NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL Game 4 // Northwestern at Purdue // Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020 KICKOFF NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS PURDUE BOILERMAKERS WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. Record 3-0, 3-0 Big Ten Record 2-0, 2-0 Big Ten Rankings 23 (Coaches) / 23 (AP) Rankings n/a 6:30 p.m. ct Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Head Coach Jeff Brohm ross-ade stadium Record at NU (Yrs.) 102-79(15th) Record at Purdue (Yrs.) 19-21 (4th) Road Record 42-31 (.575) Home Record 11-10 (.523) BIG TEN NETWORK Big Ten Record 60-59 (.504) Big Ten Record 14-15 (.482) vs. Purdue 7-4 (.636) vs. Northwestern 1-2 (.333) wgn 720 Offensive Coordinator Mike Bajakian Co-Off. Coord. Brian Brohm/JaMarcus Shepard purduesports.com Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz Co-Def. Coord. Bob Diaco/Anthony Poindexter QUICK HITTERS ON THE AIR • Pat Fitzgerald picked up his 100th career win in the 2020 season opener BTN • NU is off to its first 3-0 start to a season since 2015 and first 3-0 start in Big Ten play since 2000 pbp: Cory provus color: Anthony Herron • Northwestern has not allowed a point in the second half this season sideline: olivia dekker • Northwestern has not lost in West Lafayette since 2007 (four straight wins @ Purdue, longest in series history) WGN 720 • The Wildcats have won four straight games dating back to 2019, longest active win streak in the Big Ten pbp: dave eanet • Chris Bergin was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Nebraska color: ted albrecht 2020 SCHEDULE & RESULTS LAST MEETING Maryland @Iowa Nebraska @Purdue vs. Wisconsin @Mich. St. @Minnesota Illinois TBD Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21 Nov. 28 Dec. 5 Dec. 12 Dec. 19 22 24 W, 43-3 W, 21-20 W, 21-13 6:30 PM CT TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD - - - - - Nov. 9, 2019 • Evanston, Ill. THE OPENING DRIVE INSIDE THE NUMBERS RECAP THE DUB Northwestern beat Nebraska for the third time in the last four meetings ... It was the eighth time since 2011 a game Pat Fitzgerald picked up his 100th between Northwestern and Nebraska was decided by one score ... Nebraska was the first team to rush for more than 100 100 career victory vs. Maryland in the yards against the 'Cats this season ... QB Peyton Ramsey threw for multiple touchdowns for the first time in a NU uniform opener ... The Wildcats have trailed at one point of all three wins this season. THE MATCH UP No. 23 in both the Coaches and AP Polls. Pat Fitzgerald is 7-4 against Purdue since taking over as the Wildcats' head coach in 2006. Fitzgerald and the 'Cats have Last time in the polls: (25 - Coaches; 2019 won seven of the last nine match ups against the Boilermakers, including four straight contests at Ross-Ade Stadium. 23 Preseason) (AP - 20; 2018 Final) Northwestern has not lost in West Lafayette since 2007, the second year of Fitzgerald's tenure. Purdue snapped a five- game skid against the Wildcats in 2019 with a 24-22 win at Ryan Field. The Wildcats pulled off a 31-27 win at Ross-Ade on Aug. 30, 2018. Sophomore Jeremy Larkin ran for 143 yards and 2 NU's trio of starting linebackers have TD in his first career start, a primetime Thursday night season opener. He never played another Big Ten snap. He was combined for 72 of NU's 146 tackles diagnosed with cervical stenosis weeks later and finished his undergraduate career as a student coach. He is currently 72 the last two games a defensive graduate assistant for the 'Cats. STATEMENT DEFENSE Northwestern's defense has made a statement through the first two games of the season: NU is off to its best Big Ten start since the 2000 season. The 'Cats finished • Northwestern's defense has not allowed a point in the second half this season. It's the first time it has earned that Y2K 6-2, claimed a share of the B1G title feat in a three-game stretch during the Pat Fitzgerald era (2006-present). The Wildcats have not surrendered a touchdown in the second half of a game since the 13:20 mark of the 4th quarter vs. Minnesota on Nov. 23, 2019. • The defense has allowed 55 yards of touchdown drives (3 total TDs) this season, avg. length of drives: 18.3 yards. • Northwestern ranks in the Top-30 nationally in total defense (18th; 314.0), rushing defense (29th; 121.7), scoring Northwestern has recorded three- defense (7th; 12.0), team passing efficiency defense (3rd; 83.01), turnover margin (13th; 1.0), redzone defense straight multi-interception games for 3 the first time since 2017. (8th; 0.636). • Northwestern has recorded three-straight multi-interception games for the first time since 2017 (three vs. Minnesota on Nov. 18, two at Illinois on Nov. 25, two vs. Kentucky on Dec. 29 in the Music City Bowl). FYI • Northwestern's defense has forced at least two turnovers in four straight games dating back to last season, which is the longest stretch since week two of the 2017 campaign. • Northwestern uses the term “first year” to refer to its new • Linebackers Blake Gallagher, Paddy Fisher and Chris Bergin each recorded at least 10 tackles for the second straight student-athletes, abbreviated by “Fy.” game in the win over Nebraska. It was first time Northwestern had three players reach double-digit tackles in • The correct abbreviation for Northwestern back-to-back outings since its annual tilt against Illinois on Nov. 30, 2013 and vs. California in the 2014 season is “NU,” not “NW” or “NWU” or the like. opener on Aug. 30, 2014. NU hasn’t had three players compile 10+ tackles twice in a season since 2013 (vs. Illinois • The correct logo for Northwestern is the on Nov. 30, 2013 & vs. Iowa on Oct. 26, 2013). “Block N.” Please contact Ray O'Connell at [email protected] if you are in need. TWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @NUFBFAMILY /// FACEBOOK: /NUFOOTBALL NORTHWESTERN GAME NOTES 1 NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL GAME NOTES #FITZ100 DRIVE (AND) TIME Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach All-Time Winningest Coaches at Northwestern opened the second half vs. Nebraska with a 10-play, 61-yard Pat Fitzgerald picked up his 100th career victory with Current School touchdown drive, the fourth touchdown drive by the Wildcats this season of 10+ the win over Maryland. His 102 career victories are plays. Both of Northwestern’s touchdown drives in the first half vs. Iowa on Oct. 31 the 25th most by an active FBS coach. All 102 wins Gary Patterson, TCU 175 went for 75+ yards. Through the first three games of the season, Northwestern has have come as the head coach of the Wildcats, which Kirk Ferentz, Iowa 163 six touchdown drives of at least 75 yards, it had nine throughout the entire 2019 places him seventh on the list of active FBS coaches season. The Wildcats are owning the clock through three games. Northwestern who have collected their wins at the same school. Mike Gundy, Okla. St. 134 ranks 25th nationally, and fourth in the Big Ten, in time of possession, averaging Fitzgerald is one of eight active coaches to be the Pat Fitzgerald, NU 102 32:47 in T.O.P. all-time winningest coach at their current school and ranks fourth on that list. The 2013 Gator Bowl victory WELCOME TO THE PICK CLUB was Fitzgerald's 50th career win, making him NU's all- The Wildcats have recorded eight interceptions through the first three games of time winningest coach. this season. The last time they had eight picks in the first three games of a season was 2013 (10 INT). Six different Wildcats have recorded an interception this season. OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW The last time Northwestern hit that mark was in 2017, when in a full season eight For the first time since the 2007 season, Northwestern has a new offensive play different players snatched a pick. However, NU only recorded two interceptions caller. Mike Bajakian “Jake” was hired as offensive coordinator on Dec. 11, 2019. through its first three games that season. Brandon Joseph (3) is the lone NU player Here's an overview of the new offense: with multiple interceptions. JR Pace, AJ Hampton, Coco Azema, Blake Gallagher and • Northwestern's ground game ranks 29th nationally with 205.3 yards per game on the Chris Bergin each have one. ground this season. That is up from 180.1 YPG last season. • Northwestern has scored at least 20 points in each of its first three games against Big Ten PRESIDENT OF THE PICK CLUB, BRANDON JOSEPH opponents this season, the first time it has done so since 2012 (44 vs. Indiana on Sept. 29, Brandon Joseph is the president of the Pick Club with three interceptions. Joseph is 28 vs. Penn State on Oct. 6, 21 vs. Minnesota on Oct. 13). the first Big Ten player to record at least three interceptions in the first three games • Eight of Northwestern's 11 touchdowns this season have come on the ground with eight of the season since Ohio State’s Malik Hooker and Marshon Lattimore both did so different Wildcats finding pay dirt. Isaiah Bowser (1 REC, 1 RUSH) , Jesse Brown (2 RUSH) in 2016. In the last 10 years, Joseph is one of only four FBS first-years to record three and Drake Anderson (2 RUSH) are the only ones with multiple touchdowns. interceptions through the first three games of the season (Syracuse’s Andre Cisco • Northwestern scored 43 points vs.