Posts Tagged ‘Northwestern’
For Some, A College Football Christmas
By Paul Myerberg // Dec 29, 2011
I’ve been sick as a dog all week, so like North Carolina in the Independence Bowl, I just didn’t show up. But regularly scheduled programming begins anew starting right… about… now. Earlier in the week, before the virus climbed inside my body and started wreaking havoc, I asked you to send in your college football-related Christmas gifts — I probably should have said holiday gifts, which was an oversight. If your Hanukkah haul included anything interesting, please send it along. In the effort of brevity, and because there’s much to get to after a four-day break, I’m including a small handful from Twitter, email and the comment field.
Tags: Christmas, Cincinnati, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon, Texas, Virginia Tech
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Ten Themes for Saturday: Week 10
By Paul Myerberg // Nov 5, 2011
Ten teams, themes, games and players to watch for Saturday. Pretty straightforward. Here we go:
Fickell makes his case He inherited an unenviable situation, in a way. Yes, Luke Fickell did get one year to run his dream program, Ohio State, and even if the Buckeyes suffered through a rebuilding year he could always tout his sole season running the show when interviewing for a future head coach position — say, one at Akron, which may soon become available. And through September, it seemed as if Fickell was in over his head. With the move to October came a change in fortune for Fickell and the Buckeyes, even if the record doesn’t necessarily reflect that fact.
Tags: Ball State, Big East, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Everett Withers, Kain Colter, L.S.U., Luke Fickell, Mike Sherman, N.C. State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Pete Lembo, Ron English, T.C.U., Texas A&M, Tom O'Brien, U.N.C, Washington, Wyoming
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At Some Stops, Planning for the Future
By Paul Myerberg // Oct 26, 2011
Preparations have begun in Houston and Boise for life after the current record-setting quarterback leaves town. This isn’t a comforting time for either program, as well as a few others nearing the point where it must say goodbye to an old hand, but such is life in college football: four years if you’re lucky, three — or less — if you’re not, and it always pays to be prepared. A few schools have wisely thrown the heir apparent into the mix, knowing there will come a time when Kellen Moore’s shoes will be filled by another, but others are tempting fate by riding the 2011 starter and letting 2012 remain a distant point in the future.
Tags: Andrew Maxwell, Barrett Trotter, Boise State, Brandon Weeden, Dan Persa, David Piland, Devin Gardner, Houston, Joe Southwick, Kain Colter, Kellen Moore, Logan Thomas, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Seth Doege, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech
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Persa’s Back, Maybe With a New Role
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 29, 2011
Dan Persa’s back, and just in time. Northwestern needs a boost of confidence after losing to Army two weeks ago, 17-14, a defeat that evaporated much of the goodwill associated with Kain Colter’s fine two-game debut as Persa’s replacement. Colter was solid against Boston College and Eastern Illinois, completing 27 of 37 attempts for 301 yards with another 180 yards on the ground. Then came the Cadets: Colter did some work on the ground and even threw a touchdown pass, but Army’s ball-control offense prevented the once-and-future-backup — and future starter — from developing any momentum. Based on his regression against Army, Colter would have been a liability against Illinois; good thing Persa’s back.
Tags: Adonis Smith, Dan Persa, Illinois, Jacob Schmidt, Jeremy Ebert, Kain Colter, Mike Trumpy, Northwestern
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Could We Not See Persa Until 2012?
By Paul Myerberg // Sep 9, 2011
The progression: head in hands; hands completely over eyes; just fingers over eyes; eyes peeking through narrow finger slits; eyes uncovered, hands clasped in prayer near chest; eyes open, mouth open, hands open; eyes wide, mouth in a smile, hands raised over head. Pre-game, post-game. Could you blame Northwestern fans for being a bit nervous — even a bit skeptical — about the offense’s ability to move the ball effectively against Boston College without the program’s Heisman contender under center? Any concerns were unfounded, however, after sophomore Kain Colter led the offense to one of most balanced performances in recent memory. The last time Northwestern had at least 200 yards rushing at least 190 yards passing in the same game? That would be in the 2009 season opener — against Towson University.
Tags: Dan Persa, Kain Colter, Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald, The Heisman Trophy
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No. 35: Northwestern
By Paul Myerberg // Jul 30, 2011
Go ahead and call. You won’t be blamed; instead, you’ll be lauded for your diligent research and big-picture point of view. Have your people call his people. Charter the private jet. Sign a blank check. Don’t even waste the time needed to bankroll, name and organize the ever-popular search committee, as those suits will sit, eat, drink, dally for days and still, a week later, come up with the same name. Just do it. Call, email, snail mail, smoke signals, semaphore, what have you: just reach out and check. Maybe you’re the suitor he’s waiting for? Maybe you have what others don’t? It can’t hurt. You’d never regret it. Just one problem: Pat Fitzgerald’s not going anywhere.
Tags: Al Netter, Big Ten, Brian Peters, Bryce McNaul, Dan Persa, Jordan Mabin, Niko Mafuli, Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald, Patrick Ward, Vince Browne
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Home is Where the Heart Is
By Paul Myerberg // May 10, 2011
The news that Pat Fitzgerald is on the verge of a long-term contract extension is cause for celebration in Evanston, even if it’s no surprise. Fitzgerald is nothing if not comfortably loyal to his alma mater, Northwestern, and for all the talk that he’s next at Penn State – or Michigan, or another Midwest power – the simple truth is that for all that chatter, Fitzgerald remains ensconced at home, with his family, at the site of his greatest days as a player and a coach, in the perfect situation. So he’ll ink that ten-year extension and prepare for the next generation of Northwestern football, which is good news for all those who appreciate a sense of commitment.
Tags: Joe Paterno, Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald, Penn State
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A Grab Bag of Quarterback Depth
By Paul Myerberg // Apr 25, 2011
It was never a fair comparison: Iowa and Wisconsin both lost a senior quarterback, but the Hawkeyes have had a succession plan in place since 2009, while Wisconsin — prior to losing Curt Phillips — wanted Jon Budmayr to win the job, not have it handed to him. When Wisconsin revealed late last week that Phillips had suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, it became clear that Budmayr’s time is officially now, even if this is how the quarterback competition might have eventually played out. As noted last week, however, this hurts the Badgers’ depth at the position.
Tags: Big Ten, Dan Persa, Denard Robinson, Devin Gardner, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, James Vandenberg, Jon Budmayr, MarQueis Gray, Matt McGloin, Michigan, Minnesota, Nathan Scheelhaase, Northwestern, Paul Petrino, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
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