GoldandBlack.com caught up with Louie Vaccher of WildcatReport.com--Rivals.com's Illinois site--to break down the 3-0 Wildcats in advance of No. 23 Northwestern's visit to West Lafayette on Saturday.
GoldandBlack.com: The Wildcats are coming to West Lafayette. Let's start with the NU offense. Tell Purdue fans what they can expect on Saturday.
Vaccher: As you know, Northwestern’s offense has given me a little concern the last couple weeks. They opened up against Maryland and it was unbelievable. They had 537 yards of offense, they scored 43 points and it was something we hadn't seen in a few years. People were really excited. But the last couple weeks, it's been a little tougher go. In Iowa, they put up 21 points. They ran the ball 60 times, only got 143 yards, 2.4 yards per carry. But they made it stand up, somehow. And then again, Saturday, against Nebraska, they kind of got themselves in a little bit of a hole. But they did just enough to win (21-13). Again, they got out gained, but they do what they have to do. Peyton Ramsey had two interceptions in the first half and came back in the second and threw two touchdowns and came back and won the game for them. He played much better in that second half. So, that's something I think they'll hang their hat on a little bit going into this week.
GoldandBlack.com: You said you've had some concerns about the offense for Northwestern. Why is that?
Vaccher: They haven't moved the ball too consistently. Like I said against Iowa (21-20 win), they ran the ball down their throats all day, but just 2.4 yards per carry. And they had 14-play and 16-play drives for touchdowns. They just grinded it out. Part of that was because it was a windy day in Iowa City and they had those couple turnovers early, they put themselves in a 17-0. And I think Fitz wanted to hunker down. And then Saturday, too, they went first drive 80 yards for a touchdown and looked fantastic. Drake Anderson had a 41-yard touchdown run, and then rest of the game they didn't do much. The rest of the half, they didn't do anything. Then in the second half, they put some things together a little bit. I just think maybe it's just because that first week (43-3 win vs. Maryland) they looked so dynamite and it was so wonderful to see after years of struggling on the offensive end. But they've got to be a little sharper offensively, because they're going have to score some points I think to beat Purdue.
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GoldandBlack.com: Defensively, that seems to be where Northwestern is hanging its hat. What can Purdue fans expect to see from that NU defense?
Vaccher: Yeah, they've been dynamite this year, and they’re going to win with defense. Everybody's excited about the new offensive coordinator, Mike Bajakian, and Peyton Ramsey at quarterback. He is a great improvement there. But they're still going to win with defense. They're going run downhill on offense. They're going control the clock, pound you on the ground, and then win the game with their defense, because they've been lights out. They've yet to surrender a point in the second half this season, which is pretty impressive. And the thing that they're doing this year is they're turning the ball over. Last year, they had seven interceptions all year, and they've got eight already this season. You look against Nebraska Saturday, Nebraska had six trips into the red zone and scored 13 points. They get tough around the goal line, and they got the interception in the end zone and another one on the 2-yard line. They came up with the plays when they had to win the game for them.
GoldandBlack.com: How do you see this game unfolding on Saturday afternoon?
Vaccher: Yeah, this is a big one. It’s certainly for the early driver's seat in the West. We’ll still see what happens with Wisconsin, but I think it's going to be a tight game. I think Northwestern always plays those close games. That Maryland game was an anomaly. They usually have a pretty slim margin for error. I think they're going to try to run the ball, keep Purdue’s offense off the field and then win it with defense. I think it'll be something around 24-21 or 27-24. I haven't done all my homework yet on Purdue, but I think Northwestern can pull this one out.
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