Oct. 10--Are they having fun yet?
Absolutely, say the seniors on the 13th-ranked Northwestern team that takes on No. 18 Michigan on Saturday at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The Wildcats (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) and Wolverines (4-1, 1-0) are two of the surprise teams in the Big Ten as well as the nation. The winner could wind up ranked in the top 10 come Sunday.
Yet the ever-focused Wildcats realize there is a long way to go as they try to erase the memory of back-to-back 5-7 seasons.
"Obviously it's pretty cool being 5-0," senior superback Dan Vitale said. "But we're just trying to go 1-0 every week. We're excited about it, but we've got to keep taking it one step at a time. Great things are going to happen for us if we do that."
Senior left guard Matt Frazier may be appreciating the moment more than anyone. He returned to the field last week against Minnesota after having -- just since January -- surgery on both ankles, emergency spinal surgery, a torn pectoral muscle and a staph infection that left him in intensive care during the offseason.
"Our theme is not only going 1-0 every week but going 1-0 every single rep too," Frazier said. "That keeps us grounded, focused on the matter at hand and not getting caught up in all the hype and the atmosphere and that type of thing."
A major focus Saturday will be how well the NU offensive line matches up against the talented and aggressive Michigan defensive front.
Northwestern rushed for 184 yards against the Gophers, with Justin Jackson accounting for 120 on 20 carries. Jackson, no doubt, will be a marked man against the Wolverines.
"I think the group is getting tired of hearing people talk negatively about them," NU coach Pat Fitzgerald said of his injury-depleted offensive line. "That would be their mindset now, and they're trying to do something about it. Not necessarily listening to it ... but just tired of it.
"When you've got something in your mouth and you don't like the taste of it, you've got to get rid of it."
The Wildcats (7.0 points per game) and Wolverines (7.6) rank 1-2 in the nation in scoring defense. Both are coming off shutouts; in fact, Michigan hasn't allowed a point in more than eight quarters, spanning 30 possessions.
If facing that defense isn't enough of a challenge for redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson, how about a crowd of more than 109,000 -- more than four times what he faced at Duke in his only previous road start.
"We had a lot of things to correct this week," said Thorson, who completed 14 of 19 passes to eight receivers in the 27-0 win over the Gophers. "We felt like we could have played better, but we executed in all three phases. It was good watching that game film."
Playing well on behalf of the seniors is a major theme for Thorson and the rest of the NU underclassmen.
"They have had those past two years that haven't been good," Thorson said. "I look at guys like Danny (Vitale) and Deonte (Gibson) ... I just really want to have a great season for them. That's a little extra motivation for me, and I know it is for Justin and some of the other younger guys."
fmitchell@tribpub.com
