2018 Northwestern Wildcats football team information
American college football season
2018Northwestern Wildcats football
Big Ten West Division champion Holiday Bowl champion
Big Ten Championship Game, L 24–45 vs. Ohio State
Holiday Bowl, W 31–20 vs. Utah
Conference
Big Ten Conference
Division
West Division
Ranking
Coaches
No. 19
AP
No. 21
Record
9–5 (8–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
Pat Fitzgerald (13th season)
Offensive coordinator
Mick McCall (11th season)
Offensive scheme
Spread
Defensive coordinator
Mike Hankwitz (11th season)
Base defense
Multiple 4–3
Home stadium
Ryan Field
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →
2018 Big Ten Conference football standings
v
t
e
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
East Division
No. 3 Ohio State xy$
8
–
1
13
–
1
No. 14 Michigan x
8
–
1
10
–
3
No. 17 Penn State
6
–
3
9
–
4
Michigan State
5
–
4
7
–
6
Maryland
3
–
6
5
–
7
Indiana
2
–
7
5
–
7
Rutgers
0
–
9
1
–
11
West Division
No. 21 Northwestern xy
8
–
1
9
–
5
Wisconsin
5
–
4
8
–
5
No. 25 Iowa
5
–
4
9
–
4
Purdue
5
–
4
6
–
7
Minnesota
3
–
6
7
–
6
Nebraska
3
–
6
4
–
8
Illinois
2
–
7
4
–
8
Championship: Ohio State 45, Northwestern 24
$ – Conference champion
x – Division champion/co-champions
y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll
The 2018 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois and competed in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by 13th-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Northwestern began the year with a 1–3 record after winning its conference road opener against Purdue but falling to non-conference foes Duke and Akron, as well as Michigan in their conference home opener. The team won their next four games, including wins over ranked opponents Michigan State and Wisconsin, before falling to Notre Dame, which secured a winless non-conference slate. Regardless, the Wildcats clinched their first Big Ten West Division title by defeating No. 21 Iowa the following week.[1] They won their remaining two conference games to finish the regular season with a conference record of 8–1. In the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game, they lost to East Division champion Ohio State 45–24. The team was invited to the Holiday Bowl to play Pac-12 Conference runner-up Utah. The Wildcats won by a score of 31–20, their third consecutive bowl victory, which was a program first.[2] In the final AP Poll of the season, the Wildcats were ranked 21st.
Quarterback Clayton Thorson led the team's offense, finishing with 3,183 passing yards, third most in the Big Ten Conference, to go along with 17 passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns. Thorson, a fourth-year starter, finished his career as the school's all-time leading passer.[2] Freshman running back Isaiah Bowser led the team in rushing with 866 yards, and wide receiver Flynn Nagel led the team in receiving with 780 yards. On defense, linebacker Blake Gallagher led the Big Ten in total tackles with 127.[3] Fellow linebacker Paddy Fisher was named first team all-conference by the coaches, while defensive back Montre Hartage was named to the first team by the media. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald received the conference's coach of the year award.[4]
^"Northwestern clinches first Big Ten division title with win at Iowa". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 10, 2018.
^ abFriedman, Caleb (January 5, 2019). "Clayton Thorson left Northwestern better than he found it". InsideNU.com. Vox Media.
^"2018 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
^Cite error: The named reference big ten awards was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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