2010 Northwestern Football Predictions
The Northwestern Wildcats finished the 2009 season with an 8-4 regular season record that was good enough to earn a bid to the Outback Bowl. Auburn defeated the Cats in an overtime thriller by a field goal. The outlook this season is positive with 13 returning starters for Pat Fitzgerald’s squad. Northwestern is a dark horse in the Big Ten race and with a couple timely wins could be challenging for yet another January 1st bowl trip. The Wildcats are listed at +2000 to win the Big Ten title. View the full conference breakdown in our 2010 Big Ten football predictions article.
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Heralded quarterback Mike Kafka departed the program after a successful senior season saw him pass for over 3400 yards and 16 touchdowns. He showed enough skills at the collegiate level to be a 4th round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles. Waiting in the wings is dual threat QB Dan Persa. The junior was used sparingly last season, rotating with Kafka in the upset win at Iowa where he rushed for 67 yards before an injury sidelined him. Persa will not be as much of a drop off from Kafka as many will think. The Cats struggled to run the ball last season, averaging only 3 yards/carry. Arby Fields was the top rusher and returns, gaining 302 yards and scoring five touchdowns a year ago. Scott Concannon is a change of pace back and Stephen Simmons has the most experience in the backfield. Northwestern does run a spread offense so they do tend to throw the ball around quite a bit. Kafka broke a school record with 78 pass attempts in their bowl loss. WR/TE Drake Dunsmore is a key player on offense as he is a huge target in between the hashes. His 47 catches and 523 yards ranked third on the team last season and his role should increase this year. The Cats will have to replace their top two receivers from last year, but there is plenty of depth at this position. The offensive line returns five players who have been full time starters.
Fitzgerald was once a dominating linebacker for Northwestern in the 90s. The defense has taken on his personality and has shown remarkable improvement in the four years under Fitzgerald. Last season they allowed 350 yards/game and gave up just over 24 points per contest. Six starters are back this season including top tackler Quentin Davie. His five sacks were also tied for a team high and he will team with Nate Williams to form one of the most experienced units in the Big Ten. The defensive front played very well at times last season, collected 30 sacks and holding opponents to 129 yards rushing/game. DE Cory Wooten is the notable name lost on this unit. Vince Browne will likely provide the most pressure on opposing quarterbacks after collecting five sacks in 09’. The secondary took the biggest hit on defense, losing two first team All Big Ten caliber players (Phillips and McManis). Their pass defense was respectable with these two defending, but I expect defenses to have more success throwing the ball in 2010. K Stefan Demos is one of the better kickers in the conference even though he played a large role in their bowl defeat. He should provide stability on special teams.
The schedule is a light one for the Wildcats this season. Their toughest non-conference game is at Vanderbilt, who is expected to have a down year. Conference favorite Ohio State is not on the schedule and preseason top ten ranked Iowa has to travel to Evanston. November 20th will be an interesting site as the Cats take on in-state rival Illinois at Wrigley Field. A third straight bowl invitation will be on the table at the end of the season. I predict a 7-5 finish.
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