The Northwestern Wildcats have gotten often to a gritty start after defeating the Miami (OH) Redhawks, 13-6, to kick off the 2024 season.
The Wildcats had a strong team a season ago, winning eight games and even defeating a wounded Utah Utes squad in their bowl game. Northwestern kicked off their season in the temporary field by showcasing their pro-style offense with a new quarterback. While the Wildcats may have gotten the win, it was certainly not the most prettiest of wins they could have gotten.
Northwestern Wildcats Defeat Miami (OH) Redhawks, 13-6, Despite Fumbles
The Northwestern football team kicked off their 2024 season against the Miami (OH) Redhawks, a team who the Wildcats had been looking for revenge against. The Wildcats went 1-11 two seasons ago and lost four games by just one score, including a match against the Redhawks. The Redhawks hit a last-minuted field goal to walk away with the 17-14 win.
Since then, Northwestern has undergone some pretty serious changes and despite a bit of luck, displayed a tough football team on the field last season. The Wildcats hope to replicate their success from a season ago, but the team did not get off to the greatest start against the Redhawks. Particularly, the offense truly struggled to stay on the same page all game.
Transfer quarterback Mike Wright spent time in the Southeastern Conference before coming up north to play. In his first start, Wright fumbled and lost the football twice during big drives for the Wildcats offense. Northwestern cannot afford to turn the ball over like that against the stronger, more formidable teams they play later in the season.
Wright also struggled through the air, completing 18 passes for 178-yards with a quarterback rating of 30.8. Wright missed open receivers and made bad reads against the Redhawks, which is a potentially startling sign of what is to come for the quarterback. Northwestern find success at the position last season is Brendan Sullivan, who later transferred to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
What Went Wrong For the Northwestern Football Team Against the Redhawks?
For the Northwestern football team, there was plenty that did not go right against the Redhawks and it was all on the offensive side of the ball. The issues starting along the line, as Northwestern struggled to both hold their blocks and get big pushes against the defensive line. If the line is going to struggle against a tough MAC team, it could be a long year in the Big Ten Conference for the Wildcats.
The next issue for the offense was quarterback Mike Wright, who was truly his own worst enemy against the Redhawks. Wright had plenty of success on the ground, recording a team-high 65-yards and one touchdown, but not as much success in the air. Along with this, Wright also lost two fumbles, which caused the Wildcats staff to stop running the ball with Wright.
The Northwestern football team has all the tools to become a tough team to beat, but it will all revolve around the play of Wright. Wright showed plenty of potential, and the quarterback also showed an ability to run both scrambles and designed runs. The problem is that the quarterback needs to be safer with the football, and while he did not throw an interception there were plenty of close calls.
The Northwestern football team is going to have to go back to the drawing board to figure out a way to ignite the offense. Running back Cam Porter was a force for the team last season but could not get anything going against the Redhawks. The Northwestern football staff is going to have to find a way to get Porter involved to truly open up the offense.
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