To all WR posters

[lou v]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

 

[shakes3858]

That's a great post Lou.... even if you're a pro ACA guy (winkyface)

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Not

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

Now that is a great post sweet Lou!

 

[Hungry Jack]

Lou,

I generally keep my mouth shut about McCall because I know that I don't know a lot about scheming. But some of the play calls puzzled me--like the dangerous reverse run from the 10, and the first quarter QB run that was effectively a naked boot leg that left the ball on the far right hash on the short kick that Mitchell missed. I just thought these were really questionable calls and said so.

Posters can question McCall and still enjoy victory. It is not a zero sum proposition. And it's also possible to hold two opposing thoughts in your mind and still remain cognitively viable (unless your name is Kardashian). Questioning authority is the sign of a healthy democracy. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Bitching about McCall is the opiate of our restless Wildcat masses.

 

[cat inkansas]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

You forgot to mention apologizing to the opponents for the officiating.

 

[thewildcat2011]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

 

[Pasadena Bound]

Well said, Lou. Great perspective.

 

[sprinkler2]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

Amen!

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

comparing the game planning to the 95 Cats is interesting but misleading. I love Mitchell, he'll never buy a drink in any bar if I am there, but he doesn't compare to either 95 kicker. Likewise Niswander is terribly underrated, but no Burton. Thor might make us forget all about Baz by the time he's done but in the meantime, he's no Schnur. Nobody on the WR's compare to either Bates or Musso (or Beasley for that matter...).

I get it - we are 9-2. I pinch myself every week (except the Michigan game when I punched myself). Loving and looking forward to the bowl. I've got provisional hotel reservations already in 3 cities. Also I love good defense and feel so much better even with a communion -wafer thin lead and this bunch than a 3 TD lead we'd have in the past.

The criticizers are too strident. I agree. But you said it yourself - the WR's can't separate darks from lights. Why? I remember when I thought C. Jones might challenge D. Bates' records. Dickerson showed flashes of brilliance. WTH happened to these guys (and others)? As for Thor, he is now nearly two full years in the program, is he a better passer than any of the QB's in the B1G and if not, why? Maybe Maryland is worse with their 28 INT's but they are hilariously still above us in Passing Efficiency.

Lou the problem is this - generally the people here are passionate and smart. The feeble offense is inexplicable. it isn't only ball control. It was in 2012 and I don't remember many complaints about it. it is that it is ineffective with the exception of one guy (JJ) and a patchwork of wounded warriors up front. Sure you can say "what about WML, Vitale, blah blah" but they are only role players this year. It's all about JJ and whether the line can give him ANY space. If not, look out. The fans crave information in such a case - WHY are we ineffective? It doesn't have to be "we are doing X and now we will do Y" which might give advantage to an opponent. Can be something as simple as "Thor isn't getting through his progressions fast enough but we work on it daily and it is much better", or "the senior WR's have never fully recovered from their injuries and the other guys just aren't ready yet". Something. Anything.

Maybe it will turn around - I remember people saying DA2's year in 1999 was more impressive than his y2k year because of no supporting cast. That team only won 3 games though.

 

[pawildcat_rivals209725]

Lou,

I generally keep my mouth shut about McCall because I know that I don't know a lot about scheming. But some of the play calls puzzled me--like the dangerous reverse run from the 10, and the first quarter QB run that was effectively a naked boot leg that left the ball on the far right hash on the short kick that Mitchell missed. I just thought these were really questionable calls and said so.

Posters can question McCall and still enjoy victory. It is not a zero sum proposition. And it's also possible to hold two opposing thoughts in your mind and still remain cognitively viable (unless your name is Kardashian). Questioning authority is the sign of a healthy democracy. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Bitching about McCall is the opiate of our restless Wildcat masses.

I would agree this it isn't zero sum proposition, but it's amazing how some posters on this board seem to love to suck the joy out of even a great Wildcat performance. I think some of these guys just like to poke the bear and see if they can get a rise out of people. Guess that's fun for some, but seems pretty weird to me.

 

[hoosboot]

Lou the problem is this - generally the people here are passionate and smart.

The fans crave information in such a case - WHY are we ineffective?

The people here are smart about some things, but not about football. However, because they are smart about other things, they think they are smart about football merely because they watch football on weekends. If you designed bridges for a living, you wouldn't take seriously insights from someone who claims useful knowledge because they took some science classes in college and drive over a bridge every day to work, but people here have the attitude that their football insights are deep and telling. As such, they don't "crave information". Information has been given to them lots of times. It's available in abundance. They have just decided that they don't like the information that they've been given and, because they are smart on some things, they have better answers in football.

 

[iskaboo]

"They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry."
​

While this is not the focus of Lou's post, it has to be the best line I've read in this forum in a long time.

 

[CatFanEd]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

Lou, well said! It is hard to believe what some of the poster's write but it goes with the territory unfortunately. Thanks for setting the record straight.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

The people here are smart about some things, but not about football. However, because they are smart about other things, they think they are smart about football merely because they watch football on weekends. If you designed bridges for a living, you wouldn't take seriously insights from someone who claims useful knowledge because they took some science classes in college and drive over a bridge every day to work, but people here have the attitude that their football insights are deep and telling. As such, they don't "crave information". Information has been given to them lots of times. It's available in abundance. They have just decided that they don't like the information that they've been given and, because they are smart on some things, they have better answers in football.

If I drive over a bridge every day and there is a gigantic pothole that never gets fixed, I will "question" it, whether or not I have a civil engineering background. If you prefer a design example, if a new bridge is only four lanes and the traffic is snarled day and night, I would question whether it is designed with the appropriate traffic in mind and what they will do about it.

More directly, why have we had such low WR production in the last 2 years?

We have a good team. Defense and ST's are good, and our running game is also good considering injuries and lack of a passing game. Heck, I don't even LIKE passing the ball, just run it if you can. But why ISN'T our passing game productive? Hey, I understand we are not unique - look no further than LSU for instance, but "on paper", we have senior WR's/SB and a highly touted young QB. What is the issue? Why not open, why dropping, why is the QB missing them etc...Why?

 

[Gladeskat]

The people here are smart about some things, but not about football. However, because they are smart about other things, they think they are smart about football merely because they watch football on weekends. If you designed bridges for a living, you wouldn't take seriously insights from someone who claims useful knowledge because they took some science classes in college and drive over a bridge every day to work, but people here have the attitude that their football insights are deep and telling. As such, they don't "crave information". Information has been given to them lots of times. It's available in abundance. They have just decided that they don't like the information that they've been given and, because they are smart on some things, they have better answers in football.

I agree 100%. The odd thing is people seem unaware of recognizing what they really don't know and cannot assess as fans from afar. One can wonder about issues like the passing game, but calling for people to be fired with certainty? Please.

 

[hdhntr1]

comparing the game planning to the 95 Cats is interesting but misleading. I love Mitchell, he'll never buy a drink in any bar if I am there, but he doesn't compare to either 95 kicker. Likewise Niswander is terribly underrated, but no Burton. Thor might make us forget all about Baz by the time he's done but in the meantime, he's no Schnur. Nobody on the WR's compare to either Bates or Musso (or Beasley for that matter...).

I get it - we are 9-2. I pinch myself every week (except the Michigan game when I punched myself). Loving and looking forward to the bowl. I've got provisional hotel reservations already in 3 cities. Also I love good defense and feel so much better even with a communion -wafer thin lead and this bunch than a 3 TD lead we'd have in the past.

The criticizers are too strident. I agree. But you said it yourself - the WR's can't separate darks from lights. Why? I remember when I thought C. Jones might challenge D. Bates' records. Dickerson showed flashes of brilliance. WTH happened to these guys (and others)? As for Thor, he is now nearly two full years in the program, is he a better passer than any of the QB's in the B1G and if not, why? Maybe Maryland is worse with their 28 INT's but they are hilariously still above us in Passing Efficiency.

Lou the problem is this - generally the people here are passionate and smart. The feeble offense is inexplicable. it isn't only ball control. It was in 2012 and I don't remember many complaints about it. it is that it is ineffective with the exception of one guy (JJ) and a patchwork of wounded warriors up front. Sure you can say "what about WML, Vitale, blah blah" but they are only role players this year. It's all about JJ and whether the line can give him ANY space. If not, look out. The fans crave information in such a case - WHY are we ineffective? It doesn't have to be "we are doing X and now we will do Y" which might give advantage to an opponent. Can be something as simple as "Thor isn't getting through his progressions fast enough but we work on it daily and it is much better", or "the senior WR's have never fully recovered from their injuries and the other guys just aren't ready yet". Something. Anything.

Maybe it will turn around - I remember people saying DA2's year in 1999 was more impressive than his y2k year because of no supporting cast. That team only won 3 games though.

The comparison with the 95 team is apt. THe team was built with a strong D and competent O based on the run. Schnurr was limited in his passing because we had a solid run game and stout D. He passed for all of about 1790 yds in 12 full games including about 300 yds in the RB so about less than 1500 yds in 11 full games vs a little over 1300 for CT (plus 360 rushing yds.) in basically 10 games. Schnurr had 9 tds and 6 INTs. The next year, Schnurr was opened up but for the 95 season, he was about the same guy as CT. Stats for the two teams were pretty similar.

 

[T_Levine]

Louie,

I second every word you typed. I hear the entire Los Angles crew who get together have been saying the negative crap week in and week out. I don't profess to be football coach, but football is all about making plays where as basketball is all about matchups....and yes making plays as well.

I would add to your comments that it is very possible that the following are also occurring.

Our running backs are gaining yards because they are good, not because the oline is opening huge holes.

Our oline just isnt anything special re: pass blocking. This has been called out for at least three years by commentators on TV. One criticism of McCall last year was the number of steps (dropbacks) he was calling regarding Trevor. I think the critique was we aere calling to many long drop back plays.

Our receivers just arent that good. Amazing that we finished second to Michigan for Jehu Chesson and Grant Perry. Both would be starting for the Cats and who knows. But you play the hand youre dealt.

Finally, because of all of the above, and what you said earlier, Thorson is not going through his progressions. Clearly the game has not slowed down for him to use football speak. Hopefully this will change, If not, he wont be a four year starter.

And finally, back to making plays. An oline holding his block one second longer, a receiver making one more catch... all of these would change the perception.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

The comparison with the 95 team is apt. THe team was built with a strong D and competent O based on the run. Schnurr was limited in his passing because we had a solid run game and stout D. He passed for all of about 1790 yds in 12 full games including about 300 yds in the RB so about less than 1500 yds in 11 full games vs a little over 1300 for CT (plus 360 rushing yds.) in basically 10 games. Schnurr had 9 tds and 6 INTs. The next year, Schnurr was opened up but for the 95 season, he was about the same guy as CT. Stats for the two teams were pretty similar.

Interesting - I do remember and can discern between Schnur 95 and 96, but my opinion of him was sort of like a Craig Krenzel, hard working guy that never made a mistake. Leads me to ask why he wouldn't have done better with Bates and Musso as targets. Also is encouraging for Thor for next year. I do think he is the real deal (sic, 95 SI reference), but taking longer than I'd like vs some other immediate Frosh QB stars. Regardless I still want to know WTH is up with the WRs

 

[FloridAlum]

Louis, your post pretty much sums up what I was thinking. I think that a couple of these people who are constantly bashing the program should find a different message board on which to post. They really are not needed here

 

[SmellyCat]

You forgot to mention apologizing to the opponents for the officiating.

As one of the people (and there really weren't very much of us) who made such comments, I will admit that my comments came at the end of a very emotional experience and before all the facts were in. I have since apologized to YOU guys (who I care much more about than the snowball-throwing drunks in Madison) and have come to agree with the interpretation of the most controversial calls that ended up benefiting NU. I do not like the rule on the end zone catch at all, and would still say so, even if its been my best friend for the last 48 hours, but I agree that it was interpreted correctly.

I also believe that Wisconsin fans have every right to be upset at what happened, as it was a very close call and I was a bit surprised it was overturned in a hostile environment. My hats are off to the refs, who had guts I wouldn't have had in that situation.

I love this team so much that sometimes my emotions get the better of me, but I don't give up, even when many of my fellow Wildcat fans do. I am proud of this entire team - offense, defense, special teams, and coaches. They have ALL done a phenomenal job this year in one way or another.

Go Cats.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Lou,

Maybe we need a weekly thread that is the equivalent of WSCR's "Who You Crappin?" (which, at its best, is one of the funniest things on live radio). All the haters, pollyannas, 5-4-3-2-1s, and Trumps (You're Fired!) can have at it with each other like a bunch of starved mongrel dogs in a butcher shop.

 

[1936]

Cranky-Cranky........It's the economy stupid !!!

 

[BFDCat]

I see, so we are only allowed to come here and say positive things, you know, like how bad the WRs are. Just a little bit hypocritical.

Look, I am as happy as anyone that we are 9-2, totally thrilled actually. Doesn't mean I can't question some coaching decisions here and there. I mean that Wisconsin game shouldn't have even been close. I am sure I lost months off my life due to that ending.

 

[StreamCat]

If I drive over a bridge every day and there is a gigantic pothole that never gets fixed, I will "question" it, whether or not I have a civil engineering background. If you prefer a design example, if a new bridge is only four lanes and the traffic is snarled day and night, I would question whether it is designed with the appropriate traffic in mind and what they will do about it.

Those complaints have nothing to do with how the bridge is built or whether you will get to the other side of the bridge... you know, where the W is.

 

[NUCat320]

I love my oldest child.
I like that he's responsible, and that he's enthusiastic, and that he's extremely smart, and that he's much more confident in himself this year than he was last year. I still wish he ranked better than 115th in the first grade in Total Whininess. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't give him strategies to become less whiny.

 

[Deeringfish]

I've apologized in other places but this is the scolding post so I'll do it again here.
A bunch of things set me off.
1) I didn't understand the return call and felt UW got jobbed. I think it was a good call now.
2) I felt the offense was letting the D down by virtue of the play calling in the fourth Quarter. The three and outs were maddening.
3) I didn't like that we went into the prevent D when we had them basically going backward the whole game. That drives me nuts in any football game.
4) I didn't understand the possession in the end zone call and felt UW got jobbed again. I understand the call now and I agree with it.
5) Maybe most important, I didn't have a good handle on how absolutely terrific the D was ( 5 sacks, two interceptions three fumble recoveries, -26 yard rushing or the 0-5 turnover ratio that the Offense gave us.

I've had too many people telling me that the good season was pure luck and it was looking to me that they were right.

At any rate I shouldn't post in the first minute after a loss.

Bad Deeringfish.

 

[Just Gary]

While some people still want to argue about the "bridge", this has been a great year. It is a shame that some fans can't see it for what it is and want to try and ruin it because it doesn't fit their picture. The players, especially the seniors, have been through a lot. Two years of missing bowl games. Off-field issues creating difficulty in the locker room. Through all that, they have manage to play together as a team. I have heard Fitz, the coaches, and the players all say that they were "close" for a couple of years. They knew and believed in themselves and they finally got things going their way. I watched the team from right behind the bench and they really worked hard this game. No unit worked harder than the offense.who were just playing their hearts out. This is a true team effort. The entire team deserves a lot of respect from the fans. We can worry about what happens next year during the off-season but let's give this team the respect it deserves. They are 9-2. They have beaten some good teams this year and have managed to stay ranked throughout most of the season. They are going to a good bowl and I don't think there is a team out there that scares me. It's time that everyone actually becomes a fan of the team and give them credit for what they have done. Who had them at 9 or more wins at the beginning of the season?

 

[mikewebb68]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

Here is what couple posters on this board (the usual suspects, btw) posted, OVER FOUR HOURS after you posted this on this very board. Looks like they heard your message and really took it to heart, ROFL.


DocCat 2:

"I think the reason people are not satisfied is because our team is so one-sided. Our D is awesome, but our O is atrocious. Many feel the wheels are about to come off the wagon entirely. We will eventually play a team with a very good offense that will score on us and our offense won't be able to keep us in the game. A blowout will result. See Michigan and Iowa."

Stupor (note that these are taken from multiple posts)

"You're wrong. This is not a great team. It reminds me of the ND team that won with smoke and mirrors and bandaids like we've done - and the. got their *** handed to them by Alabama.

This is a one sided mess of a team with an all time great defense and a dark ages offense. Hell, the dark ages team had better passing games than this! "

"What's stupid is arguing that the worst offense in the Big Ten is good. Sorry. But that's simply and plainly the truth and all the Pollyanna nonsense and spin in the world can't change it."

You have a few posters here (fortunately, a small minority; it seems like a greater number than it is because they hyperpost) that have little respect for what others post, or even what you post, Lou. They will continue to break board rules, troll and otherwise do their best to ruin the board for the rest of us, imo. If you don't think they are good for the board, you run the board; so I am not going to tell you how to do your job. I participate on many other message boards, and on most other boards their conduct would simply not be tolerated.

 

[stpaulcat]

"Up to 80% of those treated for depression show an improvement in their symptoms generally within four to six weeks of beginning medication, psychotherapy, attending support groups or a combination of these treatments. (National Institute of Health, 1998)"

It takes time for good news to sink in.

 

[DkeCat]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

Lou - generally I agree with a come to jesus post like this (and I've definitely been on this site less due to the uptick in idiocy), but believe it or not, I view the complaining as a positive.

Underlying, what it really tells me is that expectations for Northwestern football have changed. In past years, even in 2012, we would be blown away by 8-9 wins. Now, we complain. I think people see the talent in our team, our ridiculously athletic defense, the potential in what our offense can/should be, and the dividends paid off in much better recruiting.

Go ahead and complain, gents. Expect victory. Beats the hell out of being thankful and happy for winning six.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Lou - generally I agree with a come to jesus post like this (and I've definitely been on this site less due to the uptick in idiocy), but believe it or not, I view the complaining as a positive.

Underlying, what it really tells me is that expectations for Northwestern football have changed. In past years, even in 2012, we would be blown away by 8-9 wins. Now, we complain. I think people see the talent in our team, our ridiculously athletic defense, the potential in what our offense can/should be, and the dividends paid off in much better recruiting.

Go ahead and complain, gents. Expect victory. Beats the hell out of being thankful and happy for winning six.

Why can't we expect victory and be happy when we achieve it? Don't mind the critism of certain aspects of the program, but the general nasty tone directed at some players/staff is tiresome.

 

[pawildcat_rivals209725]

Lou - generally I agree with a come to jesus post like this (and I've definitely been on this site less due to the uptick in idiocy), but believe it or not, I view the complaining as a positive.

Underlying, what it really tells me is that expectations for Northwestern football have changed. In past years, even in 2012, we would be blown away by 8-9 wins. Now, we complain. I think people see the talent in our team, our ridiculously athletic defense, the potential in what our offense can/should be, and the dividends paid off in much better recruiting.

Go ahead and complain, gents. Expect victory. Beats the hell out of being thankful and happy for winning six.

Except that the past two years we've constantly heard about expect victory, blah, blah. This year we're having a season that is historically successful for Northwestern (fifth season of nine wins or more in the school's 110-year football history) and the tenor of this board hasn't changed at all. No one, and I mean no one, on this board is saying we should smile goofily when we go three and out or don't perform up to potential, but if you read this board and didn't know the score of the games you'd think we were 2-8 or something like that. Honestly, if some can't be happy about a 9-2 season as a Northwestern fan, you're in for a lot of hurt. Just because I'm not whining after every game doesn't mean I expect mediocrity, and by the way, 9-2 is a hell of a long way from mediocrity.

 

[pawildcat_rivals209725]

Louie,

I second every word you typed. I hear the entire Los Angles crew who get together have been saying the negative crap week in and week out. I don't profess to be football coach, but football is all about making plays where as basketball is all about matchups....and yes making plays as well.

I would add to your comments that it is very possible that the following are also occurring.

Our running backs are gaining yards because they are good, not because the oline is opening huge holes.

Our oline just isnt anything special re: pass blocking. This has been called out for at least three years by commentators on TV. One criticism of McCall last year was the number of steps (dropbacks) he was calling regarding Trevor. I think the critique was we aere calling to many long drop back plays.

Our receivers just arent that good. Amazing that we finished second to Michigan for Jehu Chesson and Grant Perry. Both would be starting for the Cats and who knows. But you play the hand youre dealt.

Finally, because of all of the above, and what you said earlier, Thorson is not going through his progressions. Clearly the game has not slowed down for him to use football speak. Hopefully this will change, If not, he wont be a four year starter.

And finally, back to making plays. An oline holding his block one second longer, a receiver making one more catch... all of these would change the perception.

Our o-line is improving and has done a good job the past few weeks, considering the limitations of our passing game and a couple of guys out injured. I attended the Penn State game, and they opened some very decent holes for Jackson in that one, especially since Thorson was out much of the game and everyone in the stadium knew we were going to run a good percentage of the time. They put up 150 yards rushing Saturday against one of the best rush defenses in the country. Contrast that with the -26 yards for Wisconsin.

 

[Mr. Stupor]

Except that the past two years we've constantly heard about expect victory, blah, blah. This year we're having a season that is historically successful for Northwestern (fifth season of nine wins or more in the school's 110-year football history) and the tenor of this board hasn't changed at all. No one, and I mean no one, on this board is saying we should smile goofily when we go three and out or don't perform up to potential, but if you read this board and didn't know the score of the games you'd think we were 2-8 or something like that. Honestly, if some can't be happy about a 9-2 season as a Northwestern fan, you're in for a lot of hurt. Just because I'm not whining after every game doesn't mean I expect mediocrity, and by the way, 9-2 is a hell of a long way from mediocrity.

"This year we're having a season that is historically successful for Northwestern (fifth season of nine wins or more in the school's 110-year football history) and the tenor of this board hasn't changed at all."

If you don't expect mediocrity, why did you feel compelled to qualify the statement that this season is historic "for Northwestern". You expect mediocrity. You said it yourself.

Here's the thing: despite all your constant protests to the contrary, all you guys falling all over each other to out-happy each other with 9 wins are the TRUE PESSIMISTS here. You're the ones who don't think we can achieve greatness and honestly don't expect it.

Ecat and myself and a few others are the optimists here. We want a championship - and are not satisfied with less. And realistically, given the talent we have, 9 wins is and should be a minimum expectation.

 

[EvanstonCat]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

What you fail to understand Lou is that many of us who "complain" are actually very happy and thrilled with the win. If you don't get it, let me say it again - I AM THRILLED WITH THE WIN AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE 9-2!!! I AM EFFING HAPPY DAMMIT.

But, as happy as we may be, some of us also see the offense what it is. Putrid. The fact that the team is 9-2 and the W in the win column doesn't make it any less so. We're not complaining as much as calling a spade a spade. I did not post about this at all except to refute the assertions made multiple times that our O was somehow solid and responsible for the win. IT WAS NOT. WE GOT 5 EFFING TURNOVERS, AND HELD WISCONSIN TO -26 YARDS RUSHING, HELD THEM AT THE GOAL LINE AT THE END AND THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING IS WHY WE WON, AND THE D MORE THAN ANYTHING IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR EXCELLENT 9 WIN SEASON THUS FAR. Why is it so hard to understand that?

I am just thankful that our D is AWESOME and can make up for our deep shortcomings on offense. Let's enjoy our 9-2 status, but that does not require that we pretend that the offense is excellent as some have suggested, or that Thorson is better than Mssrs. Kafka, Bacher, and Siemian as has been bizarrely suggested by some on this board.

 

[mikewebb68]

"This year we're having a season that is historically successful for Northwestern (fifth season of nine wins or more in the school's 110-year football history) and the tenor of this board hasn't changed at all."

If you don't expect mediocrity, why did you feel compelled to qualify the statement that this season is historic "for Northwestern". You expect mediocrity. You said it yourself.

Here's the thing: despite all your constant protests to the contrary, all you guys falling all over each other to out-happy each other with 9 wins are the TRUE PESSIMISTS here. You're the ones who don't think we can achieve greatness and honestly don't expect it.

Ecat and myself and a few others are the optimists here. We want a championship - and are not satisfied with less. And realistically, given the talent we have, 9 wins is and should be a minimum expectation.

People who are happy are pessimists? Got it. Good talk.

 

[Wrestlerneverdiesasacatfan]

I gotta say that I was very disappointed to see posts on the Football Board after Saturday’s win complaining about Thorson, McCall and Fitz. I don’t understand what makes many of our fans happy anymore.

Let’s review what Northwestern accomplished on Saturday: They beat an 8-2 Wisconsin team whose only other losses were to AP No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Iowa. They did it as a 10-point underdog. They did it at Camp Randall Stadium, where they hadn’t won a game in 15 years. They did it against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country with a rookie QB and two backups starting on the O-line. They are now 9-2 on the season and will likely move up from 20th in the national playoff rankings. They won their fifth game in the Big Ten and have a shot at winning a sixth for the first time since 2000.

So what’s the problem? They didn’t win pretty? The offense didn’t score enough for your liking?

Who cares? They got five turnovers and won the freaking game.

I get it if you’re a guy who has always thought that McCall and Fitz are too conservative, but, good god, how can you argue with the results this year? Let it go. You’re fighting a losing battle this season. THEY ARE 9-2! Let me repeat that: 9-2. You can’t point to a single game where those conservative game plans cost them a win. Not a single one. In fact, their conservative game plans have worked flawlessly. After years of losing games in crunch time in the fourth quarter, this team is NAILS in close games, winning all five of their games that were decided by one score. They’ve rebounded from two horrific beatdowns to win four straight by a grand total of 17 points. They lost to Michigan and Iowa, two teams that are better than they are. They were ugly losses, sure, but a loss is a loss, whether it’s by 3 or 30. They now have a shot on Saturday of becoming the fourth team in school history to win 10 games, and then they will have a shot of becoming the first team in 100-whatever years of NU football to win 11. That’s unreal.

And let’s think about WHY they are conservative. They have a lights-out defense, the best in Evanston in 20 years. They have good special teams. They have a tremendous running back who can carry the ball 30-plus times falling out of bed. They also have a rookie quarterback, a shaky offensive line and receivers that can’t separate darks from lights when doing laundry. So what do you do? Win the game with defense (and special teams, when necessary) and don’t turn the ball over on offense. Run the ball, play the field position game and don’t take any chances. Let the other team make the big mistake that costs them the game. (By the way, you know who else had that same general blueprint? The 1995 Wildcats. It worked for them pretty well.)

But beyond all that, I say everyone should just forget about style points, aesthetics, and Xs and Os and just enjoy the ride. NU is winning ugly, but winning. A lot. Is the Big Ten bad? Have the Cats been lucky? Are they winning despite their offense? It doesn’t freaking matter. This could be a historic season and NU has a chance to get to a pretty damn good bowl game. Possibly a New Year’s Six bowl game. We’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, fellas. Be happy.

Go Cats!

It's so tough to win any big ten match,in any sport! Kudos to our players and team!

 

[lou v]

What you fail to understand Lou is that many of us who "complain" are actually very happy and thrilled with the win. If you don't get it, let me say it again - I AM THRILLED WITH THE WIN AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE 9-2!!! I AM EFFING HAPPY DAMMIT.

But, as happy as we may be, some of us also see the offense what it is. Putrid. The fact that the team is 9-2 and the W in the win column doesn't make it any less so. We're not complaining as much as calling a spade a spade. I did not post about this at all except to refute the assertions made multiple times that our O was somehow solid and responsible for the win. IT WAS NOT. WE GOT 5 EFFING TURNOVERS, AND HELD WISCONSIN TO -26 YARDS RUSHING, HELD THEM AT THE GOAL LINE AT THE END AND THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING IS WHY WE WON, AND THE D MORE THAN ANYTHING IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR EXCELLENT 9 WIN SEASON THUS FAR. Why is it so hard to understand that?

I am just thankful that our D is AWESOME and can make up for our deep shortcomings on offense. Let's enjoy our 9-2 status, but that does not require that we pretend that the offense is excellent as some have suggested, or that Thorson is better than Mssrs. Kafka, Bacher, and Siemian as has been bizarrely suggested by some on this board.

The thing is, E, if Northwestern's offense wasn't "putrid" and was more productive, the Cats would be...9-2. They got hammered in their two losses and left no doubt as to who the superior team was. Scoring more points certainly would have helped, and the losses wouldn't have looked as ugly, but Michigan and Iowa are both better teams.

And has anyone really suggested that NU's offense is excellent? Maybe I missed that, but I sure would have liked to have seen those posts.

 

[EvanstonCat]

The thing is, E, if Northwestern's offense wasn't "putrid" and was more productive, the Cats would be...9-2. They got hammered in their two losses and left no doubt as to who the superior team was. Scoring more points certainly would have helped, and the losses wouldn't have looked as ugly, but Michigan and Iowa are both better teams.

And has anyone really suggested that NU's offense is excellent? Maybe I missed that, but I sure would have liked to have seen those posts.

I don't know about that. If our O is decent and could go toe to toe with anyone (think the days of Basanez and Bacher), I don't think Michigan and Iowa get the ball in favorable field position all day. I don't think our Defense is on the field after constant 3 and outs. I don't think they have to defend a short field. I don't think Michigan or Iowa score nearly as many points. With a decent offense, we might even score more than the 30 or even 40 points that the opposing teams put up on us. People forget, but we have actually been known to do that you know.

There have been some posters who appear to believe the QB or the offense had good days. At least one has claimed that Thorson is better than Kafka, Basanez, Bacher, and Siemian, as laughable as that may sound. People don't seem to acknowledge how putrid our offense is and the fact that our QB is ranked 116 in the country, and appear resistant to give the overwhelming credit for our 9 wins this season to our dominant defense. They think our 116th ranked QB is responsible for multiple wins. They seem to think no turnovers is the hallmark of a good QB and his job is merely to keep the ball safe, even with a 9-20 completion rate for 60 yards and no TDs. No, I'm sorry it is not. His job is to move the ball and score points. And on those fronts, we are plainly dismal. The only reason we win is because our D holds the other team to fewer points. If we had a Colby-Swiss D, we'd be 0-fer right now - something we never were with any other QB since the Peay days.

Again, don't get me wrong. I am THRILLED that we are 9-2. But, I see it for what it is - a record based on the performance of the D. Not our O. We are 9-2 in spite of our O, not because of it.

 

[willycat]

I don't know about that. If our O is decent and could go toe to toe with anyone (think the days of Basanez and Bacher), I don't think Michigan and Iowa get the ball in favorable field position all day. I don't think our Defense is on the field after constant 3 and outs. I don't think they have to defend a short field. I don't think Michigan or Iowa score nearly as many points. With a decent offense, we might even score more than the 30 or even 40 points that the opposing teams put up on us. People forget, but we have actually been known to do that you know.

There have been some posters who appear to believe the QB or the offense had good days. At least one has claimed that Thorson is better than Kafka, Basanez, Bacher, and Siemian, as laughable as they may sound. People don't seem to acknowledge how putrid our offense is and the fact that our QB is ranked 116 in the country, and give the overwhelming credit for our 9 wins this season to our dominant defense. They think our 116th ranked QB is responsible for multiple wins.

Think you have hit on something E. I would also llike to add that I think our offensive coaches need to adjust to the personal that's on the field. Run some misdirection, bubble screens, two back sets with Jackson and Long and run the FB, (Vitale).