Orange Crush: Tyrell Sutton leads Northwestern over Syracuse

By Sam Wenk

8:31 PM CDT, August 30, 2008

With the sun beaming down on Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois, running back Tyrell Sutton couldn’t wait to begin his senior campaign.  The newly installed no-huddle offense from first year offensive coordinator Mick McCall was front and center, leaving Sutton unsure how much he would be incorporated into it. 

By the end of Northwestern’s dominating 30-10 performance against the Syracuse Orange, Sutton understood 2008 could be one special year.

"Well, we've been working in the locker room and on the field for eight months with nothing to show for it yet and this was our payday,” he said.

Rushing for over 100 yards before the first half ended, Sutton would finish the game with 185 total yards (144 rushing, 41 receiving), while also scoring his first touchdown on a 12-pass from quarterback C.J. Bacher. 

With Bacher (23/35, 215 yards, three TD, one INT) struggling early after a first-quarter interception, Sutton put Northwestern on his back and carried them the entire game, helping the Cats pile up 484 yards, albeit against one of the worst defenses in the nation.

“I’m very versatile,” replied Sutton when asked if he sees himself being a dual threat on the ground and through the air.

Alongside backfield teammate Omar Conteh (12 carries, 71 yards), Sutton hoped to regain his freshman form, when he ran for over 1,400 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, putting Northwestern back on the national map they had disappeared from since their last Rose Bowl appearance in 1996. 

After watching his tailback suffer through an injury-riddled junior season last year, head coach Pat Fitzgerald hoped Sutton would start out with a bang, and No. 19 didn’t disappoint.  His only blemish was a third-quarter fumble picked up by the Orange.

“If he truly stays healthy, [he] has the chance to be the all-time leading rusher in Northwestern history,” said Fitzgerald of his prized running back.  “I am not surprised by the way he played today. He ran behind his pads, he was physical and he is in great condition.”

Syracuse had trouble bringing down the 5'9", 200 lbs., Sutton, as he seemed to break tackle after tackle, fighting for every yard he could gain.  He proved to be Bacher’s safety valve early and often, being targeted every time the quarterback was faced with heavy pressure.

"I'm good at following my blockers,” said Sutton.  “Several times I was five or six yards down field before anybody touched me."

If Northwestern can count on a healthy Tyrell Sutton and a mistake-free C.J. Bacher, the color purple might become in style again.  The receiving corps, led by seniors Eric Peterman and Ross Lane, looks in mid-season form and has a new partner in crime in freshman Jeremy Ebert, who registered his first career touchdown catch in the second quarter.

The over scrutinized, make-shift offensive line of Northwestern held its own, opening the necessary holes for Sutton to run through.

"I was very proud of the way our offensive line performed," said Fitzgerald.  “That's what I was most proud of."

"It was a big confidence boost to get out and perform behind an offensive line that might be a little inexperienced but definitely didn't play inexperienced today,” added Sutton.  “They played like they had been out there blocking together for the last two or three years.”

“Whenever I'm on the field I try to make the 10 other guys around me better whether it's with the run or the block or whatever.”

As long as Sutton is leading the Wildcats and putting up solid numbers like he did on Saturday, the team could be on track to win its first bowl game in 59 years.    

(Wild)Cat Nips

• In my Pre-Game Primer submitted on Friday, one of my predictions actually came true and I was very close on the other: Safety Brendan Smith earned his first interception of the year, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown.  My final score prediction, Northwestern 30 Syracuse 10, was only four points off.  Sorry, but don’t count on any future betting advice, that will probably be the closest I get.

• Smith on his interception: "I can't tell you how excited I am. I was a quarterback in high school and I was involved in a lot of touchdowns and I haven't scored one in a while. It was really nice to get back in the end zone.”

• The no-huddle offense will take some getting used to for the Wildcats.  At times, the players seemed fatigued having to run back to the huddle so fast and having to fire off the next play.

• Freshman receiver Jeremy Ebert looked solid in the slot position and could emerge as C.J. Bacher’s big-play target as the season progresses.

• Bacher hit 10 different receivers in the game, with five of them catching more than one pass.

• Bacher on post-game grades:  “[I’d give myself] maybe a C. The offense I would give a B or B+.”

• The first two points of the season came on a safety, when Orange quarterback Andrew Robinson, facing pressure from linebacker Quentin Davie, was called for intentional grounding in his own end zone.

Photo courtesy of chicagotribune.com