Northwestern enters its game against Minnesota on a three game losing streak but had real chances in all three losses. The Michigan defeat still stings, but the ‘Cats have to put it behind them as they
prepare for a very winnable matchup against a struggling Golden Gophers team. The program is still searching for its sixth win to reach bowl eligibility, and this is the game many NU fans circled as the best opportunity to get there. Here are three keys for Saturday:
Take an early lead
The ‘Cats need to get off to better starts. They have averaged only 3.2 points in the first quarter this season and have trailed at halftime in each of their last three games even though all were within reach. Northwestern has a real chance to open strong because Minnesota has been even worse early in games. The Golden Gophers rank third worst in the country in first quarter scoring at 1.1 points, which is an astonishing number.
Minnesota has fallen behind quickly in recent weeks. Against Iowa, the Gophers were down 17-0 after the first quarter and lost 41-3. Last week against Oregon, they trailed 14-0 after the first quarter. While those opponents are strong, Minnesota has repeatedly found itself in early holes. If Northwestern can capitalize on this trend and strike first, it will have a real chance to take control of the game.
Improve red zone offense
Finishing drives inside the 20-yard line has been a major issue for the ‘Cats this season. Northwestern has scored touchdowns on only 16 of its 35 red zone trips, a rate of 45.7 percent which is far too low. The struggles were especially costly in the loss to Michigan where NU settled for two first half field goals instead of scoring touchdowns twice. The team trailed by only one at halftime, but there were clear chances to take control.
On the first field goal drive, a touchdown to Hayden Eligon II was wiped out by an offensive pass interference call on Hunter Welcing. That stalled the drive and NU had to kick. On the next scoring drive, Northwestern reached the five-yard line but was stopped again. On one play, Preston Stone had Welcing wide open for a touchdown, but the ball was deflected. After a one yard run by Caleb Komolafe, Stone looked for Griffin Wilde and missed Welcing who was open in the end zone.
While those plays showed that NU had opportunities, the team has to finish these drives. If the ‘Cats had gone into halftime up 14-7 instead of down 7-6, the entire game likely would have unfolded differently. Northwestern needs to be sharper in the red zone and turn those field goal drives into touchdowns.
Win the rushing battle
A major strength for the ‘Cats this season took a step back against Michigan. Northwestern ran 26 times for only 61 yards. Komolafe finished with 12 attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown, and Joseph Himon II added nine carries for 31 yards. Michigan has a strong defensive front, but it was still surprising to see NU struggle as much as it did. It also looked like the Wolverines committed extra defenders to the box and dared Northwestern to throw.
A key this week is for Northwestern to win the rushing battle. The ‘Cats have averaged 157 rushing yards per game and will need to be far more productive than they were last Saturday. Minnesota has a solid run defense and ranks 30th nationally by allowing 126.8 rushing yards per game. That number is still nowhere near Michigan’s which ranks ninth and gives up fewer than 100 yards per game. Komolafe and Himon will need to improve on last week’s output.
On the other side of the ball, Minnesota has struggled to run the ball with any consistency. The Golden Gophers average 88.3 rushing yards per game which is seventh worst in the country. That is surprising because they have a talented back in Darius Taylor. He has been quiet in five games with fewer than 60 yards, but he also had a strong performance against Nebraska with 148 yards and a touchdown. Northwestern is coming off a game where it allowed 216 rushing yards, and the ‘Cats sit at 79th nationally in run defense.
Northwestern will need a much stronger performance in the run game this Saturday and controlling the rushing battle will be crucial for dictating the matchup.
