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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 M A S S THE MATCHUP: NORTHWESTERN VS. UMASS Game 10 // Northwestern vs. UMass // Saturday, November 16, 2019 KICKOFF NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS Record 1-8, 0-7 Big Ten Rankings n/a Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Record at NU (Yrs.) 97-78 (14th) Home Record 52-41 (.559) Non-Conf. Record 45-37 (.548) vs. UMass n/a Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz UMASS MINUTEMEN Record 1-9 (Independent) Rankings n/a Head Coach Walt Bell Record at UMass (Yrs.) 1-9 (1st) Away Record 0-5 (.000) vs. Northwestern n/a Defensive Coordinator Aazaar Evanston, Ill. 11 a.m. Ryan Field BTN WGN 720 AM statbroadcast.com FOR THE FIRST TIME Northwestern and UMass will meet for the first time in program history Saturday when the Minutemen visit Ryan Field for an 11 a.m. kickoff on the Big Ten Network. The Wildcats are 22-7 versus non Power-5, non-conference opponents under Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. KYRIC'S KICK START Junior wide receiver turned running back Kyric McGowan kick started the Wildcats' offense versus Purdue by breaking free for a career-long 79-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. McGowan's 79-yard score is tied for the 12th-longest rushing touchdown in program history and was the longest rushing touchdown since Venric Mark's 80-yard score versus Nebraska on October 20, 2012. See page two for more notes on McGowan's big day in the backfield. SMITH SETTLES IN Redshirt junior quarterback Aidan Smith made his fifth career start last week versus Purdue, finishing with career highs in completions, passing yards and touchdowns. Smith was 19-for-31 for 184 yards, finding sophomore Jace James in the first quarter and junior Riley Lees in the fourth for his first career multi- touchdown passing game. WILDCATS SET THE PRECEDENT ACADEMICALLY Northwestern football is one of five Division I football programs to earn a 100 percent GSR this year and is the first program from a Power Five Conference to ever record a perfect score. NU's GSR is nine percent higher than the next closest Big Ten program. Wildcats football has ranked first or second in the nation in GSR among FBS schools for nine consecutive years. MCGOWAN'S BIG DAY Junior Kyric McGowan made his second career start at running back versus Purdue and finished with a career-high 146 yards on just 17 carries before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. McGowan is one of just four Northwestern players since 2000 to rush for 146-plus yards on 17 carries or fewer. He is just one of 12 Wildcats to average 8.6 yards per carry on a minimum of 15 carries since 2000. McGowan's 79-yard touchdown was the Wildcats' longest play from scrimmage this season and their longest since a 79-yard run by Justin Jackson at Illinois on Nov. 25, 2017. LEES GETS LOOSE Junior wide receiver Riley Lees continued his strong play with career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (62) versus Purdue. Lees scored his first touchdown of the season with a 8-yard reception from junior Aidan Smith in the fourth quarter. The Libertyville, Illinois, native leads the Wildcats this season with 36 receptions and 254 receiving yards — both career highs. GAZIANO HAS SACK RECORD IN SIGHT Senior defensive end Joe Gaziano recorded a sack and forced a safety versus Purdue, moving within just a half a sack of Casey Dailey's program record of 28 set from 1994-97. Gaziano has 27.5 career sacks, which is tied for the second most in the country among active players. He ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 29th nationally this season with 0.72 sacks per game and his 6.5 sacks total are the fifth most in the Big Ten as well. RESIDENT OF THE BACKFIELD Gaziano's sack versus the Boilermakers marked his 42nd career tackle for loss, tying him for third in program history with Matt Rice (1993-96). He is one of just four players in program history to reach 40-plus career tackles for loss and is tied for second among active players. The safety on the play was the Wildcats' first since November 24, 2012 against Illinois. FIRST MEETING IN PROGRAM HISTORY Penalty Yards/GM Scoring Defense Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM Penalty Yards/GM Scoring Defense Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM 126.6 164.9 291.5 20.7 293.5 569.6 53.1 65.40 146.8 130.9 277.7 11.1 148.2 348.3 25.4 58.11