Pat Fitzgerald’s squad outgained Missouri by almost 100 total yards, forced three critical turnovers, and held the ball for more than 35 minutes. The Wildcats overcome injuries to key players and special teams miscues to battle the heavily favored Tigers to the final seconds — and beyond.

It was a perfect game. The only thing missing was the victory.

Given new life after a missed field goal at the end of regulation, NU was unable to come through in overtime, dropping a 30-23 heartbreaker that left Fitzgerald and his players drained and despondent.

“I can’t say enough about our players,” a weary Fitzgerald said after the game. “We kept on fighting, we kept on battling. Just a few plays here or there might have been the difference.”

After Missouri’s Jeff Wolfert missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal to end the fourth quarter, the Cats (9-4) headed into their first overtime game of the season — and the first overtime bowl game in school history — with renewed hope of breaking the school’s 60-year bowl victory drought.

“I thought there was no chance (Wolfert) was going to miss it,” senior quarterback C.J. Bachér said. “When he did, it kind of felt like a second life, a second breath.”

As quickly as the Tigers (10-4) had lost the momentum, Jeremy Maclin seized it back. The sophomore All-American wideout took a carry off tackle for 11 yards on the first play of overtime to move Missouri within shouting distance of the goal line. Three plays later, he hauled in a seven-yard touchdown strike from senior quarterback Chase Daniel to give the Tigers a 30-23 lead.

Needing a touchdown to send the game to a second overtime, the Cats moved the ball to the Missouri eight-yard line. But that was as close as the they would get. In an eerie repeat of NU’s midseason loss to Indiana, Bachér lost 24 yards on a fumble, stripped as he attempted to throw the ball away on third-and-goal.

Left tackle Al Netter fell on the fumble at the 32, giving the offense one more chance for a Hail Mary touchdown pass to tie the score. Bachér’s fourth-down heave into the end zone was almost corralled by junior wide receiver Andrew Brewer, but the pass fell harmlessly to turf, and the Cats’ season fell with it.

Afterwards, Fitzgerald dismissed the notion that his team had somehow won something by playing the Big 12 North champion Tigers closer than expected.

“We’re very disappointed we lost the game,” he said. “I thought we fought hard, and we fought valiantly, and I’m proud of that. But there’s no moral victories in our program.”

For the first three quarters, NU did everything it could to leave San Antonio with a victory, defying the oddsmakers who tabbed Missouri as a two-touchdown favorite and powering its way to a 23-20 lead. Bachér turned in one of the best performances of his prolific career, tying an Alamo Bowl record with three touchdowns passes and setting a season-high with 304 yards passing in his 28th and final start.

On defense, the Cats’ physical, gritty play forced the dynamic Tigers’ offense out of its comfort zone, putting the clamps on a unit that came into the contest averaging 42.3 points per game. The Cats laid a series of punishing hits on Daniel, forcing the senior gunslinger into uncharacteristic mistakes. The Tigers’ senior tied a season-high with three interceptions.

“We just decided to come after (Daniel),” senior linebacker Prince Kwateng said.

Daniel’s third and final pick came courtesy of Brad Phillips. The junior safety faked blitz to confuse Daniel, then dropped back into coverage, jumping an out route to make the interception at the Missouri 24 late in the third quarter.

Three plays later, Bachér found Ross Lane in the back of the end zone. The senior wideout dragged his left foot inbounds to secure the 23-yard score, and the Cats had a 23-20 lead.

Despite losing junior defensive end Corey Wootton to a knee injury, the NU defense kept Missouri out of the end zone in the fourth quarter. Wolfert’s third field goal of the day knotted the score at 23 with three minutes left and set the stage for the last-minute dramatics.

From the outset, it was clear the Cats had a singular strategy: Hit ‘em, and hit ‘em hard. NU employed a pounding, physical game plan on both sides of the ball, jamming the Missouri receivers on defense and serving the Tigers a healthy dose of Tyrell Sutton on offense. The senior tailback showed no signs of rust after a two-month layoff recovering from a broken wrist, taking the fight to the Tigers with a string of bruising runs.

Behind Sutton and Bachér, NU took an early 10-3 lead. But late in the second quarter, Maclin fielded a Stefan Demos punt at his own 25, blew past a stunned Peterman and raced to the end zone untouched. It was the first punt return for a touchdown allowed by the Cats since 2004, and it evened the score at 10 heading into halftime.

NU overcame the game-changing return and continued to go toe-to-toe with Missouri for more than 60 minutes. But in the aftermath of a sixth straight bowl loss, the Cats could focus only on the result.

“Our goal tonight was to win the football game,” Bachér said. “We weren’t able to get it done.”

For a blow-by-blow breakdown of the Alamo Bowl, check out our live-blogging here.

The Wildcats won the turnover and time-of-possession battles and contained the high-powered, dual-threat attack of Chase Daniel. Still, the Cats were missing something.

One more play.

“I thought that we came out swinging,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “When we did face some adversity we just kept on fighting. We’ve just got to find a way to make one more play to get over this mountaintop.”

It wasn’t so much the Tigers making plays as it was the Cats not making plays. Numerous times throughout its 30-23 overtime loss, NU had potential game-changing opportunities to put the game out of reach.

•       Facing third-and-nine at the NU 11-yard line with less than seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, senior quarterback C.J. Bachér found Tyrell Sutton on a screen pass. The senior running back let his
blockers set up and scampered 43 yards into Missouri territory. Instead of running out of bounds or getting tackled, Sutton attempted to initiate contact and run over safety William Moore. Moore popped the ball loose from Sutton, who was wearing a soft cast due to a wrist injury suffered against Indiana earlier in the season. The fumble was mitigated by the fact that the Tigers went offsides on the play, but third-and-four at the NU 16 is different than first-and-10 at the Missouri 46.
•       Halfway through the second quarter, NU set up for a 47-yard field goal by senior kicker Amado Villarreal. Instead of running the ball on third-and-two, Fitzgerald opted to pass. Had the Cats run to pick up
the first down or get into the middle of the field, it would have been a chip shot. Instead, Villarreal missed the field goal wide left from the left hash. A field goal would have put NU ahead 13-3.
•       With one minute remaining in the first half, NU’s offense stalled at its own 40-yard line. Sophomore punter Stefan Demos had pooch kicked away from returner Jeremy Maclin earlier in the game, but this time
his kick found Maclin. The dynamic All-American fielded the linedrive punt, juked two defenders and went 75 yards untouched for the score. NU could have gone into the locker room ahead by a touchdown had Demos done a rugby-style kick, punted out of bounds or if one tackle had been made.
•       The Cats marched down the field on a six-play, 80-yard drive to open the second half. After taking a six-point lead on the 46-yard touchdown pass from Bachér to senior wide receiver Rasheed Ward, Villarreal came on for the extra point. This time, he hit the right upright. The one-point advantage would have forced Missouri to go for a touchdown, rather than a field goal, in the fourth quarter.
•       Ahead by a field goal with the ball deep inside its own territory, NU looked to put the game away with one last drive in the final minutes. A touchdown would make it a two-possession game with fewer than five minutes remaining. A field goal would force Missouri to go for a touchdown. On two separate occasions, pass plays that could have led to first downs were called back on holding penalties on the interior of the line.
•       With slightly less than five minutes remaining in the game. Missouri began a drive at its own 48-yard line. On second down inside NU territory, the front four pressured Daniel into an erratic throw. As the pass sailed out of Daniel’s hands and beyond Maclin, junior cornerback Sherrick McManis saw the pass go through his hands as a potential interception flashed before his eyes. Five plays later, Jeff Wolfert kicked a 37-yard field goal to tie the game. McManis’ near interception would have given the Cats the ball with the ability to
run out the clock.
•       On third-and-goal at the Missouri eight-yard line, NU needed a touchdown to tie the game and force a second overtime. As the Cats shifted before the snap and brought Sutton into the backfield, the Tigers changed their blitz package and brought first-team All-Big 12 defender Sean Weatherspoon. Bachér looked downfield and had an open receiver. There was a breakdown in protection up front, and as Bachér was sacked, he fumbled for a loss of 24 yards. If the blocking scheme was shored up before the play, NU may have tied the game.

Fitzgerald stressed throughout the season that football is an 11-man operation. Little individual breakdowns prevented the Cats from making that one, game-altering play.

“They made more plays than we did,” Bachér said. “A couple plays here and there, maybe there’s a different result.”

If the team needed one more play, the solution to getting over the proverbial mountaintop is simple.

“We’ll run one more sprint next time,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re going to do one more rep and just find a way to get one more play.

MatthewForman2007@u.northwestern.edu

SAN ANTONIO — Three of Northwestern’s senior leaders trudged into the post-game interview room in the bowels of the Alamodome on Monday night. They had been defeated in their final collegiate game and they looked defeated.

Still half in their uniforms, drenched with sweat, C.J. Bachér, Prince Kwateng and Tyrell Sutton made their way to the table and sat around coach Pat Fitzgerald, facing the gathered press. Sutton’s eyes were bloodshot, and the faces of all three players were stained with disappointment.

The realization had set in. Their collegiate careers were finished, and so was the goal they had established — to capture NU’s first bowl victory in 60 years.

It hurt.

“I remember in 2005 when (former NU quarterback) Brett Basanez was done with his career, and I saw him crying in the locker room,” Bachér said. “I didn’t think the tears were going to come out for me tonight, but it just hit me pretty hard, and I know it did for the 22 other seniors.”

Despite the anguish they must have been feeling, the three seniors sucked it up, sat in front of the bright lights of the cameras and answered each question with grace. In many ways, it was an appropriate – if also a disappointing – end to their tumultuous time with the Wildcats.

The three players sitting at that table and the other 19 seniors, from Malcolm Arrington to Jeff Yarborough, have been through a tremendous amount since their arrival in Evanston. They have handled the trials and tribulations with the same fortitude they demonstrated after NU’s heart-wrenching overtime loss to Missouri.

“They have battled through as much adversity as any young men that are 18 to 23 years old will ever have to go through in the country,” Fitzgerald said. “And to see how they’ve persevered, they’ve grown, they’ve developed as men, I couldn’t be more proud of a group of 23 people as they move forward in their life.”

Forgive the coach’s hyperbole under the circumstances. In any case, this group of players has gone through an awful lot. These guys lost the 2005 Sun Bowl after taking a 22-0 lead. They lost their head coach, Randy Walker, when he died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 52 in June of 2006. They were on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in college football history against Michigan State two years ago. Then there has been the rash of injuries that many teams experience.

Yet a victory in the Alamo Bowl could have eased a lot of that pain. It was tantalizingly close. But Bachér could not lead his team on a winning drive in the final few minutes, nor could he lead the Cats to a tying score in overtime. As Bachér and his teammates said repeatedly afterward, they were one play away from winning but could not quite grasp it.

The result should not tarnish the legacy of the departing seniors.

Bachér’s career never blossomed quite as much as many people expected. But he saved one of his best games for last and then stood in a hallway after the press conference, patiently and thoughtfully answering extra questions.

Kwateng was all over the field against Missouri, delivering a team-high 10 tackles. When Arrington went down with a season-ending injury in the middle of the season, Kwateng emerged as a leader in the middle of the defense.

Sutton has fought injuries the past two seasons, missing the final four regular-season games of 2008. But he worked hard and returned for the bowl game, racking up 143 all-purpose yards and grinding away for the extra foot on every touch.

It was an admirable final act for them and their classmates.

NU’s 2008 seniors will not go down as the first class in 60 years to bring the program a bowl victory. They will go down as a class that had their hearts broken but still played their hearts out every game, winding up with 32 victories, the most by any five-year class in more than 100 years at NU.

This fact did not dry the tears or ease the heartache Monday night. But later, when the players reflect on their careers, it should bring them a heavy dose of pride.

a-simon@u.northwestern.edu]]> http://www.nufootballinsider.com/2008/12/30/simon-cats-seniors-can-hold-their-heads-high/3204/feed/ http://www.nufootballinsider.com/2008/12/30/simon-cats-seniors-can-hold-their-heads-high/3204/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NuFootballInsider/~3/oubeaVL1ug8/ http://www.nufootballinsider.com/2008/12/30/gentilviso-nothings-ever-planned-for-nu/3200/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:03:57 +0000 Chris Gentilviso http://www.nufootballinsider.com/?p=3200 SAN ANTONIO — This wasn’t the plan.

When the 2008 season began, few people in college football planned to see Northwestern win nine games and reach the Alamo Bowl.

Check.

When the bowls were announced, few Missouri Tigers planned to see their season end with NU on the other sideline.

Check.

When the Cats were announced as a 14-point underdog, few expected them to play a quality football game and have a chance to win.

Check.

When the ball was kicked off, few seated in the Alamodome expected the Cats to fall to the Tigers, 30-23, in a cataclysmic three hour and 54 minute contest that needed overtime to name a victor.

The prognosticators swallowed their August picks. The Big 12 North champions and BCS-bowl candidates got a run for their money. And the bettors — many of them lost their money.

For those of you new to NU football, this program makes its strongest statements when things aren’t planned.

When coach Pat Fitzgerald took the podium in 2006, his emotions were rightfully mixed. His opportunity to coach at his alma mater at age 31 came only because of the tragic death of his beloved mentor, Randy Walker.

“This wasn’t in the plan,” he said on the day of his hiring. “But I have a call to duty and the coaching staff has a call to duty and the players have a call to duty to continue the legacy that Randy built. And that is consistent success. My goal will be to take the next step and have consistent championships.”

Walker had to be smiling Monday. Fitzgerald, his players, and his staff brought 13 games of consistent success to the program this season.

The only thing missing in San Antonio was a win, and the 34-year-old coach is confident his team took another step towards vanquishing its 60-year bowl drought.

“We just have to find a way to get the job done,” Fitzgerald said. “I know we will.”

Fitzgerald is the only coach in NU history to improve the Cats’ record over each of his first three seasons — four wins in 2006, six in 2007, and nine in 2008.

“I wish he was older — fate intervened — but he’s ready,” former Athletic Director Mark Murphy said of Fitzgerald’s hiring in 2006.

Much of Fitzgerald’s progress can be attributed to the 23 seniors who led NU to its largest single-season win total since the 1996 Rose Bowl season. Those seniors were recruited by Walker, and blossomed under Fitzgerald.

Fighting off the sadness of a loss in his final collegiate game, senior quarterback C.J. Bachér was greeted by his field rival, Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, as he talked to reporters after the game. Bachér outplayed the 2007 Heisman Trophy finalist, registering 304 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Daniel grasped Bachér’s left shoulder and said: “Hey, hell of a game, baby. Hell of a game.”

The quest to playing that “hell of a game” was far from easy because no outsider to this program ever gives it the respect it deserves. The media can receive a bulk of the blame for sending questionable messages.

Six days before kickoff, an Associated Press story previewing the Alamo Bowl from the Northwestern side read: “Wildcasts gear up for Missouri.” That headline appeared on every news source subscribing to the wire service. Google it and have a field day.

During the morning edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter on Dec. 29, anchor Linda Cohn made the classic mistake of letting the national audience know that “C.J. Bocker” was ready to play. It was almost as bad as the network choosing to cut to a commercial to the tune of Hava Nagila during Sunday’s Independence Bowl.

While my water bottle read Deja Blue (only Texas’ finest water since 1997), NU had no reason to feel that way. More success is just around the corner because this program is learning how to compete on the national stage, from recruiting to winning.

“I hope that we’ve left the legacy of just being able to compete with anybody,” Bachér said. “If you put us on the same field with Oklahoma or Florida, you’d know that even if we don’t come out with the victory, we’re going to be playing our butts off and we’re going to have confidence in ourselves.”

Honestly, what better plan is there than that?

c-gentilviso@northwestern.edu

Amado Villarreal had missed a field goal and an extra point earlier in the game, leaving the game tied at 23 going into the final minutes.

Missouri took possession of the ball at its own 34-yard line with 1:32 remaining in the game and efficiently moved the ball into field goal range, with Chase Daniel making a few nice completions.

Finally, Mizzou decided it had gone far enough for Jeff Wolfert, who was 3-for-3 on field goals for the game. After each team took a timeout, Wolfert had a chance from 43 yards, in the middle of the field.

Wide right. New life for the Cats.

This one has gone to overtime. It looks like a classic.

Missouri now has a chance, starting on its own 34-yard line with more than 90 seconds to go.

The NU defense held Mizzou to a game-tying field goal, but suffered a huge loss in the process. While pursuing Chase Daniel, defensive end Corey Wootton fell to the ground, his knee buckling when he tried to change direction. He had to be helped off the field and will not return.

The Cats also had a chance to prevent the field goal when Daniel overthrew his receiver. But the ball went through Sherrick McManis’ hands. Eventually, Jeff Wolfert hit a 37-yard field goal.

Perhaps energized by retaking the lead, the NU defense came out with another fine effort to start the fourth quarter. The Cats forced a punt about a minute into the period and took over on their own 10-yard line.

NU picked up one first down, as C.J. Bacher connected with Rasheed Ward, putting Ward over 100 yards for the game. But a few plays later, defensive end Styker Sulak got his second sack of the game, blowing past Al Netter again and forcing an NU punt.

The Tigers got great field position at the NU 49-yard line but couldn’t do anything with it after getting one first down. NU did a great job on an attempted reverse, as linebackers Prince Kwateng and Nate Williams combined to drop Jared Perry for a five-yard loss. On third down, Daniel had Tommy Saunders open down the right sideline but threw wildly and far out of bounds.

However, Mizzou punter Jake Harry helped out his squad by pinning NU at its own goal line. NU tried to move the ball down the field but was hampered by two holding calls on Keegan Kennedy. After a 17-yard run by Tyrell Sutton moved the back over 100 yards for the game, the Cats had 3rd-and-4 on their own 21 but Bacher threw incomplete to Ward. The Cats punted, and Mizzou has the ball on its own 48 with 5:56 left, down by three.

With the ball on the Mizzou 24-yard line, C.J. Bacher lofted a pass to the back of the end zone to Lane. The ball just floated over the outstretched hands of strong safety Kenji Jackson. Lane, who was behind Jackson, leaped and made the catch, falling backwards and dragging one his feet just in front of the back line. The play resulted in a touchdown and a 23-20 NU lead after the extra point with 34 seconds left in the quarter.

The play was made possible by safety Brad Phillips, who intercepted  Chase Daniel, jumping in front of  his pass to the left sideline. Three plays later, Lane came through with his huge catch.

Before that, it looked like NU was in trouble, when C.J. Bacher was intercepted by Brock Christopher. That play led to a field goal that made it 20-16 Missouri.

Total offense: NU-204 yards, Mizzou-136

Punt returns: NU-1 for 0 yards, Mizzou-1 for 75 yards and a touchdown

Turnovers: NU-0, Mizzou-2

Penalties: NU- 0 for 0 yards, MIzzou- 4 for 17 yards

Daniel: 14-20, 95 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT/ Maclin: 2 rushes, 16 yards/ Maclin: 5 catches, 57 yards

Bacher: 14-22, 146 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT/ Sutton: 18 rushes, 71 yards/ Peterman: 4 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD

And on to the second half, with the score tied at 10. NU gets the ball first and starts on its own 20. Bacher hits his first three passes on the drive, and then Sutton picked up four yards and a first down to the Mizzou 46-yard line. With Mizzou putting nine defenders in the box, Rasheed Ward was one-on-one against Carl Gettis and burned the Tigers’ cornerback. Bacher threw a perfect pass to Ward on the go route, and the result was a 46-yard touchdown. However, Amado Villarreal’s extra point, bounced off the upright and was no good.

On the ensuing possession, Missouri marched right down the field and scored on 12 plays, converting a fourth-and-1 along the way when Daniel audibled and ran a quarterback draw. He then hit Danario Alexander for an 11-yard touchdown on third-and-10. Unlike his counterpart, Jeff Wolfert converted the extra point, giving Mizzou a one-point lead with 7:20 left in the third quarter.

1. Will C.J. Bachér make his final game a memorable one? NU’s quarterback hasn’t been spectacular, but he has been solid, completing 14 of 22 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, he has not thrown an interception and also did an admirable job of holding onto the ball on a vicious sack by Styker Sulak. He has played about as well as the Cats could have hoped.

2. Can NU keep the Missouri defense/special teams off the board? Unfortunately for the Cats, no. The NU offense has not turned over the ball, but near the end of the half, Stefan Demos mistakenly punted the ball to Jeremy Maclin. The speedster made him and the Cats pay with an untouched 75-yard touchdown scamper that tied the game.

3. What will Mizzou’s attitude be? It’s hard to say, but what is certain is that the Tigers have not been clicking on all cylinders. NU deserves credit for playing a good game thus far, but Mizzou also has looked just a little off. The eighth least-penalized team in the FBS has been hit with four flags, and the vaunted Tigers’ O hasn’t generated any big plays.

4. Which running game will be most effective? NU’s. Tyrell Sutton has shown few ill effects from his wrist injury, picking up 71 yards on 18 carries — while also picking up 28 receiving yards. Derrick Washington has been stuffed, gaining only 11 yards on six attempts. The Tigers’ most effective runners have been Jeremy Maclin (two carries, 16 yards) and Chase Daniel (two carries, 14 yards).

5. Can Pat Fitzgerald match Gary Pinkel? Neither one has faced a truly crucial decision yet, although you could second guess Fitz for trying a 47-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-two. Villarreal missed what would have been his season-long field goal.

Thoughts: NU has done almost everything right, but went into the locker room tied because of that one huge special teams blunder. The defense has been fantastic, but the offense’s inability to fully capitalize has been troubling. Momentum tends to be overstated, but if it exists, it’s clearly on Mizzou’s side to begin the second half. However, the Cats will get the ball first in the third quarter.

-Andrew Simon