Northwestern Football: Do Wildcats have firepower to compete again in 2019?
Northwestern football won its first Big Ten West title in 2018, but do the Wildcats have the firepower to repeat in 2019?
Pat Fitzgerald did the unthinkable in 2018.
Northwestern was always considered a decent, but not great, program with a chance to win 7-8 games on a regular basis with the right coaching, but he led the Wildcats to an 8-4 regular season, winning the Big Ten West.
No one expected Northwestern to top Wisconsin or Iowa in the West, but that’s what happens with top-tier coaching.
Fitzgerald took a team with a running back who retired the previous offseason and Clayton Thorson at quarterback to the Big Ten title game, losing to Ohio State by three touchdowns. The offense was actually a disaster for most of the season, ranking No. 100 in scoring and 108th in total yards per game.
Defensively, the Wildcats were 41st nationally in scoring and 64th in total yards allowed. This wasn’t exactly something that screamed “division champs” but they found a way to win close games against teams like Michigan State, Nebraska and Iowa while beating Wisconsin by two scores.
But does Northwestern have what it takes to repeat as the Big Ten West champ with improved teams like Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and even Purdue? Heck, both Minnesota and Illinois will be better, too.
The offense may actually be better in 2019 with Hunter Johnson at quarterback. Thorson was no slouch, but Johnson is a former five-star quarterback who was expected to be the next star at Clemson before losing out in a battle with Kelly Bryant who eventually lost his job to Trevor Lawrence.
This kid has what it takes to be a star in the Big Ten.
Johnson, along with Isaiah Bowser, John Moten IV and Ben Skowronek, should have an improved offense, but will it be enough to top the contenders in the West? It’s hard to say.
What about the defense? The secondary is the main question mark after ranking 109th nationally last year, but it can’t get much worse. One starter returns in junior JR Pace while the rest will be unproven contributors, potentially with more to offer. The front-seven, however, will be the strength of this unit.
Next. Top 30 skill position players for 2019 season. dark
Northwestern can definitely repeat, but it’s going to be a much tougher task than it was in 2018. They won’t be able to win the division unless they have one, maybe two, conference losses max. But the early-season schedule is brutal. Do they have the pieces? Yes, but the schedule may cause the problems.