Quick takes from Northwestern's 13-6 win over Miami (Ohio)
EVANSTON, Ill. - It wasn't perfect. It wasn't always pretty. Northwestern football held off MAC title pick Miami (Ohio) 13-6 in the first game at Northwestern Medicine Field.
Here are 10 quick takes on Northwestern's win over Miami (Ohio).
The defense starred
In a game where the coaching staff was going up against an experienced offense with a sixth-year quarterback at the helm, the Wildcats defense needed to hold the fort while the offense put it all together.
They did that, and more. Holding the Redhawks to three points heading into the fourth, the defense put itself in a position to win the game. Evan Smith intercepted a tipped pass to help the offense.
The key stat of the game: just 40 rushing yards for Miami.
Today's star: Robert Fitzerald
The redshirt-sophomore defensive back had the interception on Brett Gabbert to all but seal the win.
It was a great play that undercut the receiver to make a play that won the game.
Mike Wright, an experienced QB, needs to be better
Two fumbles for the transfer quarterback out of Mississippi State were killers. Especially a fumble on a quarterback sneak at the one-yard line.
That can't happen against Washington, Michigan, Ohio State or Iowa.
That said, Wright's ability can't be denied.
Even with his two fumbles, Wright drove NU for its first score. He had a scramble play where he evaded the defense and hit an open tight end Thomas Gordon for a 22-yard game.
He then scrambled in for the first touchdown of the season.
Cam Porter's running is a great compliment
If Wright is a shifty, elusive player, Porter is the bowling ball the offense needs.
There comes a time where a team needs to keep going at the defensive line, and the 213-pound Porter is the right choice for that. He was averaging five yards per carry in the fourth quarter, too.
Porter finished with 63 yards on 13 carries.
Zach Lujan adjusted well
After the first half, Northwestern's offense seemed a little bit directionless. The concept-laden offense Lujan employs lacked a bit of a spark.
He came back and found that spark in the third quarter behind plenty of AJ Henning and scramble plays that allowed Wright to create on the fly – something that Wright does well.
Lujan trusted his quarterback and his playmakers, and it paid off.
The offense, overall, needs to be better
Execution with a new quarterback and offensive line was shaky, and that's to be expected. That needs to improve before next Friday's game against Duke.
The first half felt slow, even by Week 1 standards. The offense developed plays at a snail's pace, which hampered how the Wildcats moved the ball down the field.
NU, which has historically struggled against the Blue Devils, needs that win. Winning the first three games of the season would go a long way to earning bowl eligibility.
That can't happen with the offense starting slow and struggling to gain yardage when it needs to. Northwestern gets away with that against Miami (Ohio), not the Big Ten.
Something to monitor: Coco Azema
Azema had a 30-yard kick return in the fourth quarter. He got up favoring one of his legs and was not on the field for the most important series of the game in the fourth quarter.
Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium: Fun!
A college football game with a lake view was a spectacle the college football world enjoyed. Plenty of pundits across the nation lauded the views.
It was easy to get to, and was fun to see fill. The announced attendance of 12,023 was a sell out. It bodes well for the rest of the season.
The attendance by boat was also fun to watch during the game.
A win is a win
Miami (Ohio) was picked to win the MAC. This wasn't going to be an easy win like other Big Ten programs had Saturday, but it was one NU needed nonetheless.