Photo: S. Schleicher
O-Line: B-
The offensive line gave up only two sacks to a Purdue defense that played exceptionally, considering its poor field position all day. They also held up despite being on the field for 36 minutes. And while the Cats couldn’t muster more than 90 yards on the ground, the O-line did a good enough job to keep drives moving, especially in the second half.
QB: A-
Mike Kafka finally found his legs, huh? The flash NU fans have wanted to see since last year’s Minnesota game showed up again, as Kafka rushed for 39 yards and the winning touchdown. Kafka went turnover-free against the Boilermakers, and passed for 224 yards on 28 of 44 attempts. Even as the Cats seemed unable to punch it in the end zone all game long, Kafka showed poise at the helm, and coolly directed the game-winning drive, plus a 2-point conversion.
WRs: B
The Zeke Markshausen-Wes Welker comparisons will only grow stronger after this past week, as “Freaky Zekey” hauled in another 10 passes, mostly on quick outs or drags. He has solidified himself as Mike Kafka’s safety valve, and has a knack for getting to the chains on critical third-down plays. Seven different receivers caught passes; the only one who probably needed more touches was Demetrius Fields (just one reception). Josh Rooks also failed to get into the end zone on one red zone reception, instead getting stood up at the goal line.
RBs: C
Arby Fields carried the load for the Cats on Saturday, and while he totaled just 43 yards on 18 carries, he seemed to get into a rhythm, and at least made the defense aware of his presence in the game. He banged in a 5-yard TD run, but averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. NU needs to abandon the stretch play, especially with Fields, who has trouble getting to the outside and turning the corner to get upfield. And of course there’s the big mistake: Fields’ fumble on the first play from scrimmage. That just can’t happen.
D-Line: C+
For the most part, Purdue QB Joey Elliott had all kinds of time in the pocket. When pressured, he got the ball away quickly enough to avoid danger. The Cats did come up with three sacks, but only one by a defensive lineman (Adam Hahn). Corey Wootton had just two tackles, and was unable to wreak the havoc we’ve come to expect from him.
LBs: B+
MLB Quentin Davie must have heard all the talk about the poor play of NU’s linebackers, because he was a man on a mission Saturday. Consider Davie’s statistics from the win: nine tackles (seven solo), 1.5 tackles for a loss of seven yards, one forced fumble, one sack, one pass breakup. Not too shabby. David Arnold came off the bench and forced another one of Purdue’s five fumbles, and overall the tackling was much improved from last week.
Secondary: C+
Sherrick McManis. Wow. He’s the definition of a playmaker. If you didn’t watch the game (first of all, you suck), you’re gonna want to go back and watch Sherrick’s pick. Lordy, was that a great play. He jumped the intended receiver’s route, going all the way around him, and snatched the rock out of the air while falling to the ground. Safety Brad Phillips also forced two fumbles, but Brendan Smith and Jordan Mabin continued to struggle with tackling. Smith whiffed on Purdue WR Aaron Valentin, allowing him to prance into the end zone on a 67 yard pass.
Special Teams: A
Last week I asked when we would see the special teams righted, because let’s face it, through four games, the unit was nothing short of atrocious. Saturday the world turned upside down, and suddenly the Cats were near perfect on specials. Stefan Demos was 4-4 on field goals, two of which were from 35+ yards deep. The Boilermakers looked scared on kickoff returns, and were fumbling the ball all over the place, and one Demos punt boinked off a Purdue player’s arm, giving the ball back to NU on the recovery. If the Cats can keep this up, it will go a long way toward the team’s confidence heading forward.
Coaching: B
The Cats went 2-3 on fourth down conversions. Unfortunately, that one failed fourth down came on the goal line, when Jacob Schmidt couldn’t bang it home. Granted, McManis picked off Joey Elliott on the very next play, and a Fields TD made it all better, but had that not happened, the decision to go for it on fourth might have cost the Cats points. One decision doesn’t merit a bad grade, though. Give the coaching staff credit for keeping the players up and fighting even in the face of a 21-3 deficit in the second quarter.
