Northwestern lost one game in the 2020 regular season. It came on Nov. 28, in East Lansing, Michigan.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 8 in the country, came in riding high after beating Wisconsin and seemingly earning the respect of the college football world. That respect was short-lived, though. NU came out flat from the start and suffered an embarrassing 29-20 loss to Michigan State in a game where they were two-touchdown favorites.
The two teams taking the field on Friday night at Ryan Field for the 2021 season opener will look a lot different than the ones that squared off last season. Both teams had a substantial amount of roster turnover from last season.
But that doesn't mean that Northwestern doesn't remember what happened.
"I did not forget that they were our one (regular season) loss last year, and I don't think anyone on this team has," redshirt sophomore safety Brandon Joseph said.
Revenge isn't the only thing on Joseph's mind. He knows that Michigan State is a good team, and he and his teammates are attacking their preparation the same way they would any other Big Ten opponent.
Scouting the Spartans hasn't been easy for the Wildcats. Michigan State has completely remade their roster, adding close to 20 players from the transfer portal this offseason. Northwestern's coaches have found film of the new Spartans at their previous schools and have had to imagine how they fit into Michigan State's coaches' schemes.
“Yeah, you have to watch more tape as coaches,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “But we do anyways, we’re pretty big losers.”
Senior center Sam Gerak, one of the team's veteran leaders, is preparing like he would for any other game. But he knows the chance to end NU's two-game losing streak to the Spartans and avenge what happened in 2020 is extra motivation.
"I think there's certainly a degree (of revenge), but you prepare for them like you would any other opponent," Gerak said. "You're doing everything during the week that you need to be doing: watching film, preparing physically. But there's definitely a certain sour taste in our mouths from last year."
Preparation is the key to getting that taste out of the Wildcats' mouths. A slow start and an early 17-0 hole doomed Northwestern last season against the Spartans. Being prepared to come out and play well from the opening kickoff is something Fitzgerald and his team are focusing on.
Fitzgerald said that last year his team didn't handle playing Michigan State on the road well. This year, Northwestern hosts the Spartans. But the Cats are a young team, so getting new players ready to win a Big Ten game is Fitzgerald's biggest challenge.
The team leaders and captains will help with that, while also providing a balance. Gerak is more measured is in his approach, while Joseph wholeheartedly admits he's going out there on Friday night "with a vengeance."
"I wasn't lying, there's still a vengeance there," he said. "We still got some making up to do for that loss last season."
