The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876. The mascot is the Wildcat, a term coined by a Chicago Tribune reporter in 1924, after reporting on a football game where the players appeared as "a wall of purple wildcats." Northwestern achieved an all-time high rank of #1 during the 1936 and 1962 seasons, which has thus far not been duplicated. Northwestern has won one bowl game, the Rose Bowl, in 1949. The team achieved notoriety with a 34-game losing streak from 1979-1982, the longest in Division I-A college football. Upon setting the new record in 1981 (thanks to a 61-14 home loss to Michigan State), students rushed the field to "celebrate," and chanted "we're the worst!" A win over Northern Illinois University finally broke the losing streak, and the students again celebrated, rushing the field, tearing down the goalposts, and throwing them into nearby Lake Michigan. Recent years have been far kinder to the Wildcats; they were conference champions in 1995 and co-champions in 1996 and 2000.
Northwestern's woes are in part due to the talent level, which typically is not like that found at larger, public institutions. It is the lone private school in the Big Ten, and at 8,200 undergraduates it is by far the smallest (by comparison, the second smallest school, Iowa, has almost 21,000 undergraduates). However, Northwestern consistently is among the leaders in graduation rate; it is consistently in the 90th percentile and graduated 100% of its players in 1998 and 2002. Despite the stricter academic standards, Northwestern has produced notable athletes, such as former first-round draft picks Luis Castillo and Napoleon Harris (who was valedictorian of his high school class).
Northwestern holds the all-time records for Division I-A losses, points allowed, and negative point differential (amount opponents have outscored them by). They are also on the losing end of the greatest comeback in Division I-A history, blowing a 38-3 lead in the third quarter of a 41-38 loss to Michigan State on October 21, 2006.
The team spends its preseason at Camp Kenosha in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Wildcats have also been nicknamed the "Cardiac 'Cats" after several seasons with highly contested games, with victories in the final seconds or in overtime. The team first earned the nickname during the 1996 season, and would go on to apply during the 2004 season, when four of the Wildcats' games went into overtime.
Traditions
The students and the Northwestern University Wildcat Marching Band generally sit in one section near the goal line. The cheerleaders and marching band lead the students with certain cheers, such as "Go U, NU," and "Let's go 'Cats!" In a tradition called the "Growl", started by the marching band in the 1960s, the students extend their arms and make a claw with their hands like that of a wildcat while screaming to intimidate and confuse opposing teams' offenses.
Cheerleaders, along with Willie the Wildcat and the marching band's "Spirit Team", perform push ups after every touchdown, equal to Northwestern's cumulative score. The student section will follow suit, usually hoisting selected fellow students up into the air while in the stands, counting out the number of NU points on the scoreboard. Northwestern students also sing the fight song after scoring. The "Alma Mater" (the traditional school song, different from the fight song, "Go U Northwestern") is usually sung at the end of the game and played by the marching band at halftime.
Other notable traditions include the jiggling of keys before every kickoff. This action plays on Northwestern's academic rigors, and is meant to symbolize that regardless of how the game turns out, the opposing team will eventually be parking the cars of the Northwestern students. The generic "State School" chant is also employed.
The Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini meet annually for an in-state rivalry game. From 1947 through 2008, the teams competed for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy, since retired as part of a ruling by the NCAA requiring Illinois to purge Native American imagery from their athletics. The trophy will remain in Evanston, IL.[1] Starting in 2009, the schools will compete for the Land of Lincoln Trophy.[2]
Northwestern and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish once played for a shillelagh until the early 1950's. The trophy game was created at the behest of Knute Rockne, who wanted a rivalry in the Chicago area to help build Notre Dame's fan base in the area.[3][4]
The Gary Barnett Era
It was during the 1995 season, under head coach Gary Barnett and the trio of quarterback Steve Schnur, running back Darnell Autry, and linebacker Pat Fitzgerald, when a dramatic turnaround was accomplished. "Expect Victory" was the motto, even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17-15 season-opening win over the heavily favored Notre Dame Fighting Irish, along with other unbelievable wins over Michigan (19-13) and Penn State (21-10), catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern achieved a ranking of #3 in the nation and their first Big Ten Championship since 1936. The span of 59 years between titles is the longest in the history of the Big Ten Conference. They faced off against USC in the Rose Bowl. The Cinderella season came to an abrupt halt with the Wildcats losing 41-32.
The subsequent 1996 season lived up to expectations, with the Wildcats repeating as Big Ten Champions (Co-Champions). The team was nicknamed the "Cardiac Cats" for many dramatic, last second victories, including a 17-16 comeback over the University of Michigan. Down 16-0 entering the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points, culminating with heart-stopping fourth down conversions and a last second field goal to complete the comeback. They earned an invitation to the Citrus Bowl, only to come up short against the Peyton Manning-led University of Tennessee, 48-28.
The Randy Walker Era
After Barnett was signed away by the Colorado Buffaloes following the 1998 season, Coach Randy Walker (formerly of Miami University in Ohio) was called to lead the team. Coach Walker, a former standout tailback at Miami University, placed special emphasis on developing Northwestern's offense, especially at the running back position. The 2000 season, fueled by Damien Anderson, saw the Wildcats emerge with an exciting "spread offense." The spread offense employed many wide receivers to spread out the defense, thus allowing more cracks in the defense for running or passing plays. A 54-51 shootout victory over the University of Michigan led commentators to dub it "basketball on grass." That game became an ESPN Instant Classic and was representative of the season, which saw frequent high scores and dramatic finishes. The high-scoring offense usually was enough to overcome the porous defense, and the Wildcats earned their third Big Ten title in six years (co-champions). Anderson also finished second nationally in rushing yards (behind LaDanian Tomlinson). However, the Wildcats were blown out by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Alamo Bowl 66-17. The Wildcats did not make the postseason again until December 26, 2003, when they lost to Bowling Green by a score of 28-24 in the Motor City Bowl. In 2004, the Wildcats beat then-ranked #6 Ohio State in double overtime to garner their first win over the Buckeyes since 1971, but that victory was the season's only national highlight. The 2005 season was Northwestern's best since 2000, finishing 7-5 and ending up ranked #25 in the BCS poll. The team appeared in the AP and Coaches' polls for the first time since October 2001. The Wildcats earned an invitation to the Sun Bowl, only to lose to UCLA, 50-38.
Northwestern University record
| Year |
Overall |
Big Ten / place |
Bowl Game |
| 1999 |
3-8 |
1-7 / 10th |
None |
| 2000 |
8-4 |
6-2 / 1st (T) |
Alamo Bowl |
| 2001 |
4-7 |
2-6 / 10th (T) |
None |
| 2002 |
3-9 |
1-7 / 10th (T) |
None |
| 2003 |
6-7 |
4-4 / 7th |
Motor City Bowl |
| 2004 |
6-6 |
5-3 / 4th |
None |
| 2005 |
7-5 |
5-3 / 3rd |
Sun Bowl |
| Total |
37-46 |
24-32 |
|
The Pat Fitzgerald Era
2006
Randy Walker died unexpectedly on June 29, 2006 of an apparent heart attack at the age of 52. Pat Fitzgerald (seen by many before the tragedy as Walker's eventual successor once his contract expired) was promoted from linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator to head coach on July 7, 2006. Walker's death was not the team's only loss; the Wildcats also had to replace their offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and Brett Basanez, the team's former four-year starter at quarterback and holder of dozens of school records. Hence, the 2006 season was a departure from the previous years' successes. The season began with a win at Miami University, Walker's alma mater, an emotional game that featured several tributes to the late coach[5]. However, the season went downhill from there. The low point was the October 21 home loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans staged the largest comeback in Division I-A history. A win against Illinois in the final game gave the Wildcats a 4-8 record for the year and saved them from finishing last in the Big Ten.
| Date |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
| August 31, 2006 |
Miami (Ohio) |
Yager Stadium · Oxford, OH |
W, 21-3 |
| September 9, 2006 |
New Hampshire |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
L, 34-17 |
| September 16, 2006 |
Eastern Michigan |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
W, 14-6 |
| September 22, 2006 |
Nevada |
Mackay Stadium · Reno, NV |
L, 31-21 |
| September 30, 2006 |
Penn State |
Beaver Stadium · University Park, PA |
L, 33-7 |
| October 7, 2006 |
Wisconsin |
Camp Randall Stadium · Madison, WI |
L, 41-9 |
| October 14, 2006 |
Purdue |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
L, 31-10 |
| October 21, 2006 |
Michigan State |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
L, 41-38 |
| October 28, 2006 |
Michigan |
Michigan Stadium · Ann Arbor, MI |
L, 17-3 |
| November 4, 2006 |
Iowa |
Kinnick Stadium · Iowa City, IA |
W, 21-7 |
| November 11, 2006 |
Ohio State |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
L, 54-10 |
| November 18, 2006 |
Illinois |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
W, 27-16 |
2007
Before the beginning of the 2007 season, Northwestern showed potential for improvement upon last year's record. ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach stated that Northwestern has the 7th-easiest schedule in college football, [6] and SI.com's Steve Megargee claimed that Indiana is the only Big Ten school with an easier schedule.[7] Running back Tyrell Sutton was one of 64 players in college football to be put on the Maxwell Award watch list for the nation's best college football player.[8]
The Wildcats began the season with their first shutout since 1997 in a 27-0 win against the Northeastern Huskies.[9] On October 7, quarterback C.J. Bacher broke Brett Basanez's school record for single-game passing yards by throwing for 520 yards in a victory over Michigan State. Bacher went on to be named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week.[10] Another strong performance in a win against Minnesota earned Bacher Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row.[11]
| Date |
Time (CST) |
Opponent |
Site |
Result |
TV |
| September 1, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Northeastern |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
W, 27-0 |
Big Ten Network |
| September 8, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Nevada |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
W, 36-31 |
BTN |
| September 15, 2007 |
7:00 pm |
Duke |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
L, 20-14 |
BTN |
| September 22, 2007 |
2:30 pm |
Ohio State |
Ohio Stadium · Columbus, OH |
L, 58-7 |
ESPN |
| September 29, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Michigan |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
L, 28-16 |
BTN |
| October 6, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Michigan State |
Spartan Stadium · East Lansing, MI |
W, 48-41 (OT) |
BTN |
| October 13, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Minnesota |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
W, 49-48 (2OT) |
BTN |
| October 19, 2007 |
6:00 pm |
Eastern Michigan |
Ford Field · Detroit, MI |
W, 26-14 |
ESPNU |
| October 27, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Purdue |
Ross-Ade Stadium · West Lafayette, IN |
L, 35-17 |
BTN |
| November 3, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Iowa |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
L, 28-17 |
ESPN2 |
| November 10, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Indiana |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL |
W, 31-28 |
ESPN Classic |
| November 17, 2007 |
11:00 am |
Illinois |
Memorial Stadium · Champaign, IL |
L, 41-22 |
ESPN |
2008
| Date |
Time |
Opponent# |
Rank# |
Site |
TV |
Result |
| 08/30/2008* |
11:00 AM [12] |
Syracuse |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
ESPN2 [12] |
W 30-10 |
| 09/06/2008* |
6:00 PM [13] |
at Duke |
|
Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, NC |
|
W 24-20 |
| 09/13/2008* |
11:00 AM [12] |
Southern Illinois |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN [12] |
W 33-7 |
| 09/20/2008* |
11:00 AM [12] |
Ohio |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN [12] |
W 16-8 |
| 09/27/2008 |
11:00 AM [14] |
at Iowa |
|
Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA |
ESPN Classic[15] |
W 22-17 |
| 10/11/2008 |
2:30 PM [15] |
#19 Michigan State |
#22 |
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
ESPN2 [15] |
L 20-37 |
| 10/18/2008† |
11:00 AM [14] |
Purdue |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
ESPN2 [14] |
W 48-26 |
| 10/25/2008 |
11:00 AM [14] |
at Indiana |
#24 |
Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN |
BTN [14] |
L 19-21 |
| 11/01/2008 |
11:00 AM [14] |
at #20 Minnesota |
|
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, MN |
ESPN2 [15] |
W 24-17 |
| 11/08/2008 |
11:00 AM [15] |
#12 Ohio State |
#25 |
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
ESPN2 [15] |
L 10-45 |
| 11/15/2008 |
11:00 AM [15] |
at Michigan |
|
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI |
ESPN2 |
W 21-14 |
| 11/22/2008 |
2:30 PM [15] |
Illinois |
#24 |
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL (Sweet Sioux Tomahawk) |
BTN |
W 27-10 |
| 12/29/2008 |
7:00 PM |
vs. #23 Missouri |
#20 |
Alamodome • San Antonio, TX (Alamo Bowl) |
ESPN |
L 23-30 OT |
| *Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. |
2009
| Date |
Time |
Opponent# |
Rank# |
Site |
TV |
Result |
Attendance |
| September 5* |
11:00 a.m. |
Towson |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN |
W 47-14 |
17,857 |
| September 12* |
11:00 a.m. |
Eastern Michigan |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN |
W 27-24 |
19,239 |
| September 19* |
6:00 p.m. |
at Syracuse |
|
Carrier Dome • Syracuse, NY |
Time Warner Cable SportsNet (New York only); (also ESPN GamePlan and ESPN360.com) |
L 34-37 |
40,251 |
| September 26 |
11:00 a.m. |
Minnesota |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN |
L 24-35 |
22,091 |
| October 3 |
11:00 a.m. |
at Purdue |
|
Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN |
BTN |
W 26-21 |
47,163 |
| October 10* |
11:00 a.m. |
Miami (OH) |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN |
W 16-6 |
23,085 |
| October 17 |
11:00 a.m. |
at Michigan State |
|
Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI |
ESPN2 |
L 14-24 |
71,726 |
| October 24† |
11:00 a.m. |
Indiana |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN |
W 29-28 |
24,364 |
| October 31 |
3:30 p.m. |
Penn State |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
ESPN |
L 13-34 |
30,546 |
| November 7 |
11:00 a.m. |
at Iowa |
|
Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA |
ESPN |
W 17-10 |
70,585 |
| November 14 |
11:00 a.m. |
at Illinois |
|
Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL |
ESPN Classic |
W 21-16 |
60,523 |
| November 21 |
2:30 p.m. |
Wisconsin |
|
Ryan Field • Evanston, IL |
BTN |
W 33-31 |
32,150 |
| *Non-Conference Game. †Homecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. |
Bowl games
Individual award winners
Players
- Pat Fitzgerald - 1995, 1996
- Pat Fitzgerald - 1995, 1996
- Tim Lowry - 1925
- Otto Graham - 1943
- Art Murakowski - 1948
- Mike Adamle - 1970
- Lee Gissendaner - 1992
Coach
- Gary Barnett - 1995
- Gary Barnett - 1995
Notable alumni
Current NFL players
Other alumni
References
External links
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Northwestern Wildcats football |
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