Wildcats' veterans aiming high in Alamo Bowl

Posted December 28, 2008 10:00 pm

By Lindsey Willhite

In Pat Fitzgerald's world, every football team goes through life's cycle.

Which means, of course, that each cycle must end with the team's death.

Since this particular Northwestern squad has been built around 23 high-achieving seniors, its impending death could be taken harder than most.

But the Wildcats veterans think of it differently - and perhaps fittingly considering they're wrapping up their careers in San Antonio.

They picture themselves going out in a blaze of glory in today's Alamo Bowl when the No. 23 Wildcats face No. 21 Missouri (7 p.m., ESPN).

If Northwestern bucks the biggest odds of the 2008 bowl season, then the seniors will have delivered the school's first bowl victory since the 1949 Rose Bowl and second 10-win season overall.

"It means everything in the world to me and the other 22 seniors to get this bowl victory and leave a legacy," said NU quarterback C.J. Bacher, one of the four co-captains who set a postseason win as this year's preseason goal.

More than most games, Bacher should have an outsized role in determining the Alamo Bowl champ.

And that's saying a mouthful because Bacher's interception totals have been a terrific bellwether of NU's fortunes.

In 15 of Bacher's 27 career starts, he has thrown at least 2 interceptions. The Wildcats are 3-12 in those games.

But in Bacher's 12 starts where he has thrown fewer than 2 picks, the Wildcats have yet to be beaten.

In his final act at NU, Bacher gets to face a Missouri pass defense that ranks 117th nationally in yards allowed (285.3 ypg) and 81st in pass efficiency (133.1 rating).

Offensive coordinator Mick McCall thinks those numbers paint a deceptively poor picture of Missouri's defense.

"It's a little bit of a victim of circumstance," McCall said. "For one thing, they play in the Big 12 and there's how many quarterbacks and receivers that are unbelievable? That's part of it.

"And the second thing is, their offense scores at such a fast rate, you have to keep up with the Joneses and throw with them."

Sure enough, Missouri's defense has dealt with more passing attempts (540) than that of any other team in the country, which has led to the nation's most completions (347) and yards (3,709) allowed.

The Tigers hope their constant exposure to their own offense will benefit them today.

"They are similar to our football team in terms of their formations and sets and their tempo of play," said Missouri defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. "(Our scout team) did a good job of simulating Northwestern's offense. It's been a great week for us."

But, if the Wildcats can overcome this and other obstacles, it can become a great forever for this particular squad.

Now, that would be a worthy team epitaph.

16th Alamo Bowl Northwestern (9-3) vs. Missouri (9-4) When: 7 p.m. at the Alamodome, San Antonio TV: ESPN Radio: WGN 720-AM Series: Tied 4-4 Sagarin says: Missouri by 9 Coaches: Pat Fitzgerald (19-17, third year at NU); Gary Pinkel (58-41, eighth year at Mizzou; 131-78-3 overall). Players to watch: Northwestern's only all-Big Ten player is junior defensive end Corey Wootton, who led the 'Cats with 9 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. Senior RB Tyrell Sutton returns after missing four games with an injured left wrist. He has 3,772 career rushing yards and 4,995 all-purpose yards. If he gets 24 rushing yards, he'll pass Darnell Autry for No. 2 on NU's all-time list. If he gains 277 all-purpose yards, he'll pass Damien Anderson for NU's all-time record. Missouri QB Chase Daniel owns 13,257 total yards and 99 touchdown passes in his illustrious career. He needs just 226 total yards to pass N.C. State's Philip Rivers for sixth on the NCAA's all-time list. Senior All-American TE Chase Coffman has 240 career catches, while junior wide receiver-kick returner Jeremy Maclin, the nation's leader in all-purpose yards, has scored 31 touchdowns in 27 career games. Senior LB Sean Weatherspoon ranks No. 7 nationally in tackles. Skinny: Northwestern guns for its first bowl victory in 60 years with all of its weapons available. The Wildcats don't have as many as the Tigers, who boast the nation's No. 6 offense, but that's not the point to NU. The Wildcats hope to control the game's tempo with long drives built on pin-point short passes by senior QB C.J. Bacher (7,015 career passing yards). Conversely, they need to figure out ways to keep the Tigers' own no-huddle spread from blazing down the field in no time. Northwestern, which led the Big Ten in sacks, will be tempted to try to blitz Chase Daniel into submission, but that strategy hasn't worked for anyone else. For one, the Tigers have allowed just 15 sacks all year. For another, Daniel is too quick on the trigger and too proficient a scrambler to be blitzed.

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