Oct. 16--When unbeaten Iowa comes to Ryan Field on Saturday, Northwestern will have to play as if it were 1995.
At least the Wildcats will be dressed for the part with first place in the Big Ten West at stake.
They will be wearing replica jerseys from the 1995 Rose Bowl season, and about 75 players from the team that defeated Iowa along the way to the Big Ten championship will be saluted as part of the 20-year reunion weekend. Star running back Darnell Autry will be grand marshal of homecoming.
"Hopefully we will prepare and play with that type of vigor and passion that I had the privilege to play with and for," said NU coach Pat Fitzgerald, an All-America linebacker in '95 and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
"I typically don't talk about me a lot. If I were to reference that squad, it would be about what the team accomplished," Fitzgerald said regarding conversations with his players. "We draw upon the battles that team won and how they did it. And even more so about the fun that we had. That group had a lot of fun. Winning helps you do that."
Fitzgerald suffered a broken leg in the Iowa game and was unable to play in the Rose Bowl. He returned in '96 to help NU to a 9-3 season and a share of another conference title.
These Wildcats (5-1, 1-1) will be trying to rebound from a 38-0 shellacking at Michigan on Saturday.
"You've got to get up off the mat," Fitzgerald said. "You have no other choice. We've got to get back to playing the way we did for five weeks and play much more consistently than we did (against Michigan) to give ourselves a chance to compete."
The Hawkeyes pummeled the Wildcats 48-7 last season in Iowa City, and they are playing well this season. But Iowa hasn't won in Evanston since a 28-17 victory in 2007.
"Great team, very physical. That's what stood out," said Fitzgerald, who was particularly impressed by running back Jordan Canzeri's 43-carry, 256-yard, two-touchdown day last week against Illinois. "It was an incredible performance by him. And C.J. (Beathard) is doing a great job of taking care of the football."
Northwestern's defense remains formidable, ranking ninth in the country with 269.5 yards allowed per game. The Wolverines scored two of their touchdowns on a 96-yard return of the opening kickoff and an interception return.
Sophomore linebacker Anthony Walker knows all about his coach's playing accolades and the imposing 1995 NU defense. When the Wildcats blanked Minnesota 27-0 on Oct. 3, it marked NU's first Big Ten shutout since '95.
"We want our own thing," Walker said. "Coach Fitz and them had a great two seasons and two Big Ten championships. He was Big Ten player of the year and the Nagurski (Award winner) and everything. We want to build our own path, and that's going way further. We want to be the best defense in the nation, win the Big Ten and also win the national championship."
Walker was asked if he had seen footage of Fitzgerald playing.
"I watched the Notre Dame game once (on the Big Ten Network). He played a great game, but he did miss a few tackles," Walker said with a laugh. "You saw the way they moved to the ball. We have been striving to move to the ball every play."
Fitzgerald said he hopes the homecoming atmosphere Saturday can provide the same type of home-field advantage other Big Ten programs enjoy. Gary Barnett, coach of the '95 team, will serve as the honorary captain and talk to the team Friday.
"It is something that we're building on every week and every year," Fitzgerald said. "A couple of years ago, I talked to (Ohio State coach) Urban Meyer after our game and he said, 'That was one of the best environments I've been in in college football.' So Ryan Field has got that capability.
"We have to continue to do our part on the field. We've got to win games."
fmitchell@tribpub.com
