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SCOUTING THE BIG TEN | Eighth in an 11-part series
Sutton, Northwestern aim to bounce back from 4-8
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Tyrell Sutton endured a sophomore slump last year after leading the Big Ten in rushing as a freshman, but he wasn't the only Northwestern player going through a funk.
Still reeling from the death of coach Randy Walker, the Wildcats went through most of the season in zombie-like fashion, finishing 4-8 and losing to the likes of Division I-AA New Hampshire.
Extras
But Sutton, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound Akron native, has bulked up since last season and has gotten his swagger back.
"He really matured in the offseason and really developed as a leader," coach Pat Fitzgerald said, "and he's ready to take our offense back to the top of the Big Ten."
Numbers game
3 Big Ten championships for the Wildcats from 1995-2000, a feat matched only by conference power Michigan
2 Last-place finishes since 2001. They have won no Big Ten crowns in that span.
12 Players from Ohio on the Northwestern roster, second only to Illinois' 26
| Schedule | |||
| Date | Opponent | Time | |
| Sept. 1 | Northeastern | Noon | |
| Sept. 8 | Nevada | Noon | |
| Sept. 15 | Duke | 8 p.m. | |
| Sept. 22 | at Ohio State * | TBA | |
| Sept. 29 | Michigan * | TBA | |
| Oct. 6 | at Michigan State * | TBA | |
| Oct. 13 | Minnesota * | Noon | |
| Oct. 19 | vs. E. Michigan # | 7 p.m. | |
| Oct. 27 | at Purdue * | Noon | |
| Nov. 3 | Iowa * | TBA | |
| Nov. 10 | Indiana * | TBA | |
| Nov. 17 | at Illinois * | TBA | |
| # at Detroit * Big Ten game | |||
Scouting the Wildcats — All offense, no defense?
2006: 4-8, 2-6 Big Ten
Last 5 years: 26-35 overall, 17-23 Big Ten
Last bowl: Lost to UCLA, 50-38, in 2005 Sun Bowl
Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (4-8 in 1 year at Northwestern)
Starters returning: 7 on offense, 8 on defense
Three playmakers: RB Tyrell Sutton (1,000 yards, 5.3 avg., 5 TDs); QB C.J. Bacher (1,172 yards, 59.0 percent, 6 TDs); DE Corey Wootton (51 tackles, 4.5 sacks).
Positive vibes: Bacher (pronounced Buh-SHAY) was slowed by a stress fracture in his leg during the preseason in 2006, but he took over midway through the year and finished with a flourish, throwing for 200 or more yards in all five of his starts. Sutton could become another 1,500-yard rusher this year, causing Ohio State fans to reach for the Tums again over that recruiting gaffe. And with a nonleague schedule that's as soft as dryer lint and no Penn State and Wisconsin this year, the Wildcats could be bowl-bound.
Negative vibes: Fitzgerald was a two-time Bronko Nagurski award-winner for Northwestern in the mid-1990s, and the former linebacker probably could do more good for his defensively deficient team if he turned his headset in for a helmet. The Wildcats will have to win some shootouts because they can't stop the run, finishing ninth in the Big Ten against the rush last year.
Coming Monday: Penn State
