The last time we visited Northwestern, they were struggling to finish off Penn State and lost a tough game at home. Three weeks later, the Wildcats have put together two straight wins including last week’s stunning upset at #10 Nebraska. Funny thing- It always seems like every year, Northwestern loses to someone they have no business losing to (this year, Army) and defeating a team they have no business beating (this year, Nebraska). Now, Rice comes in having to confront these confident Cats.
The original plan was to stay home this weekend and watch games on TV. But, about one hour before kickoff, we decided to drive the 20 minutes north to Evanston and catch the ‘Cats one week after their tremendous victory. Most games at Ryan Field can be attended simply by walking up to the gate minutes before kickoff and purchasing a ticket. I wish there was more fan support for this not to be the case, but until fans realize how great of a team they have on the north shore, I’ll enjoy the ability to make these last moment attendance decisions. An early morning kickoff required a quick strike play to awaken the purple clad fans. QB Dan Persa helped the cause by tossing a 90 yard TD strike to Jeremy Ebert. Three more Persa pass plays for touchdowns allowed Northwestern to put it in cruise control and record a 28-6 victory. One more win and NU will secure bowl eligibility for the fifth straight year. As fans emptied Ryan Field, seagulls swooped in to snack on any popcorn littering the stands (Northwestern had consumed all the rice – ha ha – ok, bad, sorry). A brisk November afternoon gave Wildcat fans much optimism for the post season, while Owl fans just secured their spot at home again for the holidays.
