2018 Record: 1-2 (1-0 B1G)
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63rd in Total Offense (424ypg, 24.0ppg)
20th in Passing Offense (307ypg)
T-114th in Rushing Offense (117ypg)
89th in First Downs (74)
T-80th in 3rd Down Conversions (37.5%)
100th in Offensive Efficiency
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76th in Total Defense (380ypg, 29ppg)
T-95th in Pass Defense (250ypg)
42nd in Rush Defense (130ypg)
T-12th in Sacks (5)
T-57th in Interceptions (3)
38th in Defensive Efficiency
85th in Special Teams Efficiency
History vs. Michigan:
Michigan leads all-time series 57-15-2
Last meeting: 2015 at Michigan - 38-0 Michigan
This Season:
at Purdue - W 31-27
vs Duke - L 21-7
vs Akron - L 39-34
Quarterback: Clayton Thorson 6'4" 220 lbs (RS Sr.)
Thorson has been 71/116 (61.2%) for 753yds with 3 TD and 3 INT. He is most likely not at 100% coming back from an ACL injury last season.
Running Back: John Moten IV 6'0" 202 lbs (RS Jr.)
After losing Jeremy Larkin, the Wildcats running game is rough. Larkin was by far the premier back with 72 carries, 346yds (4.8ypc) and 5 TDs. He also had 19 catches for 127yds. Moten is 2nd in carries on the team with only 12 and he has 21yds (1.8ypc) with a long of 5yds. He also has 4 catches for 42yds and a long of 18. Freshman Isaiah Bowser is the only other running back with a carry this year. 1 for 0 yards.
Wide Receivers: Flynn Nagel 5'11" 181 lbs (Sr.) and Ben Skowronek 6'4'' 210 lbs (Jr.)
Nagel leads the team in catches with 20 for 226yds with a long of 32. Skowronek has 14 catches for 172yds with a long of 40 and a TD.
Superback: Cameron Green 6'3'' 210 lbs (RS Jr.)
Northwestern's Tight End/Fullback hybrid position. Green has caught 17 for 183yds with a long of 21 and 2 TDs. He's only had 1 carry this year which was for -4yds.
Left Tackle: Blake Hance 6'5" 305 lbs (RS Sr.)
37 career starts.
Left Guard: J.B. Butler 6'3" 300 lbs (RS Sr.)
23 career starts.
Center: Jared Thomas 6'4" 290 lbs (RS Jr.)
6 career starts.
Right Guard: Tommy Doles 6'6" 295 lbs (RS Sr.)
29 career starts.
Right Tackle: Rashawn Slater 6'5" 289 lbs (So.)
15 career starts. Rated top RT by PFF last season as a true freshman.
Defensive Tackles: Jordan Thompson 6'3'' 290 lbs (Sr.) and Alex Miller 6'3'' 260 lbs (Jr.)
Thompson has 9 tackles with 3.5 for a loss, 2 pass deflections and 2 sacks. Miller got his first start and had 2 tackles and a pass deflection.
Defensive Ends: Joe Gaziano 6'4" 265 lbs (RS Jr.) and Sam Miller 6'3" 261 lbs (So.)
Gaziano has tallied 7 tackles with 4 for a loss and 2 sacks. Miller started all 13 games as a true freshman last year and this season has 10 tackles with 2 for a loss, a pass deflection and a forced fumble.
Outside Linebackers: Blake Gallagher 6'0" 221 lbs (So.) and Nate Hall 6'2" 230 lbs (RS Sr.)
Gallagher has compiled 26 tackles with 2 for a loss. Hall has 21 tackles with 1 for a loss, a pass deflection and an INT.
Middle Linebacker: Paddy Fisher 6'3" 245 lbs (RS So.)
Fisher led Northwestern in tackles as a freshman last season and earned Freshman All-American and Big Ten honors This year he has 28 tackles with 0.5 for a loss and a forced fumble.
Cornerbacks: Montre Hartage 6'0" 190 lbs (Sr.) and Greg Newsome II 6'1" 170 lbs (Fr.)
Hartage has collected 11 tackles with an INT he returned for 17yds and 5 pass breakups. 3 star true Freshman Newsome has 13 tackles and 3 pass breakups.
Safeties: Jared McGee 6'1" 215 lbs (RS Sr.) and J.R. Pace 6'1'' 193 lbs (So.)
In his first season as a starter, McGee has had 19 tackles with 3 tackles for a loss and a pass breakup. Pace has 13 tackles, with 1 for a loss, 3 pass breakups and an INT he returned for 26yds.
Punter and Kicker: Jake Collins 6'1" 210 lbs (RS Sr.) and Charlie Kuhbander 6'0" 189 lbs (So.)
Collins has 15 punts with an average of 37.3yds and a long of 48 with 10 fair catches and 7 downed inside the 20. Kuhbander is 1/3 on field goals with a long of 32. In his career he is 14/19 with a long of 40. He's had 6 kickoffs with only 1 touchback.
Returners: Riley Lees 6'0" 190 lbs (RS So) and Kyric McGowan 5'10'' 191 lbs (So.)
Lees has returned 7 punts for 16yds and a long of 6yds. McGowan has returned 6 kickoffs with an average of 22.8yds and a long of 28.
Players to watch:
Rashawn Slater - RT
Jordan Thompson - DT
Paddy Fisher - MLB
J.R. Pace - S
Prediction:
Northwestern has an alright team on paper and have certainly played below their potential their last 2 games against Duke and Akron. At home coming off of a bye week, they are hoping to have some answers for those woes. Unfortunately for them they lost their only good running back who was more than solid in that role and was pretty good catching out of the backfield as well. On top of this, Thorson coming back from an ACL injury is apparently not quite 100% and is limited.
Statistically speaking, compared to Nebraska coming into their game last week, Northwestern is slightly better on offense and slightly worse on defense and that was before losing their running back.
They have a pretty good receiving core on paper but nobody that really blows you away and they should be neutralized by our corners. They are not a deep ball type of team which is beneficial for our safeties. Their offensive line is solid on paper with some good pieces but they have given up 8 sacks over their first 3 games against teams that aren't quite known for their pass rush. The offense shouldn't be able to do much but I won't be surprised to see a couple of big plays where their offensive line rises up against a blitz and they are able to make a play down field.
Defensively they have a couple of solid players but as is the theme with their team as a whole, no one that really stands out as a superstar caliber player. Their secondary as a whole is inexperienced, with 3 of the 4 being first year starters and one a true freshman. Their defensive line did not record a sack against Akron so.. I like our chances there. Our offense should be able to move the ball at a significant level both on the ground and through the air. Run defense is better for NW than pass but I think we'll make room for Higdon.
Their special teams are awful in all phases which has been a trend with our last 3 opponents and I expect yet another punt and/or kick return score for the Wolverines in their rout of the Wildcats.
Michigan wins 45-17
This years predictions:
Week 1: Michigan/Notre Dame 24-13 (17-24 actual)
Week 2: Michigan/Western Michigan 48-10 (49-3 actual)
Week 3: Michigan/SMU 55-0 (45-20 actual)
Week 4: Michigan/Nebraska 38-10 (56-10 actual)
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