EVANSTON-Much has been made of Austin Carr over the past couple weeks and people will continue to talk about his incredible production through Northwestern’s first seven games. This talk is well deserved, as Carr was leading the Big Ten is just about every receiving measure: receptions (50), receiving yards (720) and receiving touchdowns (9). It’s certainly been a special season for Carr and he is getting the recognition he deserves on a national stage.
That being said, the “other guys” in Northwestern receiving corps have been quietly emerging as stars in their own right.
Flynn Nagel has become a “dude” for the punt return unit and he has been a model of consistency opposite of Carr. Solomon Vault has exploded in the kickoff return game and has added a similar spark as a vertical threat. Add in Andrew Scanlan, who has been a reliable target and blocker, and Macan Wilson, who recorded his first career touchdown on Saturday, and Northwestern has a stable of receivers that goes far beyond No. 80.
There were certainly questions about this group’s depth and big-play ability going into the season. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald was not shy about singling out the unit for its lackluster play the last two seasons, but he’s been quick to credit this group’s emergence as a catalyst for Northwestern’s three-game winning streak. And he thinks it has a lot to do with their ability to tone out the negativity going into the season.
“The group just collectively got tired of hearing the negative noise. They are all working really really hard. It's great for them individually and collectively,” he said.
Saturday’s 24-14 victory over Indiana was a prime example of how big an impact this group has in the Northwestern offensive attack. Clearly, Carr is main priority, as he alone accounted for seven catches and 125 yards, or nearly half of Thorson’s 285 passing yards.
The other portion of Thorson’s yards, however, were pretty close to being split evenly between Justin Jackson, Nagel, Vault, Wilson, and Scanlan. Take Jackson out of the equation as the primary option of the NU offense, and the Nagel-Vault-Wilson-Scanlan crew accounted for 11 catches and 123 yards. With a touchdown a piece for Wilson and Vault, you have a pretty spectacular day from players who are tertiary options or lower after Jackson and Carr. As Clayton Thorson said in the post-game, “When we are really balanced, we are tough to beat.”
Just look at the group’s individual performances on Saturday. Going into the matchup, Macan Wilson had yet to record a collegiate touchdown and had only 30 receiving yards in Northwestern’s previous two games. The redshirt junior made his presence felt early in the second quarter, however, when he split two defenders on a deep post to explode for a 32-yard touchdown reception. Though that was Wilson’s only catch on the day, he certainly made his touch matter.
Vault, a junior, burst onto the scene last week when he ripped off a critical 95-yard kickoff return for a TD to reclaim the momentum after Michigan State had scored 14 straight points. Like Wilson, Vault made his limited touches count against Indiana, as he capped Northwestern’s first drive with a 17-yard TD reception by simply running past an overmatched “Husky” safety/linebacker Marcelino Ball on a seam route. Vault also had four kickoff returns for 91 yards, consistently looking like he was one block or one move away from taking the ball to the house.
Nagel’s biggest contribution was hauling in a first-down grab halfway through the fourth quarter after Northwestern had been struggling to move the ball throughout the second half. Thorson threw an absolute seed to Nagel on a comeback route and Nagel was able to hang on and record the first down. Nagel finished with six catches for 40 yards, the second-most on the team to Carr in each category.
An underrated, but extremely important aspect of these receivers in their blocking ability. On multiple option plays, stretch runs and receiver screens, these receivers engaged their covering defensive back and stayed with their blocks downfield. While this was less the case in the second half when the NU offense stagnated, it certainly was a factor in the first half when Justin Jackson accounted for 72 yards on the ground. Andrew Scanlan (two catches, 23 yards) and Bennett Skowronek deserve special mention here, as they bring a consistent blocking presence on the outside.
The moral of the story is that this receiver corps is made up of more than just Carr. The receivers are bona fide playmakers who can impact a game with limited touches. This will be especially important as NU faces its toughest tests of the year within the next couple of weeks, going on the road to Ohio State and taking on Wisconsin at home. These are defenses that can likely stifle the first option (Jackson) or the second option (Carr), so it will be up to this supporting crew to make explosive plays.
If Saturday’s win against Indiana was any indication, the “other guys” are up to the challenge.
