Going 2-for-14 on third downs probably doesn’t help either.
While trailing 7-0, with 50 seconds left in the first half against Wisconsin, Northwestern made a decision that cost it the game.
With the Badgers starting the second half with the ball, coach David Braun elected to stay aggressive, likely thanks to the two timeouts in his pocket. Even after a false start from Caleb Tiernan sent the Wildcats back to Wisconsin’s 8-yard line, Braun let an offense that had just 54 yards passing at the time fling it downfield on first-and-15. Only issue: Jack Lausch was strip-sacked, setting the Badgers up in prime position to double their lead.
“In hindsight, after the five-yard penalty, I think being self-reflective and honest with myself — probably should have changed our tune and at least handed the ball off after that,” Braun said postgame.
A play later, Wisconsin’s Cade Yacamelli walked into the end zone untouched, putting Wisconsin up 14-0 entering the half.
It’s one thing running the ball twice within your own five-yard line to give your quarterback some room to kneel the football. It’s another to have a brazen disregard for game and clock management.
Wisconsin had one timeout left in the first half. This wasn’t a scenario of the Badgers calling three consecutive timeouts to get the ball back in favorable field possession for a last-ditch effort at tacking on some extra points before halftime. A Northwestern kneel after Tiernan’s penalty would have sent the ‘Cats into the locker room trailing 7-0 — a mere hill to climb compared to the 14-0 deficit that felt like Mount Everest with how the NU offense was playing.
Running the ball from the 1-yard line with 1:04 left in the first half is good game management. After all, you can’t kneel from the 1-yard line. Running the ball from the 3-yard line with 56 seconds left, sure. But after a pre-snap penalty puts you eight yards from your own goal line, it’s time to regroup in the locker room.
“We had a double move called,” Lausch said. “It was a really good look for it, just kind of an unfortunate play. I was literally getting ready to release the ball and they made a nice play up front.”
The ultra-aggressive play call wasn’t the only head-scratching decision that hurt the Wildcats with their offensive struggles.
In the first quarter with zeroes on the scoreboard for both teams, Braun opted to attempt a 51-yard field goal on fourth-and-2 from Wisconsin’s 34-yard line. After getting a punt blocked earlier in the game, Luke Akers’ attempt fell well short, gifting the Badgers good field position on their ensuing touchdown drive.
“After the way that he performed at Maryland, his consistent execution in practice — felt like that’s a range that he can consistently hit from,” Braun said on the decision to kick. “We knew that points were going to be at an absolute premium today.”
Well if points were at an absolute premium, then why did the ‘Cats, with eight and a half minutes left in the first half, opt for another field goal attempt on fourth-and-2 from Wisconsin’s 10-yard line? Making it a 7-3 game seems reasonable, only for the fact that a struggling Northwestern offense needed just two yards to have realistically four more cracks at tying the game.
Wisconsin’s Ben Barten blocked Akers’ kick, keeping the ‘Cats off the scoreboard. You’d have to imagine 364 days a year that goes through the uprights. It doesn’t change that settling for three points doesn’t win ballgames. Does anybody need to be reminded of Northwestern’s 24-5 loss to Washington?
There’s a time and place to be aggressive.
Facing a fourth-and-2 to sustain a drive in plus territory is one of those moments. Having your back on the goal line in a one-score game under a minute before halftime is not. David Braun got both ends wrong.
This offense isn’t good enough right now to be ultra-aggressive. On the other hand, this offense isn’t good enough, meaning it has to be ultra-aggressive.
There’s a reason why Northwestern’s only point-scoring drive came off the back of two fourth-down conversions. The first conversion saw Cam Porter pick up two yards on fourth-and-1 from Northwestern’s 42-yard line, and the other saw Lausch turn on the jets for 29 yards, taking it to Wisconsin’s 5-yard line.
The red zone continues to plague this offense, as a Thomas Gordon penalty forced the ‘Cats to inevitably take three points.
Postgame, Lausch said he felt good. Perhaps a little too good for a quarterback that had just gone 9-for-24 for 82 yards.
“We executed well. We moved the ball really well,” Lausch said. “I think the scoreboard doesn’t really reflect on how we played and obviously we need to get better and that’s all we’re looking forward to do.”
I’ll leave the debate of whether the Wildcats moved the football and executed well for the comment section down below, but Lausch is spot on that the scoreboard didn’t reflect how the Wildcats played.
Losing 23-3 stings, but change a couple of decisions that hurt the ‘Cats and this ballgame is completely different. Yes, this offense isn’t good enough to win football games on its own. It also doesn’t need to be as the Wildcats’ defense kept this game within reach.
However, bad playcalling in moments of immense opportunity needs to be handled better. Especially with the challenging road ahead.