We are just a few short weeks away from the start of the 2016 college football season and I will be the first one to admit that I underestimated my prediction for the Northwestern Wildcats in 2015. I predicted a 5-7 season and the Wildcats blew that out of the water with a 10-3 campaign.
Looking ahead to 2016 the Wildcats and Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald will be looking to build on the stellar year they had. Here are a few stories heading into this season.
Quarterback Play: Sophomore quarterback Clayton Thorson looks to lead the offense in 2016. This time around though, Thorson will need to become more of a playmaker and utilize the downfield passing game instead of just pulling the ball down and running.
The Cats finished 119th in college football in overall passing, meaning Thorson did what he had to to pull out victories. Thorson threw for just over 1,500 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per attempt. With workhorse running back Justin Jackson behind him, Thorson will need to find his receivers more often. Senior Wide Receiver Austin Carr and crew will need to spread the defense to open up the offense for Jackson to work his magic instead of giving the defense a reason to stack the line on the running game.
When I asked Jackson if he was looking to become a bigger part of the passing game he stated, “I’m working on the little details of running routes, as a running back that doesn’t come natural for me so it’s something I have to work on.”
He said that working with the coaches will “hopefully pay dividends throughout the season.”
Keeping The Defense Hungry: Pat Fitzgerald, being a former All American Linebacker for the Cats has built a defense reminiscence to how he played, fast, tough and stout. The Wildcats finished 13th overall and was third overall in the nation in pass efficiency defense. The front seven was one of the most physical and dominant defenses during the Coach Fitz era.
Linebacker Anthony Walker is one of the best all around defenders in the Big Ten. The defensive line is full of upperclassmen and the secondary is strong and is led by Senior Cornerback Matthew Harris. Holding teams to under 200 yards rushing was a key to the Cats success in 2015 and should be a measuring stick for this years squad.
Players to Watch on Offense:
- Justin Jackson, Running Back – The workhorse of the offense, will be the centerpiece carrying the rock.
- Clayton Thorson, Quarterback – Needs a breakout season with better overall passing stats and needs to become more of a leader than a game manager.
- Austin Carr, Jr, Wide Receiver – Needs to become the main target for Thorson, will look to spread the defense and make plays to keep the pressure off of Jackson.
Players to Watch on Defense:
- Anthony Walker, Jr., Linebacker – Defensive leader and best all around player on defense and a stout run defender. Had 20 tackles for loss. Coach Fitz’s said about Walker at Big Ten Media Day, “He’s a special player with lots to improve on, but he’s a sideline to sideline physical player that can play great in the run game and pass game”.
- Matthew Harris, Cornerback – Senior CB needs to play the best WR’s on the field to shut down the opposing team’s passing game.
- Ifeadi Odenigbo, Right Defensive End – Senior RDE will need to be the stop gap on the front seven from stopping the run to generating a vicious pass rush.
2016 Schedule:
- Sept. 3 vs. Western Michigan
- Sept. 10 vs. Illinois State
- Sept. 17 vs. Duke
- Sept. 24 vs. Nebraska
- Oct. 1 at Iowa
- Oct. 8 – OFF WEEK
- Oct. 15 at Michigan State
- Oct. 22 vs. Indiana
- Oct. 29 at Ohio State
- Nov. 5 vs Wisconsin
- Nov. 12 at Purdue
- Nov 19 at Minnesota
- Nov. 26 vs. Illinois
Potential Upsets:
The main games I could see the Wildcats playing spoilers would be the Oct. 1 contest at Iowa and the Oct. 15 matchup at Michigan State.
My Prediction:
Since I failed miserably last year with my prediction, I see this year’s squad starting off the season hot winning their first four games. The back half of the schedule is tough as nails with match ups at Big Ten behemoths Michigan State and Ohio State and the usual barn burners at Iowa and at home against Wisconsin and Illinois.
My prediction for the Wildcats this season is 8-4 and making it to a bowl game. The offense will play better overall than last season and the defense will statistically take a step back off of last season’s dominance. 8-4 isn’t to shabby for a Northwestern team.
