northwestern football northwestern football Game 1 // Northwestern at Purdue // Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018 KICKOFF NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS PURDUE BOILERMAKERS west lafayette, ind. 2018 Record 0-0, 0-0 Big Ten 2018 Record 0-0, 0-0 Big Ten Rankings RV (AP) / RV (Coaches) Rankings n/a 7 p.m. ct Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Head Coach Jeff Brohm ross-ade stadium Record at NU (Yrs.) 87-65 (13th) Record at Purdue (Yrs.) 7-6 (2nd) Away Record 35-27 (.565) Home Record 4-2 (.667) ESPN Big Ten Record 48-50 (.489) Big Ten Record 4-5 (.444) vs. Purdue 6-3 (.667) vs. Northwestern 0-1 (.000) wgn 720 // sirius xm 84 Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall Offensive Coordinator Brian Brohm/Jamarcus Shepard purduesports.com Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz Defensive Coordinator Nick Holt/Anthony Poindexter A NORTHWESTERN WIN WOULD... ON THE AIR …Mark NU's ninth-straight victory, tying the program's longest winning streak since 1995. ESPN pbp: dave flemming …Improve head coach Pat Fitzgerald's record to 11-2 in season openers in 13 seasons. color: kirk herbstreit sideline: maria taylor …Extend the Wildcats' winning streak over Purdue to five straight. WGN 720 …Be the ’Cats' first win in a Big Ten opener since defeating Minnesota on Oct. 3, 2015. pbp: dave eanet color: ted albrecht …Give NU eight-straight wins in Big Ten games, marking it's longest B1G win streak since 1995. sideline: adam hoge 2018 SCHEDULE & RESULTS @ Purdue* Duke Akron Michigan* @ MSU* Nebraska* @ Rutgers* Wisconsin* Notre Dame @ Iowa* @ Minne- Illinois* Aug. 30 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 sota* Nov. 24 ESPN ESPNU BTN TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Nov. 17 TBD 7 PM 11 AM 6:30 PM TBD 11 AM 11 AM 11 AM TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD THE OPENING DRIVE INSIDE THE NUMBERS KICKING THINGS OFF -- Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald enters his 13th season coming Northwestern enters 2018 with the off the Wildcats' third 10-win campaign during his tenure. Fitzgerald has compiled a 87-65 record overall, including longest winning streak among Power three victories in bowl games. The #HOMEGROWN head coach has led the ’Cats to 27 wins over the last three seasons, 8 5 schools at eight games. ranking inside the top 15 among FBS programs. WILDCATS NAME 2018 TEAM CAPTAINS -- Senior quarterback Clayton Thorson, senior offensive lineman Tommy Doles, The Wildcats have won 27 games senior cornerback Montre Hartage and redshirt sophomore Paddy Fisher were voted team captains by their over the last three seasons, marking teammates during training camp. Thorson becomes the fifth two-time captain under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, while 27 the best stretch in program history. It Fisher is the first sophomore to serve as a captain during the Fitzgerald era. ranks in the top 15 among P5 schools. OPENING THE DOORS -- Northwestern opened the doors to the brand-new, 500,000-square-foot Walter Athletics Center With a 24-23 win over Kentucky in the on the shores of Lake Michigan this offseason. The state-of-the-art facility includes Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field, a 2017 Music City Bowl, the ’Cats won 97,000-square-foot indoor practice facility. 2 consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history. WELCOME BACK -- Chicago's Big Ten Team returns 61-of-76 letterwinners (81 percent) from its 10-win team last season, entering 2018 as one of the top-25 most-experienced teams in the nation. The Wildcats return seven starters on offense, Clayton Thorson's 39-consecutive including their top passer, two top receivers and four of five offensive linemen. The defensive side of the ball also returns starts are tied with Washington's Jake seven starters, including its top two leading tacklers, leader in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles. 39 Browning for the longest streak in FBS. RETURN OF SOME ’CATS -- The Northwestern coaching staff saw its first change in over seven years with the addition of three familiar names in the offseason. Former NU assistant Jeff Genyk returned to campus as the program's Special Teams Coordinator, while alumni Lou Ayeni (Running Backs) and Tim McGarigle (Linebackers) were named assistant Running back Jeremy Larkin averaged coaches in January. Veteran coach Matt MacPherson was elevated to Associate Head Coach and will lead the defensive 6.0 yards per carry last season, backs in 2018. Despite the changes, the Wildcats eight coaches who have at least 10 years experience at the institution, 6 ranking third among first-year marking the second most in the country behind only Navy (9). running backs in FBS. Rushing Passing Total Scoring Rushing Total Turnover Penalty FYI Yards/GM Yards/GM Offense Offense Defense Defense Margin Yards/GM LAST MEETING • Northwestern uses the term “first year” to refer to its new 174.2 233.8 408.0 29.2 107.7 357.2 +0.54 49.0 student-athletes, abbreviated by “Fy.” 151.5 251.1 403.1 25.2 132.9 375.5 +0.31 50.62 • The correct abbreviation for Northwestern is 23 13 “NU,” not “NW” or “NWU” or the like. Rushing Passing Total Scoring Rushing Total Turnover Penalty Yards/GM Yards/GM Offense Offense Defense Defense Margin Yards/GM Nov. 11, 2017 • Ryan Field • Evanston, Ill. •The correct logo for Northwestern is the “Block N.” Please contact Kyle Kelley at kyle. [email protected] if you are in need. TWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @NUFBFAMILY /// FACEBOOK: /NUFOOTBALL 2018 game notes 1 northwestern football northwestern football FIRST DOWN IN THE POCKET -- After suffering an injury in the 2017 Music City Bowl, the question FISHER IN RARE COMPANY -- The first sophomore Sophomore Captains (FBS) remains of whether senior quarterback Clayton Thorson will start for the Wildcats captain in the Fitzgerald era, linebacker in Thursday's season opener versus Purdue. Below are notes on the Wildcats' Paddy Fisher is one of just seven sophomore PADDY FISHER, NORTHWESTERN LB quarterback room. captains in FBS entering the regular season. Jawon Pass, Louisville QB Fisher is one of just four Power 5 sophomore Joshua Jackson, Virginia Tech QB • No. 10 TJ Green -- A junior walk-on, the former Kansas Gatorade Player of the captains, including Louisville quarterback Year and son of 15-year NFL vet Trent Green has thrown one pass during Jawon Pass, Virginia Tech quarterback Joshua Armoni Rogers, UNLV QB his NU career. As a senior at Rockhurst High School, Green threw for 2,700 Jackson and Ohio State linebacker Tuf Collin Hill, Colorado State QB yards and 33 touchdowns. He is the cousin of junior wide receiver Bennett Borland. Adam Prentice, Colorado State FB Skowronek. AND FOR GOOD REASON -- Fisher was named Tuf Bulford, Ohio State LB • No. 13 Andrew Marty -- A redshirt first-year, Marty was rated the No. 3 a Freshman All-American by the Football quarterback prospect in the state of Ohio. He compiled a 25-3 record as a Writers Associate, earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors and was the Big Ten starting quarterback at Wyoming and threw a school-record 43 touchdowns Freshman of the Year by the Big Ten Network after leading all FBS first-year players as a senior. in tackles (113) and solo stops (65) last year. He was the only Power-5 player to post two games with at least 18 tackles. • No. 11 Aidan Smith -- A redshirt sophomore from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Smith made his debut versus Minnesota last season. He has yet to attempt a pass in OFF THE EDGE -- Junior defensive end Joe Gaziano became just the fifth sophomore his collegiate career, but threw for over 3,700 yards and 31 touchdowns with since 2005 to lead the Big Ten in sacks with a league-high nine last season. Gaziano over 1,000 yards rushing in his high school career. was named to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list, given annually to the nation's top defensive player. He already ranks ninth in program history with 13.5 career • No. 18 Clayton Thorson -- The senior has started 39-consecutive games for sacks, with 12 coming in Big Ten play. the ’Cats and is the program's all-time leader in wins with 27. Thorson's 44 career touchdown passes are tied with Len Williams and Brett Basanez for the HARTAGE ISLAND -- According to Pro Football Focus, senior cornerback Montre most in program history. Hartage's 10 'plays on the ball' last season are the most among returning Big Ten cornerbacks. Hartage has started 26-consecutive games for the Wildcats and is the NU's active leader with eight interceptions, which is tied for the 10th-best mark in 2018 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS Aug. 30 at Purdue* West Lafayette, Ind. ESPN 7 p.m. CT 39-50-1 Northwestern has won the last Boilermakers (0-0) Rosse-Ade Stadium four meetings Sept. 8 DUKE Evanston, Ill. ESPNU 11 a.m. CT 10-9-0 NU is 3-1 in its last four meetings Blue Devils (0-0) Ryan Field versus Duke Sept. 15 AKRON Evanston, Ill. BTN 6:30 p.m. CT First NU is 19-11-1 all time versus Zips (0-0) Ryan Field Meeting current MAC programs Sept. 29 MICHIGAN* Evanston, Ill. TBD TBD 15-57-2 Three of last four meetings have Wolverines (0-0) Ryan Field gone to overtime Oct. 6 at Michigan State* East Lansing, Mich. TBD 11 a.m. CT 19-37-0 Wildcats have won back-to-back Spartans (0-0) Spartan Stadium meetings versus Spartans Oct.