Well, last week was certainly something.
After Northwestern’s 23-3 loss to Tulane on Saturday, the ‘Cats were left searching for answers. Although NU was considered the underdog, few expected it to be defeated so soundly by the Green Wave.
Fortunately for the Wildcats, they’ll have a chance to make up for their opening loss on Friday against a much easier opponent: the FCS Western Illinois Leathernecks. Here are three keys for the ‘Cats to bounce back in that matchup.
Eliminate the Preston Stone jitters
Stone was perhaps the biggest disappointment
of all on Saturday, with five turnovers and a number of highly questionable decisions that tanked the Wildcats’ offense. Although he wasn’t helped much by his receivers (outside of Griffin Wilde), Northwestern’s transfer quarterback will need to step up in a big way for the rest of the season.
Getting rid of the interceptions after Stone’s four-pick day is the obvious need here, but I would argue the root cause has little to do with a lack of arm talent. The graduate transfer from SMU possesses the ability to push the ball down the field. The problem lies with Stone’s decision-making and pocket presence on Saturday — or lack thereof.
All four interceptions involved some combination of these issues. Throughout the game, Stone could often be seen drifting far back in the pocket while throwing off-balance or off his back foot. Some of his passes had solid touch, but many were simply bad decisions with fully-covered wide receivers or errant passes due to defensive line pressure that was often self-induced.
Northwestern’s offensive line has had its struggles, but many of Tulane’s defensive linemen had a much easier time getting into the backfield on Saturday due to a lack of pocket presence from Stone. The Wildcats don’t need their QB to be incredibly mobile, but they do need to avoid bad decisions. While remaining poised in the face of pressure is a difficult task, Stone’s ability to do so will be key for the team’s success going forward.
Get more production from the wide receivers
As mentioned above, Wilde’s six-catch, 64-yard performance was solid, demonstrating he can be the top wide receiver for Northwestern this season. Outside of Wilde, though, no Northwestern wideout had more than two catches on the day, and the receivers were often plagued by drops or a lack of separation throughout Saturday’s contest.
On the bright side, the ‘Cats get to face a Western Illinois squad that just got smoked — on the ground and through the air — by Illinois’ offense. Quarterback Luke Altmyer had his way against the Leathernecks, completing 17 of 21 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns.
Given the solid performances Northwestern saw from Cam Porter, Joseph Himon II and Caleb Komolafe against Tulane, the running game should be a strength for this squad on Friday. The question is whether the receivers can step up, and against FCS opposition, they should have a good chance to play much better than they did last week. The Wildcats desperately need the emergence of a solid No. 2 wide receiver in the long run, as without one, Stone will likely continue to struggle in the passing attack.
Win the battle in the trenches on defense
Tulane is a team that could be College Football Playoff-bound if everything goes right, but regardless, Northwestern’s defensive line did not meet the expectations of many on Saturday. Running back Maurice Turner looks to be as advertised, and with big performances from the other running backs and quarterback Jake Retzlaff, the Green Wave totaled a whopping 267 yards on the ground.
Furthermore, the Wildcats’ defense only had one sack on Saturday, a total that must improve if Northwestern wants to compete consistently in the Big Ten. Notably, star pass rusher Anto Saka was practically silent (one tackle) in the contest in New Orleans. And while the ‘Cats got nice performances from a few players at linebacker and secondary, the same can’t be said for the defensive line as a whole.
Aidan Hubbard’s sack was a bright spot, but Northwestern’s defensive line needs to be a strength collectively for this team to be successful. NU’s lack of consistent pressure and inability to stop the run game allowed Retzlaff to have his way on Saturday. The ‘Cats should still be heavily favored to win against Western Illinois, but if the lack of defensive line presence continues, they could be in a lot of trouble for the rest of the season.
