Northwestern faces off against Vanderbilt on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Vanderbilt Stadium. This match up is sure to be entertaining as Week 1 of the season gets underway, and college football odds show the Wildcats –4 ½  over Vandy with a total set of 44½ points.

This is the third meeting for the teams, and first since 1952. Vanderbilt holds the lead with one win. They also tied in a previous meeting. Yes, you can tie in football.

Northwestern has revamped its offense this season after losing quarterback Mike Kafka and two of their top receivers. Last season the offense finished first in conference in passing, but struggled on the ground, finishing with an 8-5 record including going 5-3 in conference. Much of that winning record can be chalked up to luck as the Wildcats seemed to be all or nothing when it came to scoring.

Dan Persa will take over the quarterback duties and will lend support to the run, at the cost of air attacks. That’s a good strategy since the backs are quick and talented enough to blend with a new run-oriented offense.

The line is carried by veterans, who should be better with another year of experience. They need consistency, which will come if they can stay healthy. It will be exciting to see how far this team can go.

The defense isn’t outstanding but does a good job of keeping Northwestern in the game. That’s all you can ask, the rest is on the offense. Five starters are gone, including Corey Wootton and Sherrick McManis, leaving some fairly large holes to fill. The line still has some major upside when healthy.

Senior Quentin Davie was troubled by an injured foot. When he is healthy is a great all around defender, possessing range and timing for the pass rush. He led the team with 90 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and five sacks.

Senior Nate Williams is a major tackle threat after 86 last season. He had shoulder surgery over the offseason and is ready to go, but that shoulder could flare up in a hurry. Junior Vince Browne combines size and speed; he tied for the team lead with five sacks, and added 39 tackles, eight for a loss.

Expect a defense more capable of slowing down the potent running teams, and capable of keeping big passers in check.

The Vanderbilt Commodores struggled as we all know, to the tune of a 2-10 record. The good news is the offense is a virtual lock to improve on its rankings; 110th overall in total offense, 113th in scoring, and 119th in passing efficiency. It can’t get any worse, right?

The receivers have the ability led by a freshman tandem of Warren Norman and Kennard Reeves. Norman even set a SEC record for the most total yards, trying to carry the offense on his 5-10 frame. He ran his way to 783 yards and three touchdowns. He caught another 19 passes for 108 yards, and then bullied his way to over 1,000 yards and three touchdowns on the kick return.

So what happened in 2009? Blame Larry Smith, the quarterback who lacked the nerve to throw deep, but couldn’t even manage on the short pass. Other than Norman, the receivers were over matched. The line wasn’t solid. New offensive coordinator Jimmy Kisler will rebuild the line from the ground up, and find anyone but Smith to quarterback.

Despite a group of returning starters, the defense failed to live up to expectations. Maybe it wilted under the pressure of a weak offense, but needs to separate its job—keeping the Commodores in the game—from the elements it can’t control, scoring points. It’s a simple philosophy, but with a limited arsenal the team needs to return to fundamentals.

Without many pieces to build on, the defense will focus on limiting the pass and do what it can on the run. The secondary should be a standout as big seasons are expected from junior safety Sean Richardson and corner Casey Hayward.

Richardson plays bigger than his size and always hits hard. He is smart enough and has the speed to eclipse last year’s 84 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and two pass break ups.

Junior Chris Marve had a great season in the middle, carrying the load with a team leading 121 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and forced three fumbles. That makes 206 tackles in his first two seasons, so we know what to expect. He added some weight and should actually be better this year.

If you want to know my opinion on other games this weekend, take a look at our latest college football articles.


Matt’s Free Prediction: Northwestern –4 ½ - Northwestern may not be all gold, but against Vanderbilt you have to pick ‘em. I don’t think there’s anyway The Commodores repeat last year’s dismal showing, but there’s always the chance some tough break brings back memories of 2009 and shuts them down.

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