Three keys to Northwestern vs. Rutgers
· Yahoo Sports
Coming off a nail-biting win against Michigan State, Northwestern has its eyes set on another Big Ten opponent, Rutgers, this week. A win on Saturday would have Northwestern sitting at 6-1, making it bowl eligible by Week 8 for the first time since 2012.
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The Wildcats will host the Scarlet Knights at the new Ryan Field as 16.5-point favorites, according to DraftKings. Coming into the season, Rutgers and Northwestern were both projected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten. While that has remained true for the Scarlet Knights, the ‘Cats have proved people wrong. Northwestern is currently sixth in the conference and ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll.
Both teams have X-factor players that defenses must account for to keep the game competitive. For the Scarlet Knights, it’s wide receiver KJ Duff, who is sixth in the country in receiving yards and tied for third in receiving touchdowns with nine. For the Wildcats, it’s Aidan Chiles, who has scored a rushing touchdown in every game this season and has yet to throw an interception.
When the ball is kicked off at 11 a.m. CDT, fans will find out whether the Wildcats can keep their No. 24 ranking or Rutgers can pull off the upset. Until then, here are the three keys for the ‘Cats to keep winning:
1. Contain Duff and limit explosive plays
Duff is among the most talented receivers in all of college football. Last week against Maryland, he had nine catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns. He has proved that he can compete against the best secondaries in the Big Ten, as he did against Indiana with a four-catch, 78-yard performance.
The task for Northwestern is to contain him, especially with a secondary that has some questions. The Wildcats’ secondary has been banged up and struggled at times with tackling and giving up big plays. Against Michigan State, Northwestern allowed touchdown passes of 32 and 53 yards.
If the ‘Cats want to win this game, they must keep Duff from being the reason Rutgers pulls the upset.
2. Let Chiles find his rhythm
Chiles has been the center of this Northwestern offense, whether it’s keeping the team under control with little time left in a game or extending plays with his legs to keep the offense on the field.
Chiles is completing 70.5% of his passes this season and has accounted for 16 touchdowns: seven rushing and nine passing. Still, the key to this game is to let him find his rhythm. Northwestern has been able to establish the run at times this season, including the 413-yard rushing performance against Penn State. Doing so will alleviate pressure on Chiles to allow him to operate at his best and keep him out of third-and-long situations. Also, a few quick completions or even one completed deep-shot will go a long way toward helping Chiles settle in and play with the purpose he’s shown this season.
Once Chiles is in his groove, that’s when the ‘Cats win games. Last week against Michigan State, Chiles led Northwestern into field-goal range with no timeouts and under a minute left, setting up the field goal that clinched a three-point win.
3. Lets the fans take over
The Wildcat Wall has proved to be a factor in all of its home games thus far. If Northwestern puts on a good performance against the Scarlet Knights, then the fans will respond with more noise and energy.
With it being Family Weekend, the stadium is sure to be packed with fans from around the country looking to support this new era of Northwestern football. In order for the fans to be hyped up and ready to win at 11 a.m., the team has to play at its best, even against a team it’s favored to beat.
The fans play a crucial role in the gameday experience, so it’s important they come out Saturday morning to root the ‘Cats on.