Spots we desperately needed to fill … and did

1. Running Back

After graduating Tyrell Sutton and Omar Conteh, the Wildcats badly needed to stock up at the running back position, and that’s just what they did. Back in April, the ‘Cats got an boost in their recruiting efforts when Wheaton North tailback Mike Trumpy made a verbal commitment to play for the ‘Cats in ’09. ESPN.com calls Trumpy a powerful, “shifty” runner. Trumpy was ranked 25th nationally among running backs by recruitment guru Tom Lemming (according to Northwestern). He also received offers from Stanford and Vanderbilt, which is a sign of our burgeoning reputation. Joining Trumpy will be running back Arby Fields, a California prospect. Fields chose to compete in the Big Ten despite invites from ACC and Pac-10 teams.

Below is a recruitment video of Trumpy:

2. Quarterback

Because they failed to give a scholarship to a signal caller last year, the Wildcats needed to land a highly touted QB prospect in the ‘09 class. So it’s a huge relief that NU secured Evan Watkins out of Glenbard North High School. Watkins is a physical specimen, standing at 6 ft. 6 in. and weighing 235 lbs. Watkins is a pro-style passer whose agility and size can make him a solid runner and a skilled out-of-pocket passer. Watkins also possesses a strikingly powerful arm. Ranked second in the state at the QB position by Rivals.com, Watkins chose Northwestern over Iowa, among others. Still, don’t count on seeing Watkins in action much next year, as it is highly unlikely for freshman quarterbacks to get substantial minutes.

Here’s video of Watkins in action:

3. Kicker

With kicker Amado Villarreal leaving, the Cats needed to shore up the kicking spot for next year. Hopefully they did so by offering place kicker Jeff Budzien a scholarship. ESPN.com writes that the Wisconsin native has made a 55 yard field goal.

Positions we solidified

1. Linebacker

Pat Fitzgerald’s reputation as one of the greatest linebackers ever to suit up at the college level has surely given the program a huge recruiting boost. This year’s class brought the ‘Cats four new stud linebacker prospects, hopefully providing vast depth at this position for years to come. Ohio native Will Studlien, who choose Northwestern over Kansas and Maryland, was ranked in the top 25 nationally amongst inside linebackers by ESPN.com, which describes Studlien as a quick, physical player with a large frame who can stuff the inside run. Nevada native Damien Proby, who declined several Pac-10 offers to play for Fitz, is smaller than Studlien, at 6 ft., but shows good quickness, having been timed at 4.62 in the 40-yard dash. Tom Lemming was high on Proby, ranking him 20th nationally at the outside linebacker position. Roderick Goodlow, a 6 ft. 2 in. linebacker from Dallas, also joins the mix. Ranked 38th nationally at the outside linebacker position by Rivals.com, Goodlow turned down offers from the likes of Wisconsin, Nebraska and Arkansas to wear purple. Another speedster, Goodlow has been timed at 4.5 in the 40. Rounding out the class is Oswego, Ill. native Tim Riley. NUsports.com notes that Riley was named to the first-team all-state team by both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.

2. Defensive Line

One of Fitz’s biggest recruiting coups this year came with the commitment of Davon Custis, a highly touted prep star from Columbus, Ohio. Custis committed to the ‘Cats in January, choosing Northwestern over Notre Dame, Stanford, and Boston College. After recruiting thinly on the defensive line last year, the Cats landed another local star in Anthony Battle, a defensive end from Chicagoland powerhouse Mt. Carmel. Battle made Rivals.com’s list of the top 30 players in Illinois, coming in as the 21st best player in the state. Rounding out the defensive line position is Ohio native Tyler Scott, a 6 ft. 4 in. former linebacker who is projected to play defensive end at Northwestern.

3. Offensive Line

After a monster offensive line class last year, the ‘Cats didn’t desperately need prospects at this position. But that didn’t stop Pat Fitzgerald from hauling in some exciting talent on Thursday. Leading the way is Patrick Ward, a bulky, 6 ft. 7 in. in-state tackle prospect who was rated as Northwestern’s best recruit by Rivals.com. Ranked the 17th best at his position in the nation and 5th best player in the state by Rivals.com, Ward was a huge get for the ‘Cats, and should be a good addition to this academically rigorous institution. Ward scored a 35 on his ACT and plans to major in engineering. He chose Northwestern over Notre Dame, Stanford and numerous Big Ten programs. Projected guard Taylor Paxton also appears to be a force to be reckoned with, ranked by Rivals.com as the 11th-best offensive lineman coming out of high school in the state of Colorado.

4. Defensive Back

NU stockpiled defensive backs in the last two classes and thus did not need to use too many scholarships at this position. However, they did pick up two solid safeties in California native Davion Fleming and Cooper Gerami out of Louisiana. ESPN.com writes that Fleming is a hard-hitting player with very solid fundamentals who will surely challenge for playing time in the Northwestern secondary in several years.

Wait-and-see

1. Wide Receiver/Superback

The ‘Cats picked up a potential sleeper recruit in Michigan’s Drew Moulton, who is a small, speedy type of wideout, according to ESPN.com. At superback, Northwestern added to an already deep field by getting Florida native John Plasencia. Plasencia, who was being considered for both defensive end and tight end out of high school, turned down several Big East offers for Northwestern. Nonetheless, both Moulton and Plasencia were not highly touted and are even more unproven than the usual recruit.

Northwestern finished the season 9-3 and posted impressive road victories at Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan, but the ‘Cats continue to get no respect in Vegas. They are the biggest underdog of any bowl team, with many predicting a repeat of NU’s performance in the 2000 Alamo Bowl, in which they lost 17-66 to Nebraska. Unfortunately, there is some reason to think that the odds-makers are correct. Quite simply, the Missouri Tigers will be far and away the best offense Northwestern has played yet. The Tigers finished the season ranked sixth nationally in total yards. Eight times this season Missouri put up 40 or more points in a game. In their only game against a Big Ten team, the Tigers defeated Illinois 52-42.

The real strength of the Tigers’ offense is their playmakers. QB Chase Daniel, whose name was tossed around in pre-season Heisman discussion, finished the season with a 74 percent completion percentage, firing 37 TD tosses to 15 INT’s. On top of that, Daniel is from Texas so expect him to have a big game in front of a large contingent of family and friends.

Another Tigers weapon is All-American wideout Jeremy Maclin. The sophomore caught 95 passes on the year, totaling 1221 yards with 12 TD grabs. Many expect that Maclin will leave school for the NFL after just two seasons on campus. If he does so, many experts, including Scouts.com, project him to be a top 10 overall pick. NU corners Sherrick McManus and Jordan Mabin will certainly have their hands full with Maclin and number two wideout Tommy Saunders, who caught 66 passes for 800 yards on the season.

To shut down these prolific playmakers, the ‘Cats must continue to apply the pressure on the quarterback that allowed them to accumulate the most sacks of any team in the conference in ’08. I’m sorry, but if Daniel and Maclin have lots of time to execute, the NU corners are going to get torched. Defensive end Vince Browne, who is now listed as probable after his knee injury against Minnesota was assumed to be season-ending, needs to have a big game in order to prevent Missouri from concentrating solely on stopping Corey Wootton.

On the other side of the ball, the ‘Cats will have to strike and strike often through the air. Even if Tyrell Sutton is able to play, I wouldn’t expect too much from the Northwestern ground game. Likely starting running back Stephen Simmons played better each week but he never averaged more than 3.1 yards per carry.

Therefore, it will be up to quarterback CJ Bacher and the passing attack to provide most of the offense. They should have an opportunity to do so. The Tigers’ pass defense was dead last in the conference, allowing 285.3 passing yards per game. Now is the time for Bacher to show that he can be a legitimate, down the field threat. In Big Ten play, Bacher did not complete a pass for longer than 40 yards where the majority of the yards were not provided by yards ran for after the catch by wide receiver Eric Peterman. To leave the Lone Star State victorious, Bacher will have to change this and stretch the field a few times.

Prediction: On one hand, I want to pick the ‘Cats because the game should matter more to them. For Missouri, a win would not salvage this season in the eyes of their fans. They were expected to compete for the national title, not a victory in the Alamo Bowl. In contrast, a victory for the Wildcats transforms the 2008 team into one of the most succesful in school history. Nonetheless, there is a talent gap between Missouri and NU that even a difference in effort can not make up for. I simply can not see the Northwestern defense being able to slow down Daniel and Maclin. No quarterback the team has played so far is even close to as good as Daniel and the ‘Cats will not be able to suddenly adjust to playing a real gun-slinging quarterback. Missouri will win, 45-24.

This Saturday at Michigan Stadium the Northwestern Wildcats have a chance to win eight games in the regular season for the first time since 2000, their last Big 10 championship. However, for the Wolverines, this season has been all but roses. After losing to Purdue, Michigan and first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez (the biggest douche bag who does not wear a sweater vest) are assured of their first losing season since 1967. Even with all of its disappointment, Michigan is coming off a victory the once-Cinderella team of the conference, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, winning by a comfortable margin in the Metrodome.

In terms of the injury report, the Wolverines and Wildcats find themselves mired in similar situations. Michigan quarterback Steven Threet is out for Saturday’s contest, suffering from what have been described as concussion-like symptoms. The Michigan signal-caller went down with a head injury in the final quarter of Michigan’s loss to Purdue and sat out last week’s victory. Redshirt sophomore Nick “no relation to the road” Sheridan will get the start for the second straight game. Sheridan completed 18 of 30 passes with one TD and no interceptions in their 29-6 upset of Minnesota.

At running back, Brandon Minor will most likely sit out this game for Michigan after suffering a shoulder injury. Freshmen Sam McGuffie, who has been up and down this season, and Michael Shaw, who has 23 carries for 157 yards on the season, will likely carry the load in the Michigan backfield.

As for the Cats, the vagueness surrounding the condition of quarterback CJ Bacher has continued. Pat Fitzgerald has assured the media that Bacher’s hamstring is improving and will regain the starting spot when he is fully healthy, but at the very least expect Mike Kafka to see most of the snaps on Saturday. At tailback, injuries continue to plague the Cats. Second string option Omar Conteh is now out for the season, leaving Fitzgerald no choice but to insert the third option, Stephen Simmons, into the starting role for the second week in a row.

To beat Michigan at the Big House for the first time since 1995, Northwestern offensive coordinator Mick McCall will need to open up the playbook, especially if Mike Kafka takes most of the snaps this weekend. While Kafka beat the Gophers almost solely with his ability to make plays with his feet, it will likely take a more multidimensional attack to take down the Wolverines. Although Kafka was not given many opportunities to beat the Buckeyes with his arm, he played solidly the few times he did drop back to pass. Look for NU to throw short passes to senior receiver Eric Peterman, taking advantage of Peterman’s ability to turn gain yards after the catch.

On the defensive side of the ball, pressure will remain the key to the Wildcat defense. Despite his desire to run the spread, Rich Rodriguez’s current team features more of a pocket-passing style. NU had considerable success pressuring Buckeyes’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor last week, but Pryor’s athleticism and their inability to get stops on 3rd down killed NU against Ohio State. Without Vince Browne, look for Corey Wootton to continue to lead the way in trying to pressure the less-athletic Sheridan.

Prediction: Having already missed out on a bowl, the Wolverines have nothing to play for and the atmosphere at the Big House should be fairly negative. NU, on the other hand, knows that a win at Michigan would probably ensure an invitation to a better bowl than the Motor City Bowl (no offense, Detroit) such as the Alamo or Champs Sports Bowl. True, Northwestern will not be able to rely on the running game for the second consecutive week, but against a weaker Wolverines defense Kafka will have some success to turn broken plays into big gains. The NU coaching staff will allow him to show that he actually can throw the ball. Look for the defense to be motivated after an embarrassing performance against the Buckeyes and return to the form they showed earlier in the season. I predict that Northwetsern will return to Evanston with a 26-14 win over the Wolverines and we can all start making our plane reservations to Orlando.

Last week Northwestern shocked the world (or at least the Midwest) by beating the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. It was the first win against a ranked opponent in the Pat Fitzgerald era. Unfortunately, things don’t get any easier this week: The ‘Cats are in for their toughest matchup of the season when they return to home to face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday at 11 a.m.

While the Buckeyes are still ranked No. 12 nationally, their season has been far from perfect. Many thought that, after losing to Louisiana State University in the national championship game last year, the Buckeyes would have an easy path to the title game this year. After all, the team returned most of their starters and added quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the most heralded recruit in the country. However, Ohio State fell off-track with a crushing 35-3 loss to the University of Southern California in the Coliseum, and more recently, a 13-6 homefield to now-Big-Ten favorite Penn State.

The Buckeyes are suffering from a lack of production on offense. While their staunch defense has played up to its ability, the offense has been abysmal by school standards. The Pryor-led Buckeye attack is ranked 97th nationally in yards. In comparison, Northwestern is ranked 51st.

Nonetheless, Ohio State’s talent cannot be overlooked with mere statistics, and the ‘Cats will have to fire on all cylinders to have a chance at upsetting this Big Ten foe. After a rousing victory under the lights at home in 2004, Northwestern has given three lackluster showings against the Buckeyes, losing 48-7, 54-10 and 58-7 in ’05, ’06 and ’07 respectively.

For the Wildcats, the quarterback situation has been a big question in the minds of fans this week. Mike Kafka gave a remarkable performance against Minnesota, rushing for the most yards ever by an NU quarterback in a single game, but Fitzgerald has stated that, if healthy, Bacher is still NU’s starter. With Bacher’s status uncertain (he is currently listed as probable), expect to see both quarterbacks taking snaps against the Buckeyes.

For the ‘Cats, maximizing offense will be key to hanging with OSU. Northwestern must have more production at the running back position. Omar Conteh was completely shut down in the Metrodome last weekend and the ‘Cats received bad news on Thursday when the team learned that a knee injury Conteh suffered in practice will keep him out of Saturday’s game. As a result, the starting running back will be untested sophomore Stephen Simmons. There will be a lot of pressure on the young man from Missouri because a repetition of NU’s failure on the ground against Ohio State will prove fatal. Kafka’s slipperiness won’t overcome the shortcoming in the running game for the second week in a row because Ohio State’s linebackers, led by James Laurinaitis, are much faster than Minnesota’s.

Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz’s unit must apply continuous heat on OSU’s young quarterback. Pressuring Pryor will give Northwestern chances to force interceptions. Turnovers would give the ‘Cats momentum and confidence that an upset is possible. Mike Hankwitz went with a 4-2-5 defensive scheme last week against the mobile Adam Weber, inserting extra safety Brian Peters and omitting linebacker Quentin Davie from the starting lineup. This game plan worked, so look for Northwestern to keep that package as an option against the dangerously quick Pryor.

Prediction: Things will be better than last year, but don’t expect to storm the field on Saturday. Northwestern has performed well all year as the underdog but they will be facing a well-coached Jim Tressel team that almost never takes a lesser foe for granted. In addition, the Buckeyes know that a loss would probably eliminate them from the Rose Bowl picture, and in Columbus anything less than a BCS berth is a failure. The Buckeyes will have no trouble with motivation.

With both Conteh and senior Tyrell Sutton injured, the ‘Cats have no legitimate threat at running back and the Buckeyes can concentrate on the Northwestern receivers, if Bacher plays, or on containing Kafka’s running game if he is the one under center. My guess: The Buckeyes will win, 30-14.

After a tough loss at home against the Michigan State Spartans on Oct. 11, the Wildcats roared back this past homecoming weekend with a convincing victory over the Purdue Boilermakers. They regained momentum and confidence which they can bring with them to Bloomington when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers this Saturday.

The biggest question on the minds of Hoosiers fans this weekend will be the health of multiple-threat quarterback Kellen Lewis, who is currently being categorized as questionable with a high ankle sprain by Indiana head coach Bill Lynch. Lewis sat out last week against Illinois, but he practiced Monday and is still uncertain for the Northwestern game. The potential loss of Lewis is an undeniably huge blow to the Indiana squad, who, after winning their first two match-ups of the season, have dropped their last five games, including posting a disappointing 0-4 mark in the conference.

Lewis has been used in more of a multipurpose role this year; he has completed over 60 percent of his passes and also leads the team in rushing yardage. Furthermore, Lewis has been lining up at multiple positions, and has even hauled in two receptions. The alternative to Lewis at quarterback is sophomore Ben Chappell. Chappell has completed less than half of his passes this year, also throwing 2 INT’s and posting a sub-100 quarterback rating. Even if Lewis does see action against Northwestern, the typically speedy, agile signal caller will be, as ESPN analyst and former Indiana head coach Lee Corso would say, “not so fast, my friend,” unless his ankle drastically improves.

The Wildcats themselves are not immune on the injury front, having lost starting middle linebacker Malcolm Arrington for the season after suffering ligament damage in his knee during the first half of the Purdue game. Arrington, who is third in the team in tackles, will be replaced by sophomore Nate Williams, who played the remainder of the contest against the Boilermakers after Arrington went down last Saturday. Williams, who has ten total tackles on the season, is probably a step slower than Arrington, but has been described by Pat Fitzgerald as a solid hitter and a hard-nosed player at the middle linebacker position. With relative quickness in Quentin Davie and Prince Kwateng on the outsides, though, the ‘Cats defense should still have solid sideline-to-sideline coverage from the linebacker position.

On offense, look for Tyrell Sutton to have a big game. Sutton’s performance last year against Indiana was his finest of the season, as he accounted for 213 all-purpose yards, his fourth highest total as a college player. Further speaking to Sutton’s threat as a multi-purpose weapon, the Cats tailback became the all-time leading pass catcher out of the backfield in school history with his performance against Purdue. Sutton needs only 367 more all-purpose to tie Damien Anderson’s all-time school record in that category, a mark which he will make a run out provided he stays healthy this season.

As was the case with Purdue, a few big defensive plays will be critical in achieving a solid win. Look for starting corners Jordan Mabin and Sherrick McManus, who both played solidly against Purdue, to sustain their high level of play against Indiana.

I think the defense will get these turnovers and help Northwestern control possession and momentum in a dominating 34-17 win. Lewis will play but will be platooned with Chappell. The result will be instability at the quarterback position and a general feeling of chaos among the Hoosiers, who will have to switch back and forth between two very different game plans. Meanwhile, CJ Bacher will build on last week’s strong performance and Sutton will post his best numbers in Big Ten play yet.

After a disappointing home loss under the lights, many ‘Cats fans may feel as though the early hype brought on by the early hot start was all for naught. However, consider the loss a thing of the past. Given Illinois’ and Michigan’s performances last Saturday, Northwestern’s game against the Spartans may well wind up as the second toughest contest of the season. Furthermore, look for the loss to take some of the pressure off the NU squad as they prepare to bring their invigorated mentality to Ryan Field this Saturday to face Purdue in front of the Homecoming crowd.

Nonetheless, Joe Tiller’s Boilermakers have proved to be problematic in recent meetings, and NU will have to be particularly focused to triumph in this match up. Last year in Ross-Ade Stadium, the Cats, riding a 3-game winning streak, overcame an early deficit to tie the game at the half, a surge which was capped off by a CJ Bacher-Kim Thompson-Eric Peterman hook-and-lateral touchdown play. However, in a collapse which was all too typical for last year’s up-and-down Cats, the Purdue offense scored 21 points in the 2nd half to the Cats 3, ending the ‘Cats hot mid-season spurt.

In Tiller’s last year as head coach of the Purdue program, however, the Boilermakers look to be a bit more vulnerable. The Boilermakers are just 2-4 and have lost three in a row. Much of the slow start can be chalked up to the Boilermaker’s difficult early schedule. Their losses so far have come to Oregon (in overtime), Penn State, Ohio State, and Notre Dame, the first three of which were ranked at the time of the contest. This being said, Purdue is still under performing. The scoring potential of the Curtis Painter-lead offense yielded a mere 9 points in their last two contests against the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes, two teams with solid but not impenetrable defenses.

In fact, Curtis Painter, whose name was being thrown around before the season started as a Heisman candidate, is part of the problem. Without three-time All-Big-Ten wideout Dorien Bryant (who was drafted by the Steelers but failed a physical in May), stellar tight end Dustin Keller who is now making an impact with the Jets, and running back Jaycen Taylor, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the pre-season, Painter looks rather pedestrian. The active conference leader in passing yardage is playing with a QB rating more than 20 points lower than last year’s figure. After throwing 29 scores in 2007, Painter has thrown a mere 5 TD’s so far this year and has been picked 6 times.

For Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats, gaining momentum and maintaining it will be a key to victory Saturday. In a difficult loss to Michigan State, special teams’ miscues, a lack of takeaways, and key interceptions made it impossible for the team to create any sustained momentum. The Spartans’ dominance of the big mo nullified several things NU did well on Saturday, including pressuring Spartans’ quarterback Hoyer and generally limiting the damage inflicted by Javon Ringer.

Fitzgerald addressed the special teams issue, highlighted by Sherrick McManus’ early gaffs on kickoff returns, by hinting that speedy true freshman Jeravin Matthews may get the bulk of the return opportunities against Purdue. Although he is no Desmond Howard, at least not yet, Matthews showed with his 40-yard return against MSU that he possesses the ability to succeed in this new role. McManus, who has been highly productive at times and shaky at others as a return man, is best saved for covering the Cats’ opponents’ primary wide-out.

The ‘Cats will try to solve the second major cause of their inability to generate momentum, their lack of turnovers on defense, by pressuring Painter. To do this the ‘Cats will need to eliminate Purdue’s run threat early. This is by no means an easy task. Purdue running back Kory Sheets may not get a lot of hype but he is still capable of making it a long day for opponents’ rush defenses. Against Oregon, Sheets ran for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. Still, Sheets is no Javon Ringer and if the ‘Cats defense plays as well as it did against the Spartans’ running back they should be able to contain Sheets and free themselves to blitz Painter. Look for defensive tackle Corbin Bryant, who has settled in at the tackle spot aside John Gill after being seen as more of an end who could also play inside, to be in Painter’s face all day.

As for the final cause of the ‘Cats lack of momentum, Bacher’s turnovers, there is really nothing Fitzgerald can do. Getting an early lead will help as it will enable NU to call lots of running plays and short screen passes to take the pressure off Bacher. Other than that, Northwestern will just have to pray that the great quarterback we saw during the first half of the 2006 MSU game shows up and not the one who has struggled throughout much of the season.

My prediction is that the ‘Cats make it a joyous homecoming for the second straight season. This will be the week that Bacher dominates an entire game and finally meets his potential. One day this season Painter is probably going to come out of his slump and torch some unsuspecting defense. However, that won’t happen this week. The ‘Cats have gotten to quarterbacks all year and it will be impossible for Painter to break out when he will be on his rear the whole game. Northwestern will win this one 24-16.

Saturday’s game against Michigan State is the most hyped game Northwestern has played at Ryan Field since 2005 when they hosted Michigan. The student body is actually planning Saturday schedules around the game instead of around the library, ESPN agreed to a game time that isn’t at the crack of dawn, and PTI host and NU alum Michael Wilbon is bragging about the team posting double digit wins this season. The team secured a top 25 ranking in the coaches poll and will move into the AP top 25 as well if they can defeat the Spartans. With all the national coverage this game will recieve, NU students have a chance to prove we aren’t the sports-ignorant geeks the fans of other Big Ten teams claim we are. So, get there early, make sure to wear purple, and don’t speak during discussions on Friday to save your voice.

On defense, the first and foremost thing the ‘Cats will have to do to take down #23 Michigan State is stop Javon Ringer, their running back. From the outset of the season, Northwestern knew that stopping Ringer would be one of the toughest tasks the squad would face all season. Ringer’s performance this season has far exceeded even the high expectations placed on him. The Spartans’ ball carrier has been an absolute workhorse, racking up almost twice as many carries as any other back in the conference and leading the Big Ten in yards and scores on the ground.

However, Mike Hankwitz and the ‘Cats defense may have gotten some insight about stopping Ringer and the dynamic Michigan State offense from watching last Saturday’s Michigan State game against Iowa. Despite the fact that the Spartans prevailed at home 16-13, the 5-1 Spartans looked unimpressive on offense. The ground game failed to top the 100 yard mark and senior quarterback Brian Hoyer went a mere 13-24 through the air. Look for the Wildcats to continue to platoon about 6 linemen up front, with John Gill and Corey Wootton getting the most time of the 6 to keep the heat on the Spartan line. This will clear up hard-hitting senior middle linebacker Malcolm Arrington and the speedy young sophomore Quentin Davie to attack Ringer in the backfield.

On the other side of the ball, the Spartan’s defensive backfield remains a major question mark due to injuries to several players including corner Chris Rucker, who is currently listed doubtful. Even with all their players, however, the Spartans are capable of surrendering lots of points. California hung 38 on the Spartans in a game in September.

Rucker’s injury further weakens what was already a mediocre secondary unit. Last season, Wildcats’ quarterback C.J. Bacher devastated the MSU defense with a school-record 520 passing yards (the 6th highest total in conference history) in an overtime 48-41 victory at East Lansing. Most memorable were touchdown passes to Eric Peterman and Jeff Yarborough. This year, if Peterman and true freshman Jeremy Ebert can spread out the defense with their speed from the inside receiver position, Bacher will be able to hit Ross Lane, Rasheed Ward, and Tyrell Sutton all day with easy completions and the Wildcats will light up the scoreboard.

Prediction: With so much excitement Northwestern couldn’t possibly disappoint their fans, could they? I certainly don’t think so. The ‘Cats have played their best when it matters most the whole year and will continue to do so on Saturday. Bacher will throw two touchdowns and the defense will limit Javon Ringer to 70 yards in a 27-14 romp of the Spartans.

Thanks to commenter Aaron for the correction.

This Saturday, the Northwestern Wildcats have a chance to improve to 5-0, and maybe even secure a spot in the Top 25 rankings. But this week’s game will undoubtedly be the Cats’ toughest yet, as they travel to Kinnick Stadium to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in their first real road test of the season. The only other road game the Cats have played so far was against Duke, where it is traditional for students to tailgate but never actually enter the stadium. People in Iowa take football a little more seriously. After the presidential primary season is over, football is all the denizens of Iowa have to occupy their time besides looking for crop circles in cornfields. Kinnick Stadium is among the loudest in the country: stories abound of Iowa students who throw cigarette butts at opposing players, and on game days it’s almost impossible to find anyone not wearing yellow.

Northwestern’s task does seem a lot easier now that coach Pat Fitzgerald has announced that starting running back Tyrell Sutton will be ready to play. Sutton left last week’s contest with a left leg injury late in the first half and did not return to the field for the remainder of the game. The senior tailback averages 6.1 yards per carry and is tied for third in the conference with six touchdowns.

For the Cats to win, their offense must be much more effective than it was against Ohio. As is traditionally the case, Iowa’s real strength is on the defensive side of the football. The Hawkeye line is led by pre-season All-Big Ten first-team tackle Mitch King, who leads the team with 4.5 tackles for loss. Iowa is ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense and 19th in total defense. Their pass defense is tied for first in the conference, with 8 interceptions. This stat may have Wildcat fans worried, especially in the wake of quarterback C.J. Bacher’s four picks last week against Ohio. Four turnovers this week and NU would be lucky to lose by less than three touchdowns.

While most of the talk at Northwestern this week has been over Sutton’s injury, all of the discussion in Iowa City has centered on who should be the Hawkeyes’ starting quarterback. Iowa, who is 3-1 after victories over Maine, Florida International and Iowa State, has played quarterback roulette, with Jake Christensen and Ricky Stanzi sharing time behind the line. Christensen started last week against Pittsburgh, but his costly fumble ended a last-ditch attempt to take the lead with less than a minute to play. Though Stanzi entered the season having attempted only four passes in his college career, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has chosen him to start the NU game.

Stanzi posted slightly better numbers than Christensen in non-conference play. The sophomore signal caller has completed slightly over 60 percent of his passes in the first four games, throwing for 426 passing yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs. More importantly, Stanzi is the biggest star on Iowa’s campus since Ashton Kutcher. The Iowa faithful have started Facebook groups such as “Stanzi for Heisman,” “Ricky Stanzi — Gods Gift to Iowa Hawkeye Fans” and, my personal favorite, “Stanzi is the Man-zi,”

While the quarterback position has been a source of inconsistency, Iowa has an anchor at running back in Shonn Greene. The 5-11, 235 lb. junior has run for 506 yards on 78 carries this season, which places him second in the Big Ten in ground yardage, only behind Michigan State’s Javon Ringer. Last week the NU defense was stellar against the run, limiting Ohio to just four rushing yards. If the Cats have close to similar success against the Iowa ground attack and force the inexperienced Stanzi to throw more often, it could be a long day for Hawkeyes fans.

My prediction is that the Cats will remain undefeated with a tight win over the Hawkeyes. Iowa is always a tough place to play, but more often than not, good defense enable teams to win on the road. And, with the exception of last year’s game, Iowa always seems to bring out the best in Northwestern. In 2005, the Cats defeated the Hawkeyes 28-27 after being down 24-7 at halftime. Maybe the Cats like those pink locker rooms. Bacher will bounce back after his rough game last week and throw two touchdowns while staying interception-free. Meanwhile, the defense will contain Greene, pressure Stanzi and force him into two interceptions.

Prediction: Northwestern 24 — Iowa 16

Correction, 12:25 a.m., Sept. 26: The original version of this article mixed up Shonn Greene and Javon Ringer in the final sentence.