2008 Spartan Nation Big Ten Football Scouting and Prediction Report: Northwestern Wildcats
Spartan Nation 2008 scouting report:Â Northwestern Wildcats
Biggest Game: October 25, 2008 at Indiana. A win there could mean a bowl!
Predicted record:Â 5-7 (1-7)
Projected Big Ten standing: 10th  Â
Returning Starters:Â OFFENSE:Â 7 DEFENSE:Â 8 Lettermen return:Â 47Â
Head Coach:Â Pat Fitzgerald 3rd Season 6-6 Last Season Lifetime 10-14
Top assistant:Â DC Mike Hankwitz
The Cats are a developing team. I am not a fan of bringing in head coaches at this level that do not have previous HC experience. I supported it with Fitzgerald for two reasons. #1 Randy Walker was a friend of mine and talked to me about Fitz and his desire for him to follow him prior to his death. #2 Because of the death of Walker, it was necessary to maintain continuity.
Fitz is a good coach and if the NWU faithful will give him some slack as he learns, he will do a very good job at NWU. I like him. Last season they picked up some wins that maybe they shouldn’t have, but they all count.
The MSU coaches had perhaps their worst performance of the season when the Spartans who had run all over the Cats decided to move away from the run in overtime and their lack of through the air success gave the Cats the win. That was a big win for this squad and perhaps the biggest disappointment of the season for the Spartan Nation. The players didn’t lose to NWU the staff did and that one hurt. Â
I would not be shocked if this squad over achieved and went to a bowl. Fitz is a very good coach in the making and to be frank the talent is there. Can he continue his maturation process? Let’s hope so.
The defense was terrible last season and it wasn’t the talent that was lacking. Now I am not saying they had LSU type athletes, but their performance was pathetic. One of the worst DC’s is gone and they bring in Mike Hankwitz to replace him. Hankwitz is a very solid choice. He was at Wisconsin, but moved on and we all know that a coach scorned has a lot to prove. If he pans out this team could get to a bowl.
Bacher is back at the QB and that is a good sign for the offense, but the biggest returnee is Tyrell Sutton. MSU under JLS went after him hard, but he has had a good career in Evanston and could this season.
This is a big year for the cats!
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