EVANSTON—The Northwestern Wildcats ran the table in their four Non-Big Ten games with a 30-25 win over Central Michigan. They overcame a decent MAC team and an awful officiating outfit.Northwestern received the opening kickoff and found out quickly that even though they were at home,the Big Ten Conference crew working this game gave Central Michigan some quick protection.This crew was simply awful all afternoon.The Wildcats(4-0) were called for a very questionable ‘block in the back’ penalty on the opening kickoff which caused them to start at their own 11. Then there was a ’12 men in the huddle call’ that caused a first and 15,followed by a ‘false start’. Eventually,the Cats faced a third and one and Arby Fields was stuffed for no gain and the Cats had to punt. Brandon Williams ‘rugby punted’ for only 32 yards to the CMU 33. The Chippewas(2-2) were helped out by two face mask penalties and got the ball to the NU 27, but Ryan Radcliff’s pass was tipped and intercepted by David Nwabuisi and returned 3 yards to the NU 21.A would be touchdown run by Persa was called back due to a holding penalty on Demetrius Fields.The Wildcats did regroup and Persa hit Jeremy Ebert in stride for a 24 yard TD,but Stefan Demos’s PAT attempt was blocked leaving the score 6-0 NU with 4:53 left in the first quarter. CMU then went 74 yards in just five plays with Radcliff lateraling the ball to Cody Wilson who took it 31 yards for the game tying TD as David Harman’s kick was also blocked. The first quarter ended 6-6.
Persa hit Fields for 21 yards to the one. Jacob Schmidt then crashed over and this time Demos’s kick was good to make it 13-6 NU with 7:23 left in the half.On CMU’s next possession, Radcliff hit Paris Cotton who fumbled thanks to a Quentin Davie hit,and NU’s Corbin Bryant recovered at the C.Michigan 25.Persa however threw an interception right to Nick Bellore who returned it out to the CMU 12.The Chippewas took advantage and used some deceptive plays to move 88 yards and hit Carl Volny at the 10 and he escaped two tacklers and finished a 16 yard TD play to tie the game 13-all with 1:15 left. Persa did get his team deep enough for a 44 yard field goal with one second left by Demos,but after a high snap,the kick ended up wide right keeping the game deadlocked at halftime.
The Wildcats held CMU to a three and out to start the third quarter and got all the way to the Chippewas ten before the struggling running game failed. Demos connected on a 27 yard field goal with 9:20 to go in the period.On the first play after the kickoff,Radcliff threw the ball right to NU’s Quentin Williams at the CMU 25.Persa then found a wide open Ebert up the middle for a touchdown on the first play after the turnover. The Cats adventurous place kicking team got the job done-barely. Another poor snap was handled and placed down by Brandon Williams and Demos send a dying quail barely through the uprights to give the Wildcats their biggest lead at 23-13.Central Michigan was forced to punt twice,sandwiched between one by NU, and the Cats took over at the CMU 47.As the fourth quarter started,it took NU five plays to convert with Schmidt taking a ‘triple option’ pitch from Persa and rolling around left end and breaking the plain of the goal line above the pile on(the goofs in stripes first called him down at the one,but it got reversed for seemingly the umpteenth time)for a 13 yard TD which upped the Cats lead to 30-13.Central got their first points of the second half as Volny scored his second TD of the game from two yards out.For the second time in the game,the Wildcats blocked Harmon’s PAT try.CMU dod get a last minute TD,but missed their two point try.
NOTES—NU plays it’s first Big Ten game next Saturday at Minnesota….The Wildcats are 4-0 for the second time since 1962.
LES