Imagine this. The bright lights of the New Ryan Field turn on for the first time. Music plays with a deep bass, echoing and vibrating throughout the stadium. Yet, that isn’t the loudest sound that can be heard. No, it’s the screams and shouts of the crazed Wildcat fans that serve as the pulsing heart of this new venue. As the sun sets, even the sky adorns the color to match the energy of the night:
Purple.
Only one thing remains to etch this night into the history of Northwestern, and it’s something it hasn’t done in over a decade. The ‘Cats have to beat Penn State at home.
Here are NU’s three keys to secure a fairytale Ryan Field opener:
1. Play a clean game
Northwestern is coming off a game in which it took Indiana to the brink last Friday, with a final score of 29-23. The defense kept the game close during the first half, only conceding ten points. The offense proceeded to flip a switch in the second half, scoring 23 points. However, as the offense found its stride, the defense lost its rhythm, giving up 17 points in the second half.
With all this being said, Northwestern isn’t happy with an “almost win” against Indiana. The game was a winnable one for the ‘Cats, and self-inflicted errors were some of the biggest reasons the team lost the game.
These included a safety on the first drive of the game, and a face-mask penalty on third-and-19 in the fourth quarter that would’ve given the ball back to the ‘Cats down only two points.
Cleaning up these self-inflicted mistakes will be the first key for Northwestern to beat Penn State on Friday. The game needs to be clean for the ‘Cats. Whether that is good ball security, not jumping offsides or having silly penalties called, Northwestern cannot give anything for Penn State to capitalize on.
Furthermore, Aidan Chiles will need to keep playing the way he has been. He has to continue to be an accurate passer, go through his reads quickly and effectively and take care of the ball. In the game against Indiana, Chiles took some huge sacks, which were mostly his own doing. He cannot have a repeat of that, putting his team behind the sticks and costing drives.
But as long as the offense repeats what it did in the second half against Indiana and doesn’t get off to a slow start, Northwestern shouldn’t have to worry about putting points up on the board.
2. Win in the trenches
Defensively, a great deal more needs to change from last Friday.
The ‘Cats gave up 271 yards on the ground, with Indiana averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Northwestern cannot have a repeat of that whatsoever. Northwestern must win the battle in the trenches, with defensive linemen not getting moved from their spots easily, linebackers filling run lanes appropriately and defensive backs making open-field tackles.
Luckily, Penn State’s run game struggled against Wisconsin, only averaging 3.3 yards per carry, and the ‘Cats hope to emulate the performance of the Badgers. If Northwestern is able to keep Penn State’s rushing attack at bay, the ball is forced into redshirt-senior quarterback Rocco Becht’s hands.
3. Get after Rocco Becht
Becht struggled significantly against Wisconsin, posting a 31.8 QBR. In the first half, Becht did not produce anything terrible (nor was he the catalyst for Penn State’s success), but the second half proved disastrous. Becht was missing open receivers, working through his reads poorly and throwing an interception that led to points for Wisconsin. All this stemmed from Becht being uncomfortable in the pocket.
If Northwestern wants to recreate the game Becht had last week, it needs to turn up the heat. Defensive coordinator Tim McGarigle needs to draw up stunts and blitz schemes that rush Becht’s internal clock and force mistakes out of him. Similar to the Colorado game, McGarigle needs to disguise coverages that make Becht’s pre-snap reads wrong and lead him to make mistakes.
Winning on Friday will be difficult, but the roadmap is clear: clean up penalties, play with consistency on offense and apply pressure on defense to make Becht restless. Northwestern football is not what it was just a couple of years ago. Teams can no longer pencil in a win when they play the Wildcats. But to truly elevate the program to the next level, it needs a statement win. Northwestern fans want to stop saying “almost,” and this Friday is an opportunity to say “finally.”