Aer Lingus College Football Classic Preview: Northwestern Wildcats
By Simon Carroll
College Football returns to Ireland on Saturday after a two-year COVID hiatus. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic brings two teams to the Aviva Stadium to kick off the season – and The Touchdown will be there relaying all the action as it happens. As we build up to the event, Simon Carroll takes a look at the two Big Ten programs going to battle in Dublin, this time focusing on the Northwestern Wildcats:
Northwestern University: A History
A private research university in Evanston, Illinois, Northwestern University was founded back in 1851. Located half an hour north of Chicago in the northeast of the state on the banks of Lake Michigan, its name may at first appear to be geographically incorrect. The school derives its moniker from the area it was built to serve – the ‘Northwest Territory’ – which essentially includes the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Northwestern enjoyed immediate and rapid growth, and within fifty years of its creation was the third-largest university in the United States. Considered one of the premier seats of learning in the US, Northwestern is held in the same esteem as Stanford and Vanderbilt. It specialises in Law, Medicine, Arts, Sciences, Engineering and Journalism, and sets a high academic level of entry. It uses the weighted scale (0-5) and usually demands a 4.1 GPA. For context, 99% of schools in the country have an average GPA of less than that benchmark.
Northwestern has a rather illustrious alumni, including numerous heads of state, 22 Nobel Prize laureates, 43 Pulitzer Prize winners, 23 MacArthur Fellows, 28 Marshall Scholars, 94 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 16 Rhodes Scholars, 10 living billionaires and 24 Olympic medalists. Today, more than 23,000 students are enrolled at the university.
Wildcat Football
Northwestern football was established in 1876, 25 years after the university opened. But it wasn’t until six years later that they played their first intercollegiate game, beating Lake Forest 18-0. The nickname ‘Wildcats’ was attributed to the program in 1924, when a Chicago Tribune reporter commented on the players as a “wall of purple wildcats”.
Northwestern remained an independent in sports for thirteen years, before joining the Big Ten Conference in 1896 – and it’s an affiliation that exists until this day. 126 years in the same conference is history rarely seen in college football. But from Alvin H. Culver to Pat Fitzgerald and the twenty-three other head coaches inbetween, Northwestern has called the Big Ten it’s home. Synonymous with the city of Chicago due to it’s proximity, Northwestern is often referred to as ‘Chicago’s Big Ten Team’.
High academic entry requirements often make life more difficult for a school’s football program to be competitive. And that, for the most part, rings true for Northwestern. In their storied history, The Wildcats have only recorded eight conference titles. The last came in 2000 under then head coach Randy Walker, who leant on running back Damien Anderson to become co-Big Ten Champions. Coaches work hard on the recruiting trail to find student-athletes who will pass entry requirements but also have the character to work hard, develop, and outplay their recruiting grade. As such, the life cycle of Wildcat football tends to begin with a young roster struggling, only to work up to a team filled with experience and effort. And even in today’s ultra-competitive environment, every once in a while Northwestern can challenge the big boys in the conference.
Pat Fitzgerald - A Man With Irish Roots
No man knows how to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts than the current head coach of Northwestern. Pat Fitzgerald was hired by NU back in 2006 amidst tragedy at the university. His predecessor Walker died suddenly of an apparent heart attack at the age of 52. Fitzgerald was held in high esteem but many thought the ascension of a linebackers coach to head coach – of a Big Ten program – was a big jump. And yet sixteen years later, Fitzgerald is still leading the Wildcats into battle on Saturdays.
Much like those that came before him, Fitzgerald has had to battle a talent deficiency in Evanston. And yet he still boasts a winning record of 109-90. He’s enjoyed eight winning seasons at Ryan Field, including three ten-win seasons, ten bowl games (five wins) and two trips to the Big Ten Championship Game – both in the last four seasons. The Wildcats have been nationally ranked five times in his tenure – with the final ranking of #10 in 2020 the highest Northwestern have been in the AP Poll since 1995. The administration have backed their head coach to the hilt, signing him to a ten year deal in 2017 and building a $260m brand new football facility on campus a year later. Quite simply, Pat Fitzgerald IS Northwestern Football
Fitzgerald bringing his team to Ireland is quite apt. Both sides of The Wildcats HC’s family hail from the Emerald Isle – and he got to meet them back in February for the first time. They will be attending the game on Saturday as his special guests.
2022 Outlook
The last four years have seen Northwestern swing from nine wins to three wins, back up to seven wins, then three wins AGAIN last season. Such is the life of following the Wildcats, who live life in an extremely competitive conference. But continuing that pattern and getting back to a winning record may be a tough ask in 2022. NU will want to lean heavily on a promising and diverse ground game, with the thunder and lightning threat of Cam Porter and Evan Hull both returning to Evanston. They will be operating behind an experienced offensive line led by left tackle Peter Skoronski, who will likely be on NFL teams’ radars when #DraftSZN is upon us.
There are more concerns in the passing game, with Ryan Hilinski the presumed starter. The former Gamecock underwhelmed his first season with the Wildcats, and if that continues be prepared to see a slew of names under center – Fitzgerald is not afraid to cycle through the roster to find a spark. Whoever is throwing the ball will rely on Malik Washington as the main weapon – the only receiver with serious production returning to Ryan Field in 2022.
Last year, Northwestern finished last in their half of The Big Ten – 12 months after finishing first. Again, this was a lot to do with experience departing and raw talent replacing it – particularly on defense. In year two under defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, they hope to see improvement. They’ll be aided by some transfer portal additions on the defensive line, but ultimately all eyes will be on edge rusher Adetomiwa Adebawore, who registered 4.5 sacks in 2021. Big things are expected of the returning 6’2”, 265lb senior.
The secondary is an area of strength for The WIldcats, with a healthy amount of veteran leadership and playmaking ability. AJ Hampton and Cameron Mitchell project to start at corner, whilst Coco Azema and Jaheem Joseph make a scary safety tandem. Susceptible to big plays last year, Fitzgerald will hope to be more watertight on the backend this coming season.
Projection
How they fare against Nebraska usually mirrors the success of Northwestern’s season – they beat them in 2018 and 2020, and racked up sixteen wins. They lost to the ‘Huskers in 2019 and 2021, and won just six times. Their trip to the Aviva Stadium is considered a home game for the Wildcats, but replicating the Evanston atmosphere in Dublin isn’t guaranteed. Pat Fitzgerald’s job is a lot more secure than his opposite number Scott Frost’s, but both teams will be eyeing a strong start to the campaign.
If they can return home to Illinois with a win, Northwestern will likely head into October undefeated at 4-0; three home games against Duke, Southern Miss and Miami (OH) will all be circled on the calendar as wins. Then comes the big boys of the Big Ten, and things get much tougher. You can make the argument that they may not see another win on their resume until they host Illinois in the final game of the season.
But never count out Fitzgerald and this football program. Getting to six wins and being bowl-eligible would be seen as a satisfactory year for NU, and not beyond the realms of reality. Northwestern continues to compete with some of the powerhouse college football programs in America – and as long as Fitzgerald is in situ, that isn’t likely to change.
