will be the play of the offensive line," Vaccher noted. "The offensive line was the team's biggest liability in 2017 and the primary reason for the 2-3 start, but they got better each week and by the end of the season Northwestern's offense was rolling." Northwestern must replace Justin Jackson, the school's all-time leading rusher, but folks in Evanston seem encouraged by what returns. "No one is particularly concerned about the running back position," Vaccher stated. "That's because [redshirt sophomore] Jeremy Larkin looked tremendous as Jackson's backup last season." ✦ 2018 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2017 Result Aug. 30 at Purdue W, 23-13 Sept. 8 Duke L, 41-17 Sept. 15 Akron — Sept. 29 Michigan — Oct. 6 at Michigan State W, 39-31 (3OT) Oct. 13 Nebraska W, 31-24 (OT) Oct. 20 at Rutgers — Oct. 27 Wisconsin L, 33-24 Nov. 3 Notre Dame — Nov. 10 at Iowa W, 17-10 (OT) Nov. 17 at Minnesota W, 39-0 Nov. 24 Illinois W, 42-7 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Notre Dame leads 37-9-2 Last Meeting: Northwestern 43, Notre Dame 40 OT (Nov. 15, 2014; South Bend) Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald, 87-65 at Northwestern and overall (13th year) 2017 Results: 10-3 overall, 7-2 Big Ten West (2nd); beat Kentucky 24-23 in the Music City Bowl Returning Starters: 13 (7 offense, 6 defense) 2018 Preseason Rankings: No. 31 by ESPN Football Power Index, No. 38 by Phil Steele's, No. 40 by Lindy's and No. 46 by Athlon Did You Know?: Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 for his play as a linebacker with the Wildcats … Among Power 5 Conference teams, Northwestern owns the longest winning streak in the nation entering 2018 with eight in a row, and is third overall to UCF (13) and Florida Atlantic (10) … Street & Smith's named Clayton Thorson the best under-pressure quar- terback in the Big Ten … Sophomore linebacker Paddy Fisher was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by Phil Steele's … Senior guard Tommy Doles was a second-team All-Big Ten pick by Phil Steele's and Athlon Sports. Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Northwestern 24 STRENGTH: Defensive End Northwestern finished the 2017 season ranked ninth nationally in rushing defense, giving up just 107.7 yards per game. The Wildcats held eight of their 13 opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground. The team's 32 sacks were the unit's most since 2008. The primary driver of success in both areas was the play of the ends, a position group that returns the entire two-deep. Junior Joe Gaziano is one of the best edge play- ers in the Big Ten. He led the league in sacks last season with nine en route to second-team all-con- ference honors. The 6-4, 280-pound end added 12 quarterback hurries and five passes broken up. A breakout performer for the Wildcats last sea- son was true freshman end Samdup Miller, who was named a Freshman All-American by ESPN and USA Today, and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman squad. Miller compiled 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, and his game is expected to get even better as he heads into his second season. Northwestern has strong depth at end, with backup Trent Goens registering four sacks last fall. CONCERN: Safety Departed safeties Godwin Igwebuike and Kyle Queiro combined for 67 career starts, 456 tack- les, 15 interceptions and 41 passes broken up. Replacing that kind of production is going to be extremely hard, and it makes the safety position the biggest question mark on the roster heading into the 2018 season. One likely replacement on the back end will be senior Jared McGee, a veteran player with three career starts, 69 career tackles and three career interceptions. Sophomore J.R. Pace is slated to be the other starting safety. He picked off a pair of passes last season but registered just four tackles. With a strong front seven returning, how quickly the safeties get comfortable handling full- time duties will have a significant impact on the overall success of the unit. Behind the two expected starters there is very little experience, which creates a dangerous mar- gin for error at the position. Redshirt sophomores Travis Whillock and Brian Bullock are listed as the backups, but Whillock has never seen game ac- tion and Bullock went down with a season-ending injury in the second game of 2017. NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS NOV. 3 • RYAN FIELD • EVANSTON, ILL. RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Jeremy Larkin (503 yards, 5 TD) Passing: QB Clayton Thorson (2,844 yards, 15 TD) Receiving: WR Ben Skowronek (644 yards, 5 TD) Tackles: LB Paddy Fisher (113) Sacks: DE Joe Gaziano (9) Interceptions: CB Montre Hartage (3) X-FACTOR: Clayton Thorson passed for 2,844 yards and accounted for 23 touch- downs last season, his third as a starter. Twice he has led Northwestern to 10 wins, but the Wildcats need him healthy and playing at a high level in 2018 after he suffered an injury in the bowl game. PHOTO BY STEPHEN J. CARRERA/NORTHWESTERN ATHLETICS