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Game 12 vs. Illinois < < < 51 TRADITIONS HISTORICAL BEGINNINGS On November 11, 1882, a group of Northwestern men played a "football heat" against a group of Lake Forest men, and thus, Northwestern Football was born. Northwestern's first intercollegiate games were played in a series against Lake Forest and resulted in a victory for Lake Forest by a score of one goal, two touchdowns, and two safeties to nothing for NU. In the return game at Evanston, NU won by a score of one goal and one touchdown, against two safeties for Lake Forest. Since that day, thousands of young men have come to the Evanston campus and worn the Purple and White for the Wildcats. THE WILDCATS NICKNAME "...football players had not come down from Evanston; Wildcats would be a name better suited to (Coach) Thistlewaite's boys... Stagg's boys, his pride, his 11 that had tied Illinois a week ago, were unable to score for 57 minutes. Once they had the ball on the 9-yard line and had been stopped dead by a Purple wall of Wildcats." These lines were written by Wallace Abbey in the Chicago Tribune following the memorable Northwestern-Chicago game in 1924 that heralded a new era in Northwestern Football. From that day on, all Northwestern athletic teams have borne the nickname of "Wildcats." Following the Chicago contest, which NU lost 3-0 on a last- minute field goal by Bob Curley, Northwestern met the famed "Four Horsemen" of Notre Dame and battled the Fighting Irish to a standstill before bowing 13-6. Northwestern's points were scored on two drop kicks by All- American Ralph "Moon" Baker. After that, there could be no question of the appropriate nature of the new nickname. Years later, Major General Robert H. Wienecke, captain of the Northwestern 1924 squad, recalled: "We were just an average team which developed a spirit that carried us to superb heights against Chicago and Notre Dame. I feel that reputation gained by the team in those two final games of the 1924 season launched a momentum that was able to lead to the Big Ten Championship two years later." RIVALRIES Northwestern has been part of many intense rivalries through the years with one of the earliest and strongest against the University of Chicago when that institution was still part of the Big Ten. The Purple and the Maroon met 37 times between 1892 and 1926. The Wildcats still meet many of the opponents first played in the 1890's, with downstate foe Illinois as the most natural rival. THE ROCK The Rock is one of Northwestern's best-known landmarks, a huge chunk of stone set in a plaza in the middle of campus. Paining the Rock with colorful (in both senses of the word) slogans is perhaps Northwestern's best-known tradition. But even before the first permanent coat of pigment was slapped on in 1957, the campus landmark was more than a lopsided block of stone. The purple- and-white quartzite boulder dates from hundreds of millions of years ago and was transplanted from Devil's Lake, Wisconsin as a gift to the class of 1902. Now, students must "guard" the Rock for 24 hours before they have the privilege of painting it. Almost every night a different group paints a message or symbols promotion a particular cause or event. WALK WITH US On June 29, 2006, college football lost one of its greatest ambassadors. Former Northwestern coach Randy Walker died that evening, his life ending much too early at the age of 52. A tremendous football coach, but an even greater man, Coach Walk touched the lives of so many people, including hundreds of football players who mentored throughout his 30-year career. Northwestern has remembered Walker in many ways, including the "Walk for Randy" 5K walk for the first time in 2012, the "Run for Walk" 4.1-mile road race through Evanston. Additionally, two- and-a-half hours before kickoff, the band, cheerleaders and fans participate in the Walk with Us, greeting the team on Walker Way as they get off the bus and head to the locker room. PURPLE CLOCK TOWER Victories by the football team are celebrated by lighting the face of the clock tower on south campus in Northwestern purple. LAND OF LINCOLN TROPHY The intra-state rivalry between Northwestern and Illinois has traditionally been one of the most spirited events in the Big Ten. From 1945-2008, the victory claimed the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy. In 2008, the Sweet Sioux was retired and the two schools now play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Northwestern emerged victorious in the inaugural showdown with a 21-16 win on Nov. 14, 2009 in Champaign and has has claimed each of the last three meetings, including a 42-7 victory at in Champaign last season