[NU Sports] Cat Report Card

[Dennis W. Brandt]

Cat Report Card

 

QB - A-  Dan Persa is the best quarterback in Northwestern history (sorry, Otto), but alas, his body did not allow his full ability to flourish this season.  He was still darn good regardless.  Kain Colter was a fine runner but at best an average passer.  I would like to see Trevor Siemian at QB next season.  This position appears deep for the next two seasons.

 

RB - C-  They made great strides this year, although most of that was due to improved blocking in the offensive line.  They did nothing outstanding but were generally able to go forward, and they maintained possession in the closing moments of the Nebraska game.  That said, no running back on this team kept opposing defensive coordinators up late at night.  Treyvon Green might have the physical tools to take over the position next year, but he made no one forget Tyrell Sutton this season.

 

WR - B-  It is a shame that Jeremy Ebert didn't even make second team all Big Ten.  He may well be the best wide receiver in Northwestern history, with all due apologies to Messrs. Flatley, Gissendaner, and Bates.  (OK, D'Wayne might make a case for himself.)  I expected more from the younger wideouts, but when you have Ebert and Dunsmore for targets, I can see where the younger ones might get left out.  Next year, they are IT, and I hope the crew includes Venric Mark and Kain Colter.

 

OL - C-  They improved on run blocking from the past two seasons, but they never took control of games despite their experience.  They gave up thirty-four sacks and did not stand up well to the league's better defensive lines.  Their performance against a weak Army defense was downright embarrassing.  The last three plays of the Michigan State game rather sums up their performance for the season.

 

TE - A  Drake Dunsmore is Northwestern's all-time tight end (or whatever you wish to call his position) and gets a good shot at the NFL next season.

 

DL - D-  Until the Nebraska game, their grade was so deep into the "F" range that an "A" game wouldn't have given them a passing grade.  They did gradually improve against the run as the season went on, and they did it with young players, which bodes well for next season (although two of those improved performances were against weak Rice and Minnesota teams).  Tyler Scott is a keeper against the run.  However, the pass rush was virtually non-existent.  The DL had a meager 10.5 sacks - the entire team only had 16 - and we managed only nineteen quarterback hits.  Vince Browne, a prime-timer on everyone's watch list at the beginning of the season, ended up a pine-timer watching the game.  Jack DiNardo tied Browne for the sack lead with three.  You're in trouble if a tackle leads your team in sacks, and I believe Browne's all came in pre-season.



LB - D  Like the DL, they improved with age, but they need a lot more aging.  They also need more heft in the middle and more speed on the outside.  McNaul and Johnson are the non-returnees next season.  (Is either a redshirt senior?)

 

DB - D-  I'll give them a passing grade for Brian Peters' play at strong safety.  Other than that, their pass coverage was a disaster.  Had Nebraska passed the entire game, we wouldn't have won.  We had eleven picks all season, and three of those were on dreadfully thrown gifts in the Michigan game.  On the other hand, our poor pass rush made the secondary's job a whole lot harder.

 

PK - C  Budzein didn't miss any extra points, but he only had ten field goal tries.  He missed four, two of which cost us a game.  (Iowa?  Illinois?  Can't recall.)  Fitz clearly had no confidence in him during the final half of the season.  The jury is still out on Mr. Jeff.

 

P - C  Was the punt going long or was it going short?  Consistency was not Brandon Williams' forte.  However, the coverage was decent for the second consecutive year, and no one broke one against us.

 

KO - B  Not many touchbacks unless the wind was at our backs, but the kickoff coverage was sound, and no one broke one against us.

 

KR - B-  Mark is always dangerous and had some good returns, and I can only recall one fumble, but we didn't break one either.

 

Coaching - C+  Why did it take until the eighth game for the defensive line to gel?  Why did we never develop a pass rush?  Why did we blow so many leads in the fourth quarter?  (I suggest the principle reason is size and strength differential.)  Why did we become so conservative on offense so often?  Why is our 2012 recruiting class so average?  There has to be smart four- and five-star players out there.

 

Overview - Fitz keeps improving the talent, but it is not yet good enough to take us to the Big Ten championship game.  Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State all have superior talent, and Nebraska was our "on-any-given-day" win that we would not want to replay.  (Army, it would seem, was our "on-any-given-day" loss that may cost us a bowl game.)  We fielded a solid offense but whose only dangerous runner was a substitute quarterback.  We had a woeful defense, late-season improvements notwithstanding, giving up 33.5 points a game in the conference and 27.25 overall.  We have to shave at least ten points off those totals next year, but we're going to need help to do it.