2008 Northwestern Wildcats football team

2008 Northwestern Wildcats football
Alamo Bowl, L 23–30 OT vs. Missouri
Conference Big Ten Conference
2008 record 9–4 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald (3rd as HC) (7th overall season)
Offensive coordinator Mick McCall (1st season)
Offensive scheme Spread
Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz (1st season)
Home stadium Ryan Field (Capacity: 47,130)
2008 Big Ten football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 8 Penn State $+  7 –1     11 –2  
No. 9 Ohio State %+  7 –1     10 –3  
No. 24 Michigan State  6 –2     9 –4  
Northwestern  5 –3     9 –4  
No. 20 Iowa  5 –3     9 –4  
Wisconsin  3 –5     7 –6  
Minnesota  3 –5     7 –6  
Illinois  3 –5     5 –7  
Purdue  2 –6     4 –8  
Michigan  2 –6     3 –9  
Indiana  1 –7     3 –9  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Pat Fitzgerald, in his third season at Northwestern, was the team's head coach. The Wildcats played their homes games at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois.

Previous season

The 2007 team finished the season with a win-loss record of 6–6 and did not receive a bowl invitation.

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
August 30 11:00 AM[1] Syracuse* Ryan Field • Evanston, IL ESPN2[1] W 30–10   20,015[2]
September 6 6:00 PM[3] at Duke* Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, NC W 24–20   23,614[2]
September 13 11:00 AM[1] Southern Illinois* Ryan Field • Evanston, IL BTN[1] W 33–7   19,062[2]
September 20 11:00 AM[1] Ohio* Ryan Field • Evanston, IL BTN[1] W 16–8   22,069[2]
September 27 11:00 AM[4] at Iowa Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA ESPNC[5] W 22–17   70,585[2]
October 11 2:30 PM[5] No. 23 Michigan State Ryan Field • Evanston, IL ESPN2[5] L 20–37   32,527[2]
October 18 11:00 AM[4] Purduedagger Ryan Field • Evanston, IL ESPN2[4] W 48–26   27,163[2]
October 25 11:00 AM[4] at Indiana Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN BTN[4] L 19–21   30,698[2]
November 1 11:00 AM[4] at No. 20 Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, MN ESPN2[5] W 24–17   54,122[2]
November 8 11:00 AM[5] No. 12 Ohio State Ryan Field • Evanston, IL ESPN2[5] L 10–45   47,130[2]
November 15 11:00 AM[5] at Michigan Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI ESPN2 W 21–14   107,856[2]
November 22 2:30 PM[5] Illinois Ryan Field • Evanston, IL (Sweet Sioux Tomahawk) BTN W 27–10   32,166[2]
December 29 7:00 PM vs. No. 25 Missouri No. 22 Alamodome • San Antonio, TX (Alamo Bowl) ESPN L 23–30 OT  55,986[2]
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Central Time.

Game summaries

Syracuse

1 2 3 4 Total
Orange 3 0 7 0 10
Wildcats 0 9 14 7 30

Duke

1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 7 10 0 7 24
Blue Devils 7 3 3 7 20

Southern Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total
Salukis 7 0 0 0 7
Wildcats 6 10 10 7 33

Ohio

1 2 3 4 Total
Bobcats 0 0 8 0 8
Wildcats 6 10 0 0 16

Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 0 10 6 6 22
Hawkeyes 3 14 0 0 17

Michigan State

1 2 3 4 Total
Spartans 17 7 10 3 37
Wildcats 0 7 10 3 20

Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total
Boilermakers 6 6 0 14 26
Wildcats 0 24 10 14 48

Indiana

1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 3 6 10 0 19
Hoosiers 7 7 7 0 21

Minnesota

1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 10 7 0 7 24
Golden Gophers 0 17 0 0 17

Ohio State

1 2 3 4 Total
Buckeyes 7 17 7 14 45
Wildcats 7 0 3 0 10

Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 7 0 14 0 21
Wolverines 7 7 0 0 14

Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 0 0 7 3 10
Wildcats 6 7 3 11 27

Alamo Bowl, v. Missouri

1 2 3 4OT Total
Tigers 0 10 10 37 30
Wildcats 7 3 13 00 23

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Final 
AP NR NR NR RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 24 24 22 RV 
Coaches' NR NR RV RV RV RV 22 RV 24 RV 25 RV 24 20 22 20 RV 
Harris Not released 23 RV RV RV RV RV RV 24 22 21 Not released 
BCS Not released 22 NR 24 NR NR 24 22 23 Not released

Statistics

Team

TeamOpp
Scoring  
  Points per Game  
First Downs  
  Rushing  
  Passing  
  Penalty  
Total Offense  
  Avg per Play  
  Avg per Game  
Fumbles-Lost  
Penalties-Yards  
  Avg per Game  
TeamOpp
Punts-Yards  
  Avg per Punt  
Time of Possession/Game  
3rd Down Conversions  
4th Down Conversions  
Touchdowns Scored  
Field Goals-Attempts-Long  
PAT-Attempts  
Attendance  
  Games/Avg per Game  

Scores by quarter

1 2 3 4 Total
Northwestern 52 100 80 62 294
Opponents 64 78 49 41 232

Offense

Rushing

NameGP-GSAttGainLossNetAvgTDLongAvg/G
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
TEAM         
Total         
Opponents         

Passing

NameCMPATTYDSCMP%YPALNGTDINTSACKRAT
C. J. Bachér218365212859.75.835314149113.68
Mike Kafka324633069.67.1736236131.13
Eric Peterman2255100.027.5030100496.0
Total252413251361.06.0853171715116.9
Opponents         

Receiving

NameGP-GSNo.YdsAvgTDLongAvg/G
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
Total         
Opponents         

Defense

Name GP Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Interceptions Fumbles Blkd
Kick
SoloAstTotalTFL-YdsNo-YdsBrUpQBHNo.-YdsAvgTDLongRcv-YdsFF
Total

Special teams

Name Punting Kickoffs
No.YdsAvgLongTBFCI20Blkd No.YdsAvgTBOB
Total
Name Punt Returns Kick Returns
No.YdsAvgTDLongNo.YdsAvgTDLong
Total

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Kickoff Times Announced For NU's First Three Home Games". Northwestern University Department of Athletics. July 2, 2008. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Cumulative Season Statistics". Northwestern University Department of athletics. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Kickoff Times Set For Duke's First Three Football Games". Duke University Department of Athletics. June 3, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Big Ten Announces Start Times for 2008 Homecoming Games". Northwestern University Department of Athletics. May 12, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Northwestern Official Athletics Site". Northwestern University Department of Athletics. September 29, 2008. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
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