Northwestern beat Auburn 35-19 on Friday in the VRBO Citrus Bowl.
Here are our five takeaways:
Hank notched No. 400
Northwestern has leaned on its defense all season, and the main reason, as head coach Pat Fitzgerald has said all year, was the man pulling the strings, defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.
In his 51st year, Hankwitz got his 400th career win on Friday. His defense was dominant, other than a coverage bust when both Brandon Joseph and AJ Hampton bit too hard on play action that resulted in a 57-yard touchdown pass from Bo Nix to Elijah Canion. Northwestern limited Auburn to 2 of 13 on third-down conversions. It was the seventh time in nine games the Wildcats held their opponent to 20 points or less.
Fitzgerald, who calls Hankwitz "the GOAT," said that Hankwitz's calm demeanor helped the pair of young DBs talk through and learn from the mistake. They held Auburn to two field goals in the first half, the second after the Tigers had a first down at the NU 5-yard line.
Replacing Hankwitz will be no small task for Fitzgerald this offseason, but one that will be essential for continuing the program's upward trajectory.
Ramsey played a near-perfect game
After struggling in the second half of the Big Ten championship game, quarterback Peyton Ramsey played his best game of the year in the Citrus Bowl, accounting for four of the Wildcats' five touchdowns and earning the MVP award.
Ramsey started red-hot early, hitting Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman for a 35-yard touchdown three and a half minutes into the game. He then hit John Raine in the flat for a six-yard score, and the 'Cats were up 14-0 after the first quarter.
After Auburn rattled off 13 straight points and Northwestern's offense was sputtering, Ramsey led another scoring drive, sparked by a 30-yard completion to John Raine over the middle. He then finished it off with a 30-yard touchdown run down the left sideline, when he broke contain and sprinted to the pylon to extend the Cats' led to eight. Later, he hit Riley Lees for an eight-yard score to put the game out of reach at 35-13.
In total, Ramsey had a season-high 291yards through the air and three scores, completing passes to eight different receivers. He was accurate all day, completing over 68 percent of his passes. He added 50 yards and a score on the ground.
If this proves to be Ramsey's last college game, he certainly went out on a high note.
The running game showed up late
Northwestern's running game was basically non-existent for the first three quarters. Then, Cameron Porter took over in the final 15 minutes.
Porter ran for 82 of his game-high 98 yards in the fourth quarter. He carried it 33 times on the day and helped Northwestern salt away the game.
It was over 80 degrees in Orlando, and Fitzgerald said that Auburn wore down as the game went on. Northwestern, on the other hand, got stronger and played "Big Ten football," as Fitzgerald and Ramsey described it after the game.
Porter set the tone early in the fourth quarter as he carried the ball on all seven plays of a 50-yard touchdown drive that ended with him carrying it in from a yard out.
Porter has been a revelation for the Wildcats over the final three games of the year, running for a total of 301 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois, Ohio State and Auburn, and restoring some semblance of balance to their offense.
Northwestern will certainly count on Porter next year, regardless of who the quarterback is.
The replacements held their own
Northwestern was playing without key players Eku Leota, Kyric McGowan and Greg Newsome II, among others.
On defense, Cameron Mitchell filled in for Newsome II, who was out with an injury and just declared for the NFL Draft. While Auburn tried to go after Mitchell early, he held up well. He finished with six tackles and a pair of pass breakups, including a strip of Elijah Canion in the end zone that prevented a touchdown.
Grayson Mann and Devin O'Rourke filled in for Leota. Mann had half of a tackle for loss and was credited with a quarterback hurry. O'Rourke didn't have a big day on the stat sheet, but he was a solid contributor up front as the Wildcats harassed Bo Nix throughout the game.
On offense, with McGowan and fellow WR Malik Washington in the portal, Northwestern needed production from unproven receivers. Wayne Dennis Jr. made a leaping grab for 23 yards for just his second catch of the season. Bryce Kirtz had a pair of catches for 20 yards, and Ray Niro III added his first two catches of the season for 17 yards.
While those three made plays in their unexpected opportunities, it was the seniors who made the biggest impact in the passing game for Northwestern. Raine led the team with six catches for 76 yards and touchdown. Chiaokhiao-Bowman had three catches for 61 yards and a score. Riley Lees also found the end zone on one of his five catches that went for a total of 57 yards.
Northwestern was missing key pieces but the resiliency and ability of the players pressed into duty is a positive sign about the success Fitzgerald and his coaches have had on the recruiting trail.
The Cats won their fourth straight bowl
After winning its first bowl game, the 1949 Rose Bowl, Northwestern lost nine straight bowl games until breaking through with a victory in the 2013 Gator Bowl.
But since getting that bowl monkey off of the program's back with a win over Mississippi State on Jan. 1, 2013, the Wildcats have won five of their last six, including four in a row: the 2016 Pinstripe (over Pittsburgh), the 2017 Music City (Kentucky), the 2018 Holiday (Utah) and now the 2021 Citrus (Auburn).
Fitzgerald, who started his career 0-4 in bowls, is now 5-5, and a former weakness on the big stage is now a program strength.
The recent success of Northwestern in bowl games has been key in building momentum going into offseasons, and in continuing the upward trajectory of the program.
