Coming off of a 10-3 season that featured two wins against ranked opponents, a second-place finish in the Big Ten West and a top-25 post-season ranking, 2016 looked to be a promising year for a Northwestern football program looking to stake its place as a consistent conference contender.
A 1-3 start with close losses to Western Michigan and Illinois State derailed those plans and left the Wildcats scrambling to salvage the season. Three straight conference wins have put the team back in contention, and even after a close loss to Ohio State last Saturday, Northwestern still presents a tough challenge for the Badgers.
The strength of last year’s team was its defense, which ranked seventh in the nation in yards allowed per play. At the center of it was junior linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who racked up 122 tackles, 20.5 of them for a loss. Expectations were high entering this season for Walker, who was placed on the preseason watch list for the prestigious Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given annually to the best defensive player in college football. The only previous Wildcats’ player to win the Bednarik award is Walker’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who won it back-to-back years in 1995 and 1996.
With Walker and most of the defense returning, few could’ve predicted the precipitous decline that the Wildcats have experienced. A defense that finished last season 13th in the country in total yardage is allowing almost 100 more yards per game this year and now ranks in the bottom half of all FBS teams.
But, while the defense has taken a step back from its performance last season, the Northwestern offense has made significant improvements. With a freshman quarterback at the helm, the Wildcats struggled to move the ball through the air. Clayton Thorson amassed a 92.51 passer rating, fourth-worst in the country. But in his second year as a starter, Thorson has looked like a completely different player and currently sits third in the Big Ten in passing yards and touchdowns.
Thorson has been supported by two of the best offensive skill players in the country, junior running back Justin Jackson, and senior receiver Austin Carr. The duo has accounted for 15 of Northwestern’s 25 touchdowns and both rank among the conference leaders in yardage at their positions.
The Wildcats have managed to bounce back from their tough start to the season, and their last few games have shown the potential that many observers saw entering the season. The defense that has struggled so much this year held Indiana to a season-low 14 points, and limited an Ohio State offense that averages more than 46 a game to only 24.
That improved defense, combined with a balanced offense capable of moving the ball with the pass or the run, gives Northwestern upset potential against a heavily favored Wisconsin team. The Wildcats have had success against the Badgers in recent years, including a hard-fought 13-7 win in Madison last November in which Wisconsin committed five turnovers.
If Northwestern can force another low-scoring affair, a single turnover or big play at the right time could be all it takes for the Wildcats to capture a win. A victory over the Badgers would put them in contention for a trip to the Big Ten Championship game Dec. 3.
