Pat Fitzgerald is making even more history with his alma mater.
The former Northwestern linebacker and current coach continues to add to his impressive list of accomplishments with the program, once again putting his mark on the record book by playing a prominent role in a 10-win season.
The Wildcats only have four of them in the history of the school, but Fitzgerald has been a part of three of them as either a player or coach after dispatching Illinois, 24-14, on Saturday at Soldier Field.
After a rough couple years, Northwestern bounced back in a major way this season thanks to a hard-nosed defense, a steady rushing attack and Fitzgerald’s no-nonsense leadership. And after capping the regular season with a rivalry win, the Wildcats will have a chance to put another line on Fitzgerald’s resume in what figures to be an upper-level bowl game.
What the win means for Northwestern: For just the fourth time in school history, the Wildcats will finish the season with a double-digit win total. Fitzgerald’s program will now have a chance to add an 11th victory in one of the Big Ten’s top bowl destinations, as it moved up in the pecking order by dispatching rival Illinois in a hard-hitting affair. Northwestern has flown somewhat under the radar thanks in part to the depth in the league, but with its dominant defense, it earned a spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and in the conversation among the conference’s top teams.
What the loss means for Illinois: The school sent a message before kickoff that the result wouldn’t make any difference in its decision-making process regarding the future of the coaching staff, and that might have been a good thing for interim coach Bill Cubit. The Illini were plagued by familiar problems that have been an issue all season, dropping easy passes, committing mindless penalties, and failing to capitalize after taking an early lead as they fell short of the six-win mark that would have ensured a postseason appearance.
Player of the game: The Wildcats put the ball in the hands of their best player and basically left it there, continually feeding running back Justin Jackson and letting him grind up both the Illini and the clock. The sophomore didn’t seem burdened by the heavy workload at all, racking up 172 yards and punching in a touchdown on his 37 carries, as the Wildcats turned to him over and over to move the chains with their passing attack struggling against Illinois' improved defense.
How the game was won: The Wildcats basically just tried to avoid shooting themselves in the foot on both sides of the ball, largely just biding time waiting for Illinois to commit costly blunders. There might not have been anything flashy about that approach, but with the Illini drawing flags, missing chip-shot field goals, and struggling mightily to just catch the football, Northwestern didn’t have to do anything special to claim a rivalry victory. The Wildcats did have a clear edge with their ferocious defense once again delivering a standout performance, but the mistakes by the Illini were glaring and won’t inspire much confidence heading into the offseason.