BadgerBlitz.com brings back it's Behind Enemy Lines series, where we get an opposing beat writer's take on the upcoming matchup.
For Week 11, we spoke to Louie Vaccher of WildcatReport and touched on Northwestern's quarterback situation, interim head coach David Braun's performance and more.
What have been the early returns on interim head coach David Braun?
Vaccher: It’s safe to see that Braun has exceeded all expectations. The players love him. His team plays hard every week. They’ve pulled off two major upsets this season, over Minnesota and Maryland, and had a shot to beat both Nebraska and Iowa, too. With two more wins over the last three weeks, they will make a bowl game, something that sounded unthinkable over the summer for a team that went 1-11 last season. Somehow, this FCS defensive coordinator with no prior head coaching experience who spent just six months on campus before being thrust into the role, has pushed all the right buttons. If the Cats make a bowl game, he might not only get the permanent job; he might be the Big Ten Coach of the Year, too.
Northwestern’s administration, specifically president Michael Schill and athletic director Derrick Gragg, handled the hazing scandal very badly this summer. But one thing they got right was hiring David Braun to be the interim head coach.
In your eyes, what's allowed the Wildcats to perform better than most expected this year after an offseason filled with turmoil?
Vaccher: I think Braun gets a lot of credit, as both a head coach and the defensive coordinator. Northwestern’s offense has struggled all season, except for a few games, but the defense has gotten back to the fundamentally sound, bend-but-don’t-break kind of unit that they were during Pat Fitzgerald’s best years. Braun’s assistant coaches, including five others who are in their first year in Evanston, have also been key.
Northwestern also made some key acquisitions in the transfer portal in the offseason, including quarterback Ben Bryant, and wide receivers Cam Johnson and AJ Henning. The other thing, that Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell mentioned this week, is that the Wildcats have a lot of veterans with quite a bit of experience. Depending on the lineup, Northwestern often has seven seniors or graduates starting on defense, and eight on offense.
Northwestern has two quarterbacks that have played significant snaps. What are the strengths/weaknesses of each and who should we expect to see come Saturday?
Vaccher: Bryant is the starter, but he suffered an “upper body injury” (shoulder) against Penn State on Sept. 30, so Brendan Sullivan has started the last four games. Braun opened the door to the possibility of Bryant’s return this week by declining to say that Bryant would be unavailable. Then, he muddied the waters by saying that, even if Bryant is healthy, they may decide to stick with Sullivan as a starter.
Bryant is a more accurate and effective passer than Sullivan; there’s no doubt about that. Sullivan, though, adds much more mobility and can make big plays outside the pocket that Bryant can’t – though not consistently. I have to think that if Bryant is healthy, he’ll get the start, assuming that he’s gotten enough reps in practice this week to knock the rust off. To add one more wrinkle, we’ll probably see backup Jack Lausch get some reps behind center, too. They like to use him as a Wildcat QB; he has appeared in seven games and has 15 rushes against just three pass attempts.
Who's the most dangerous player on the Wildcats' offense?
Vaccher: Most people would identify Henning. He’s the fastest receiver, and the guy they like to use on gadget plays to get him the ball on space. But if you look at the numbers, senior receiver Bryce Kirtz is the most dangerous player. He leads the team with 507 receiving yards, nearly 100 more than No. 2 Johnson, and with four touchdown catches, twice as many as anyone else. He put up an absolute monster game against Minnesota, with 10 catches for 215 yards and two TDs, the best day for a Northwestern receiver since 1980. Opposing coaches will make sure their defense always knows where No. 8, Henning, lines up. But it’s No. 17, Kirtz, who can kill them.
Northwestern's defense appears to be its calling card this year. Who are the key players that make that unit run?
Vaccher: The linebackers are the heart and soul of the unit. The defensive line keeps blockers off of them, and they make tackles. Bryce Gallagher leads the team with 78 tackles, and Xander Mueller is right behind him with 74, placing them both among the top seven tacklers in the Big Ten. Mueller is coming off of an outstanding 19-tackle effort against Iowa, and leads the team in TFL with 9.5. The Wildcats also have three very athletic and active safeties in Devin Turner, Coco Azema and Rod Heard II, who rank third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in tackles. They’ve done a good job in the back end preventing the big plays that plagued them the last two seasons.
Prediction for the game and final score?
Vaccher: This is going to be another low-scoring, Big Ten West defensive tug-of-war between two teams that struggle to move the ball (assuming that Wisconsin’s key players are still out). Northwestern doesn’t have much of a running game to rely on, so they’ll have a better shot in the passing game with Bryant at the controls. If he’s healthy and in form, I think the Wildcats may have the edge. As usual, though, it will be the team that makes fewer mistakes that will win the game.
It’s funny, Northwestern hasn’t won or lost two games in a row all season long. So if they stay on that schedule, this would be a week they win. At the same time, however, the Cats haven’t won a game on the road all season, either. One of those patterns has to end. This one can go either way, but I’ll say Northwestern wins an ugly, brutal nail-biter.
Northwestern 17, Wisconsin 13
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