MINNEAPOLIS — On Wednesday, junior safety and punt returner Brendan Smith said: “In the last seconds, I want the ball in my hands to try to make a play. I’m going to make a play.”

On Saturday, senior cornerback David Oredugba told Smith before Northwestern’s game at No. 20 Minnesota:

“You know, I have a feeling you’re going to have a pick-six.”

These guys must be psychic.

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MINNEAPOLIS – Starting behind center for the first time in more than two years, Mike Kafka faced a challenge on his first snap from scrimmage.

Knowing the scripted play offensive coordinator Mick McCall had pre-selected, the junior took a shotgun snap and rushed off the right side on a speed option. As he glided toward the sideline, Kafka met junior defensive back Marcus Sherels face-to-face.

Then, Kafka was past him.

“The key to victory for Northwestern was us and our inability to tackle the quarterback,” Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said. “That was the name of the game.”

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Some random thoughts from Saturday’s “Wow” win in Minneapolis..

-The victory was Northwestern first against a ranked opponent since Oct. 22, 2005, when the Wildcats torched No. 22 Michigan State, 49-14. In that game, quarterback Brett Basanez burned the Spartans through the air, passing for 331 yards and two touchdowns. This time, quarterback Mike Kafka used his feet, dancing down the field for 217 rushing yards. That set an NU record for rushing yards by a quarterback.

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MINNEAPOLIS — The rampant first half scoring disappeared for both Minnesota and Northwestern.

The Gophers drove 92 yards down the field, only to see a 20-yard field goal missed by Joel Monroe.

The Cats turned around and drove 50 yards behind Mike Kafka’s legs, only to see Gophers cornerback Traye Simmons earn his second interception of the day.

Entering the fourth quarter, the same question is sitting for both teams. Who wants this game?

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MINNEAPOLIS — Thirty minutes into Mike Kafka’s first start of 2008, the results have been promising.

A 36-yard touchdown pass to true freshman Jeremy Ebert. A 53-yard run that set up the Cats’ second touchdown. A combination of 105 yards passing and 97 rushing.

Most impressive was his response to his only first-half mistake.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Positive play calls. Positive yardage. Positive results.

Any doubts of whether Mike Kafka was ready to run the Cats’ offense were put to rest quickly.

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Last year’s Minnesota-Northwestern game may have looked like a five-star Madden 2008 contest, with 97 points scored between the two teams. But don’t expect that for Saturday’s matchup between the 7-1 Gophers and 6-2 Wildcats.

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MINNEAPOLIS — All season, Northwestern players and coaches alike have preached two things. Force turnovers. Make big plays.

Safety Brendan Smith did both to secure the Wildcats’ biggest victory of the season.

With 12 seconds left in regulation and the game tied at 17, Smith picked off a tipped pass from Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown, propelling NU to a dramatic 24-17 road victory.
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C.J. Bacher and Tyrell Sutton have been the public faces and on-field leaders for Northwestern this season.

As of Monday, at least one-and-a-half of them is injured.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald confirmed that Sutton, NU’s senior tailback and leading rusher, will have surgery Tuesday on his broken left wrist. Sutton is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season.

Fitzgerald listed Bachér as “questionable” and said his status would be updated throughout the week. The senior quarterback hurt his right hamstring during a fourth-quarter run Saturday against Indiana. Continue reading »

For the first time since Nov. 12, 2005, Northwestern has climbed into the top-25 of one of the major BCS polls. The Wildcats are ranked No. 22 in the country in the USA Today Coaches’ poll but failed to make it into the Associated Press poll, finishing 19 votes behind Ball State.

Off to a 5-0 start, the Cats were able to lick their wounds during a bye week on Saturday, watching at home as Oregon, Fresno State and Connecticut all lost and fell out of the top-25.

Which raises the question(s): Has college football become a war of attrition? Or is it more like survival of the fittest?

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