The Wolverine Now

Fitzgerald joked, before lauding Mark. "He was an impact player for us more in the kicking game, one of the most dynamic kick and punt returners in the country, and was ter- rific as a gunner on the punt team and on the kickoff team. "He has a bright future. He's not 6-3, 220 pounds as a tailback. He's fearless and tough, and with him and Kain in the backfield we have as dangerous a one-two punch as maybe there is in the country." At 3-2 in conference play, with three games remaining, Northwest- ern needs some help to finish atop the Legends Division standings. The Wildcats need to win out and see Nebraska lose two more contests. NU fans will likely lament those two blown leads if they fall one game shy of competing for the Big Ten championship, but Fitzgerald is fo- cused on the positives for his team in 2012. "We've put ourselves in position for a special year, and now we just have to go out and take it if we want it," he said. "We've worked dili- gently since last January. We wish we were a little bit higher up, no question about that, but there haven't been many teams in our program's history that went into November with a chance to win a champion- ship." ❑ TheWolverine. com Radio On Demand: Talking Northwestern Click this icon to play or stop the podcast! SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN'S OFFENSE tailback Venric Mark gashing defenses this season, Northwestern fea- tures one of the Big Ten's best rush offenses and one of the top quarter- back-running back tandems in the country. The two have combined for 188.8 yards per game on the ground, listing second in the conference behind only Ohio State's Braxton Miller and Carlos Hyde (208.7 rushing yards per contest). Though it doesn't receive much credit, NU's experi- enced offensive line, which features three seniors, has been strong at the point of attack, creating consistent holes. Offensive Weakness — The Wildcats have averaged only 103.0 yards Offensive Strength — With junior quarterback Kain Colter and junior placed at receiver each of his first two seasons, Mark still made an impression returning punts and kicks, averaging 14.3 yards on punt returns and 24.0 yards on kickoff returns in 2010-11. This fall, he made the move to tailback, and the impact has been significant. Mark is the first Wildcat since Tyrell Sutton in 2006 to hit the 1,000-yard mark (1,072 yards), and he is tied with Ohio State's Braxton Miller for 100- yard games (six) among Big Ten runners. He also leads the league in all-purpose yards with 183.6 per game, and has scored touchdowns on the ground (nine), at receiver (one) and returning punts (two). Player To Watch — Senior wide receiver Demetrius through the air the past four contests, completing 55 of 100 attempts (55.0 percent) with three touchdowns and an interception for a pass efficiency rating of 97.51. Northwest- ern has made the decision to veer away from the pass, but its struggles earlier in the year under center, and for Wildcat receivers to create separation, forced that move. Player To Watch — Junior tailback Venric Mark: Mis- SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN'S DEFENSE against the run, ranking 84th nationally in allowing 185.7 yards per game. With five juniors or seniors among its front seven starters, NU has improved dramatically, yielding only 121.3 yards per contest to rank 23rd in the NCAA. The Wildcats have held eight of nine opponents to fewer than 200 yards on the ground. Overall, rivals have averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. Defensive Weakness — Northwestern might get off the hook with Defensive Strength — A year ago, Northwestern struggled mightily this one because its glaring weakness — pass defense — isn't exactly Michigan's strength. Nonetheless, the Wildcats rank 107th in the coun- try, allowing 272.4 yards per game. They were torched by Syracuse (482 yards), Boston College (291 yards), Penn State (282 yards) and Nebraska (342 yards), and considering the abundance of pass attempts against them (373), the Purple and White haven't taken advantage of mistakes, picking off only three throws this year. Player To Watch — Junior de- Junior defensive end Tyler Scott leads the Wildcats, and the Big Ten, in sacks, with seven takedowns in 2012. Fields: The Wildcats rarely feature a game-breaking re- ceiver, but thought in sophomore transfer Kyle Prater — a former five- star recruit — they had finally landed one. However, Fields, and not Prater, has emerged as NU's top target, catching a team-high 26 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown. The 6-0, 210-pounder has seen his op- portunities dwindle the past few weeks, though, with Northwestern committing heavily to the run, making just two grabs since Oct. 13. Key Matchup — Michigan's defense has yielded eight offensive plays of 30 yards or more this season, but only one on the ground — a 40-yard rush by Alabama in the season opener. The Wolverines square off with one of the country's top big-play rushing attacks. Northwestern, on the strength of Mark's seven long rushes, has nine gains this fall of 30 yards or more, ranking 13th nationally in that category. Those big plays have helped catapult the Wildcats this season and will be a point of emphasis for the Maize and Blue defenders. — Michael Spath THE WOLVERINE • PAGE 2 PHOTO BY STEPHEN CARRERA/NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY in position to contend for league Defensive Player of the Year honors. Player To Watch — Sophomore safety Irbaheim Campbell: The 5-11, 205-pounder was a Freshman All-American in 2011 after record- ing a team-high 100 tackles. He had two picks, both coming against Michigan. The Philadelphian has taken a step forward this year, and continues to be a menace, leading the Wildcats in passes broken up with nine while ranking third among NU defenders with 67 stops. Key Matchup — After a two-game lull in which Michigan failed to fensive end Tyler Scott: The 6-4, 265-pounder has exploded in produc- tion this season, already setting career highs in sacks (seven) and tackles for loss (8.5). He leads the Big Ten in quar- terback takedowns despite the lack of a bookend that also puts fear into opposing signal-callers. Scott's effort this season has raised the play of the entire defensive line, and has put him score a touchdown on any of its four trips inside the red zone, the Wolverines were a perfect 3 of 3 against Minnesota. Saturday, they face a Northwestern defense that has permitted just 17 touchdowns in 32 chances (53.1 percent). NU ranks only 56th nationally overall, allowing opponents to convert 81.2 percent of their total red-zone chances, but the Wildcats have forced nine field goals. — Michael Spath

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