The following preview is one in a series of position and team preview for the 2018 Northwestern football season. While it is still SO early (nearly six months until official kick-off against Purdue), as true college football fans will tell, it is NEVER too early to get excited for this great game and this team.
Quarterbacks
The quarterback position has been one of relative consistency in the Pat Fitzgerald era. Only three guys have started at least back-to-back seasons (not including Trevor Siemian, though he played enough to be relevant) in Fitzgerald’s twelve seasons at the helm. CJ Bacher was Fitz’s only 3-year commander of the offense prior to 2015.
Then, enter redshirt freshman Clayton Thorson in 2015, to start against the nationally ranked and consistently powerful Stanford Cardinal in the season opener. Since that start, Thorson has earned more wins (27) than any other QB in school history, thrown for the 2nd most yards (7,513), and is completing over 57% of his passes. But as Coach Fitz loves to suggest, latter-mentioned stats are what “losers” concentrate on; it’s the former that really means the most.
Troublesome for the Wildcats, though, is that experience and leadership will likely be off the gridiron for the start of the 2018 season.
Just ten days after announcing he would return to Evanston for a fifth year, Thorson suffered a torn ACL injury in his right knee. Though X-rays turned out negative, the work ahead of him is going to be extensive.
He got injured on a play that, on the surface, seemed unnecessary and some would call “stupid”. But with careful review, it can be said that by utilizing that play, Pat Fitzgerald and Mick McCall showed they have confidence in their team. “Next man up” has always been the motto here under the Fitzgerald regime. And while the quarterback (especially one with this much positive experience) is one of the more premium positions on the field, the psychological effect of such a play call, and the solid performance of his backup to fill in and escort the win for the ‘Cats goes to show the inspiring job the coaching staff has done to build the depth in their program.
Limited reports are that Thorson is doing well; better than expected; appears to be ahead of schedule. While he admits that “everything has been great” up this point, regarding surgery and rehab, Fitzgerald has been up front in saying he will not divulge to anyone his actual status or any sort of timetable- “it’s awesome for people to speculate”, he sarcastically shot, in a way that Fitz follows have grown to love.
The typical timetable for an ACL recovery is anywhere from 9-12 months, but let’s remember that this medical team at NU is one of the tops in the nation. His surgery was successful, but still, the coaching and medical staffs are going to treat this with absolute caution and calculated patience. Thorson’s health should have a great deal of influence on the success of the season, and most certainly the offense.
Thorson pre-injury
After growing pains were scattered in with athletic highlights in his first season, Thorson followed with a great sophomore campaign in 2016. He threw for 22 TDs (to only 9 INTs) and 3,182 yards, hitting his targets 59% of the time. He got better as the game went on, played best on the road and made 3rd down his “money down”.
Last season, though, he fell into a bit of a slump, despite the team winning ten games. It seems as though Fitz’s theory that “stats are for losers” holds true, as in both of Thorson’s ten win-seasons, his numbers were less impressive than his statistically impressive sophomore string, when the team scratched to a 7-6 season, thanks to a bowl victory.
The Good
In his three years behind center, Thorson has proven to play better at home (59% comp., 4,588 yards, 26-11 TD/INT ratio with 10 rushing TDs); in the 2nd quarter (58% comp., 2385 yards, 14-7 TD/INT ratio; 8 rushing TDs); and in the month of November (10-2 record).
He excels on 1st down (60% comp., 3088 yards, 21-9 TD/INT ratio; 4 rushing TDs), especially 1st and goal (4-4 passing, 4 TDs and 3 rushing TDs). He also plays well on 4th down (61% comp., 3 TDs and 3 rushing TDs), which is good, considering Fitz’s increasing trend to go for it and extend drives with his offense. He has thrown 4 INTs, but keep in mind that those throws are essentially risk-or-die attempts anyway, which would not ordinarily be ventured on earlier downs.
When the game is close (within a score either way), Thorson competes with a 58% comp., 3,234 yards, 22-14 TD/INT ratio with 12 rushing TDs.
Areas to improve
Where Thorson needs to polish his play is on 3rd down. His numbers aren’t awful- he completes 53% of his passes and has accounted for 19 TDs- but the team only converts 38% of their 3rd down conversion attempts, which is about middle of the pack in the conference. Further, Thorson has thrown 12 INTs and been sacked 51 times. 3rd and goal is even more concerning, where his completion rate falls to 47%, with a 3-2 TD/INT ratio.
The red zone offense runs through Thorson, and the team has finished 74th, 80th, and 36th nationally in red zone scoring. While 2017 was a productive jump for the offense, the production from the twenty-in must be more consistent if the 2018 Wildcats prove to be a contender for Indianapolis.
Sacks have always been an issue (90 in three years) and with a healing knee, they may be even more of an issue in 2018. This is where the play of his offensive line will be more crucial than ever. He does have one of the more experienced lines in the Fitzgerald era (2011 offers the only similarity), but that experience is going to have to culminate in better protection, especially since Clayton may not be able (or encouraged) to maneuver like he used to. The good news is the line knows this and the staff knows this, and will be working collaboratively and strenuously to ensure this.
Quarterbacks
The quarterback position has been one of relative consistency in the Pat Fitzgerald era. Only three guys have started at least back-to-back seasons (not including Trevor Siemian, though he played enough to be relevant) in Fitzgerald’s twelve seasons at the helm. CJ Bacher was Fitz’s only 3-year commander of the offense prior to 2015.
Then, enter redshirt freshman Clayton Thorson in 2015, to start against the nationally ranked and consistently powerful Stanford Cardinal in the season opener. Since that start, Thorson has earned more wins (27) than any other QB in school history, thrown for the 2nd most yards (7,513), and is completing over 57% of his passes. But as Coach Fitz loves to suggest, latter-mentioned stats are what “losers” concentrate on; it’s the former that really means the most.
Troublesome for the Wildcats, though, is that experience and leadership will likely be off the gridiron for the start of the 2018 season.
Just ten days after announcing he would return to Evanston for a fifth year, Thorson suffered a torn ACL injury in his right knee. Though X-rays turned out negative, the work ahead of him is going to be extensive.
He got injured on a play that, on the surface, seemed unnecessary and some would call “stupid”. But with careful review, it can be said that by utilizing that play, Pat Fitzgerald and Mick McCall showed they have confidence in their team. “Next man up” has always been the motto here under the Fitzgerald regime. And while the quarterback (especially one with this much positive experience) is one of the more premium positions on the field, the psychological effect of such a play call, and the solid performance of his backup to fill in and escort the win for the ‘Cats goes to show the inspiring job the coaching staff has done to build the depth in their program.
Limited reports are that Thorson is doing well; better than expected; appears to be ahead of schedule. While he admits that “everything has been great” up this point, regarding surgery and rehab, Fitzgerald has been up front in saying he will not divulge to anyone his actual status or any sort of timetable- “it’s awesome for people to speculate”, he sarcastically shot, in a way that Fitz follows have grown to love.
The typical timetable for an ACL recovery is anywhere from 9-12 months, but let’s remember that this medical team at NU is one of the tops in the nation. His surgery was successful, but still, the coaching and medical staffs are going to treat this with absolute caution and calculated patience. Thorson’s health should have a great deal of influence on the success of the season, and most certainly the offense.
Thorson pre-injury
After growing pains were scattered in with athletic highlights in his first season, Thorson followed with a great sophomore campaign in 2016. He threw for 22 TDs (to only 9 INTs) and 3,182 yards, hitting his targets 59% of the time. He got better as the game went on, played best on the road and made 3rd down his “money down”.
Last season, though, he fell into a bit of a slump, despite the team winning ten games. It seems as though Fitz’s theory that “stats are for losers” holds true, as in both of Thorson’s ten win-seasons, his numbers were less impressive than his statistically impressive sophomore string, when the team scratched to a 7-6 season, thanks to a bowl victory.
The Good
In his three years behind center, Thorson has proven to play better at home (59% comp., 4,588 yards, 26-11 TD/INT ratio with 10 rushing TDs); in the 2nd quarter (58% comp., 2385 yards, 14-7 TD/INT ratio; 8 rushing TDs); and in the month of November (10-2 record).
He excels on 1st down (60% comp., 3088 yards, 21-9 TD/INT ratio; 4 rushing TDs), especially 1st and goal (4-4 passing, 4 TDs and 3 rushing TDs). He also plays well on 4th down (61% comp., 3 TDs and 3 rushing TDs), which is good, considering Fitz’s increasing trend to go for it and extend drives with his offense. He has thrown 4 INTs, but keep in mind that those throws are essentially risk-or-die attempts anyway, which would not ordinarily be ventured on earlier downs.
When the game is close (within a score either way), Thorson competes with a 58% comp., 3,234 yards, 22-14 TD/INT ratio with 12 rushing TDs.
Areas to improve
Where Thorson needs to polish his play is on 3rd down. His numbers aren’t awful- he completes 53% of his passes and has accounted for 19 TDs- but the team only converts 38% of their 3rd down conversion attempts, which is about middle of the pack in the conference. Further, Thorson has thrown 12 INTs and been sacked 51 times. 3rd and goal is even more concerning, where his completion rate falls to 47%, with a 3-2 TD/INT ratio.
The red zone offense runs through Thorson, and the team has finished 74th, 80th, and 36th nationally in red zone scoring. While 2017 was a productive jump for the offense, the production from the twenty-in must be more consistent if the 2018 Wildcats prove to be a contender for Indianapolis.
Sacks have always been an issue (90 in three years) and with a healing knee, they may be even more of an issue in 2018. This is where the play of his offensive line will be more crucial than ever. He does have one of the more experienced lines in the Fitzgerald era (2011 offers the only similarity), but that experience is going to have to culminate in better protection, especially since Clayton may not be able (or encouraged) to maneuver like he used to. The good news is the line knows this and the staff knows this, and will be working collaboratively and strenuously to ensure this.
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