From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American college football season
The 2008 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented
Northwestern University in the
Big Ten Conference during the
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
Pat Fitzgerald, in his third season at Northwestern, was the team's head coach. The Wildcats played their homes games at
Ryan Field in
Evanston, Illinois.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
---|
August 30 | 11:00 am
[2] |
Syracuse* | | |
ESPN2
[2] | W 30–10 | 20,015 | |
September 6 | 6:00 pm
[3] | at
Duke* | | | | W 24–20 | 23,614 | |
September 13 | 11:00 am
[2] |
Southern Illinois* | | |
BTN
[2] | W 33–7 | 19,062 |
[4] |
September 20 | 11:00 am
[2] |
Ohio* | | | BTN
[2] | W 16–8 | 22,069 | |
September 27 | 11:00 am
[5] | at
Iowa | | |
ESPNC
[6] | W 22–17 | 70,585 | |
October 11 | 2:30 pm
[6] | No. 23
Michigan State | | | ESPN2
[6] | L 20–37 | 32,527 | |
October 18 | 11:00 am
[5] |
Purdue | | | ESPN2
[5] | W 48–26 | 27,163 | |
October 25 | 11:00 am
[5] | at
Indiana | | | BTN
[5] | L 19–21 | 30,698 | |
November 1 | 11:00 am
[5] | at No. 20
Minnesota | | | ESPN2
[6] | W 24–17 | 54,122 | |
November 8 | 11:00 am
[6] | No. 12
Ohio State | | | ESPN2
[6] | L 10–45 | 47,130 | |
November 15 | 11:00 am
[6] | at
Michigan | | | ESPN2 | W 21–14 | 107,856 | |
November 22 | 2:30 pm
[6] |
Illinois | | | BTN | W 27–10 | 32,166 | |
December 29 | 7:00 pm | vs. No. 25
Missouri | No. 22 | | ESPN | L 23–30 OT | 55,986 | |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from
AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in
Central time
|
[7]
Game summaries
Syracuse
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Orange
|
3
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
10 |
Wildcats
|
0
|
9
|
14
|
7 |
30 |
Duke
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Wildcats
|
7
|
10
|
0
|
7 |
24 |
Blue Devils
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
7 |
20 |
Southern Illinois
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Salukis
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
7 |
Wildcats
|
6
|
10
|
10
|
7 |
33 |
Ohio
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Bobcats
|
0
|
0
|
8
|
0 |
8 |
Wildcats
|
6
|
10
|
0
|
0 |
16 |
Iowa
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Wildcats
|
0
|
10
|
6
|
6 |
22 |
Hawkeyes
|
3
|
14
|
0
|
0 |
17 |
Michigan State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Spartans
|
17
|
7
|
10
|
3 |
37 |
Wildcats
|
0
|
7
|
10
|
3 |
20 |
Purdue
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Boilermakers
|
6
|
6
|
0
|
14 |
26 |
Wildcats
|
0
|
24
|
10
|
14 |
48 |
Indiana
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Wildcats
|
3
|
6
|
10
|
0 |
19 |
Hoosiers
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
0 |
21 |
Minnesota
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Wildcats
|
10
|
7
|
0
|
7 |
24 |
Golden Gophers
|
0
|
17
|
0
|
0 |
17 |
Ohio State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Buckeyes
|
7
|
17
|
7
|
14 |
45 |
Wildcats
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
0 |
10 |
Michigan
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Wildcats
|
7
|
0
|
14
|
0 |
21 |
Wolverines
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
0 |
14 |
Illinois
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Fighting Illini
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
3 |
10 |
Wildcats
|
6
|
7
|
3
|
11 |
27 |
Alamo Bowl, v. Missouri
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 | OT |
Total |
Tigers
|
0
|
10
|
10
|
3 | 7 |
30 |
Wildcats
|
7
|
3
|
13
|
0 | 0 |
23 |
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes | Week |
---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
---|
AP | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 24 | 22 | RV |
---|
Coaches | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | 22 | RV | 24 | RV | 25 | RV | 24 | 20 | 22 | 20 | RV |
---|
Harris | Not released | 23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 22 | 21 | Not released |
---|
BCS | Not released | 22 | — | 24 | — | — | 24 | 22 | 23 | Not released |
---|
Statistics
Team
|
Team |
Opp
|
Scoring |
|
|
Points per Game |
|
|
First Downs |
|
|
Rushing |
|
|
Passing |
|
|
Penalty |
|
|
Total Offense |
|
|
Avg per Play |
|
|
Avg per Game |
|
|
Fumbles-Lost |
|
|
Penalties-Yards |
|
|
Avg per Game |
|
|
|
|
Team |
Opp
|
Punts-Yards |
|
|
Avg per Punt |
|
|
Time of Possession/Game |
|
|
3rd Down Conversions |
|
|
4th Down Conversions |
|
|
Touchdowns Scored |
|
|
Field Goals-Attempts-Long |
|
|
PAT-Attempts |
|
|
Attendance |
|
|
Games/Avg per Game |
|
|
|
Scores by quarter
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Northwestern
|
52
|
100
|
80
|
62 |
294 |
Opponents
|
64
|
78
|
49
|
41 |
232 |
|
Offense
Rushing
Name |
GP-GS |
Att |
Gain |
Loss |
Net |
Avg |
TD |
Long |
Avg/G
|
|
|
|
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TEAM |
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opponents |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Passing
Name |
CMP |
ATT |
YDS |
CMP% |
YPA |
LNG |
TD |
INT |
SACK |
RAT
|
C. J. Bachér |
218 |
365 |
2128 |
59.7 |
5.83 |
53 |
14 |
14 |
9 |
113.68
|
Mike Kafka |
32 |
46 |
330 |
69.6 |
7.17 |
36 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
131.13
|
Eric Peterman |
2 |
2 |
55 |
100.0 |
27.50 |
30 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
496.0
|
Total |
252 |
413 |
2513 |
61.0 |
6.08 |
53 |
17 |
17 |
15 |
116.9
|
Opponents |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receiving
Name |
GP-GS |
No. |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Long |
Avg/G
|
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Total |
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Opponents |
|
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|
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|
|
Defense
Name
|
GP
|
Tackles
|
Sacks
|
Pass Defense
|
Interceptions
|
Fumbles
|
Blkd Kick
|
Solo |
Ast |
Total |
TFL-Yds |
No-Yds |
BrUp |
QBH |
No.-Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Long |
Rcv-Yds |
FF
|
Total |
|
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|
Special teams
Name
|
Punting
|
Kickoffs
|
No. |
Yds |
Avg |
Long |
TB |
FC |
I20 |
Blkd
|
No. |
Yds |
Avg |
TB |
OB
|
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Total |
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|
|
Name
|
Punt Returns
|
Kick Returns
|
No. |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Long |
No. |
Yds |
Avg |
TD |
Long
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
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|
References
-
^
"Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). 2018. p. 93.
Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Kickoff Times Announced For NU's First Three Home Games". Northwestern University Department of Athletics. July 2, 2008. Archived from
the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
-
^
"Kickoff Times Set For Duke's First Three Football Games". Duke University Department of Athletics. June 3, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
-
^ Ryan, Shannon (September 14, 2008).
"Wildcats keep a firm grip".
Chicago Tribune. p. 3:4. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via
Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Big Ten Announces Start Times for 2008 Homecoming Games". Northwestern University Department of Athletics. May 12, 2008. Archived from
the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
"Northwestern Official Athletics Site". Northwestern University Department of Athletics. September 29, 2008. Archived from
the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
-
^
"Cumulative Season Statistics". Northwestern University Department of athletics. Archived from
the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
|
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---|
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---|