Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1165179
6 n o r t h w e s t e r n f o o t b a l l • D I G I T A L P R O G R A M • N O R T H W E S T E R N v s . U N L V THE MATCHUP: NORTHWESTERN VS. UNLV Game 2 // Northwestern vs. UNLV // Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 KICKOFF NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS Record 0-1 Rankings n/a Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Record at NU (Yrs.) 96-71 (14th) Home Record 51-37 (.580) Non-Conference 40-20 (.667) vs. UNLV n/a Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz UNLV REBELS Record 1-1 Rankings n/a Head Coach Tony Sanchez Record at UNLV (Yrs.) 17-33 (5th) Away Record 6-18 (.250) Non-Conference 6-12 (.333) vs. Northwestern n/a Offensive Coordinator Garin Justice Defensive Coordinator Tim Skipper Evanston, Ill. 2:30 p.m. Ryan Field BTN wgn 720 statbroadcast.com WELCOME HOME After a disappointing loss to No. 25 Stanford in the season opener, Northwestern returns home to the friendly confines for its 2019 home opener versus UNLV this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Wildcats are 9-4 in home openers under Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. The 'Cats have won four of their last five home openers versus non Power-5 opponents. TOUGH NEWS FOR TJ Fifth-year senior quarterback TJ Green completed 6-of-10 passes for 62 yards and had 10 yards rushing before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury. Green had foot surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. GIMME THAT Junior linebacker Paddy Fisher became the program's all-time leader with his 10th career forced fumble in the Wildcats' opener at Stanford. Fisher is the nation's active lead in both forced fumbles and forced fumbles per game (0.34). Reggie Walker of Kansas State is the next closest with eight forced fumbles. LOCKED IN EARLY Despite being on the field for nearly 40 minutes, the Wildcats gave up just 10 points defensively and 17 points total in the opener at Stanford. The contest marked the seventh opener under Fitzgerald in which the 'Cats held their opponent to 17 points or fewer. BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK The Wildcats have won back-to-back-to-back bowl games for the first time in program history. They are one of just two programs in the Big Ten and 10 nationally who have accomplished the feat. WHILLOCK[ED] IN Junior safety Travis Whillock had a team-high six solo tackles and tied with junior linebacker Chris Bergin for the team lead with 10 total tackles in the season opener. The contest marked Whillock's third career double-digit tackling performance. Whillock has averaged 8.6 tackles per game since entering the Wildcats' starting lineup at Iowa on Nov. 10 of last season. BERGIN BUSTS OUT Junior linebacker Chris Bergin recorded his second career double-digit tackling performance with a team-high 10 stops versus the Cardinal. A former walk on who earned the starting SAM linebacker role this offseason, Bergin had a career-high seven assisted tackles in the contest. His only other 10-plus tackle game cam versus Nebraska on Oct. 13, 2018. FOR THE FIRST TIME Four different Wildcats made their first career start at Stanford, including sophomore quarterback Hunter Johnson, sophomore superback Charlie Mangieri, sophomore offensive lineman Sam Gerak and sophomore defensive tackle Trevor Kent. The Wildcats only had four student-athletes make their collegiate debut in the game, including true first year kicker Trey Finison, redshirt first year offensive lineman Charlie Schmidt, sophomore wide receiver Will Lansbury and sophomore superback Alex Oelsner. BLOCKED Redshirt sophomore Trevor Kent blocked a field goal in week one, marking the first blocked field goal by the Wildcats since Nick VanHoose did so against Michigan on Nov. 8, 2014. LET'S GO, BENNY SKOW Senior wide receiver Bennett Skowronek hauled in a team-high five passes for 53 yards in the opener, marking his sixth career game with at least five catches and his first since he had six in a win over Nebraska last season. Skowronek finished second on the team with 562 receiving yards last season and is on the brink of cracking the NU top 10 for career receiving yards. A two-year starter, he has caught at least one pass in 34 games over the last three-plus years, which is the most of any wideout in the Big Ten. 37 28 LAST MEETING Sept. 7, 2001 • Las Vegas, Nev. Penalty Yards/GM Turnover Margin Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM Penalty Yards/GM Turnover Margin Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM 259.5 157.5 417.0 36.5 130.0 419.5 -0.5 12.5 93.0 117.0 210.0 7.0 132.0 365.0 -2.0 67.0