| 2010Northwestern Wildcats football | |
|---|---|
TicketCity Bowl, L 38–45 vs.Texas Tech | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 7–6 (3–5 Big Ten Conference) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Mick McCall (3rd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Mike Hankwitz (3rd season) |
| Base defense | Multiple 4–3 |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Ryan Field |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14Michigan State + | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7Wisconsin $+ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 7 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5Ohio State† % | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The2010 Northwestern Wildcats football team representedNorthwestern University in theBig Ten during the2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season.Pat Fitzgerald, in his fifth season at Northwestern, was the team's head coach. The Wildcats home games were played atRyan Field inEvanston, Illinois. The annual rivalry game against theUniversity of Illinois was played atWrigley Field on November 20.
The Wildcats finished the season 7–6, 3–5 in Big Ten play and was invited to the inauguralTicketCity Bowl where they were defeated byTexas Tech 38–45.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4 | 6:30 pm | atVanderbilt* | CSNC | W 23–21 | 37,210[4] | |
| September 11 | 11:00 am | Illinois State* | BTN | W 37–3 | 25,471[5] | |
| September 18 | 6:00 pm | atRice* | W 30–13 | 15,562[6] | ||
| September 25 | 11:00 am | Central Michigan* |
| BTN | W 30–25 | 30,075[7] |
| October 2 | 11:00 am | atMinnesota | ESPN | W 29–28 | 49,228[8] | |
| October 9 | 6:30 pm | Purdue |
| BTN | L 17–20 | 33,847[9] |
| October 23 | 11:00 am | No. 8Michigan State![]() |
| ESPN | L 27–35 | 41,115[10] |
| October 30 | 11:00 am | atIndiana | BTN | W 20–17 | 37,818[11] | |
| November 6 | 2:30 pm | atPenn State | ABC/ESPN2 | L 21–35 | 104,147[12] | |
| November 13 | 11:00 am | No. 13Iowa |
| ESPN | W 21–17 | 47,130[13] |
| November 20 | 2:30 pm | vs.Illinois | ESPNU | L 27–48 | 41,058[14] | |
| November 27 | 2:30 pm | at No. 5Wisconsin | ABC/ESPN | L 23–70 | 80,011[15] | |
| January 1 | 11:00 am | vs.Texas Tech* | ESPNU | L 38–45 | 40,121[16] | |
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| Week | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | — | RV | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | 25 | RV | — | — | — |
| Harris | Not released | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | Not released | |||||
| BCS | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| Commodores | 0 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 21 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redbirds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Wildcats | 14 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 37 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 3 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 30 |
| Owls | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewas | 6 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 25 |
| Wildcats | 6 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 30 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 14 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 29 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boilermakers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| #25 Wildcats | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 Spartans | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 35 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Hoosiers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Nittany Lions | 0 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 35 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkeyes | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
Northwestern won a thriller by scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats led in the first two periods, but the Hawkeyes scored twice to take the lead in the third quarter.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Illini | 21 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 48 |
| #25 Wildcats | 14 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
The Wildcats, one week after upsetting a ranked Iowa team, fell flat in Wrigley Field, losing 48-27 to the Fighting Illini. Illinois RB Mikel LeShoure ran wild on Northwestern's defense for 330 yards on 33 carries (for an average of 10.0 yards per carry), with a pair of touchdowns. The loss snapped a two game Northwestern winning streak over Illinois and sealed a bowl berth for Illinois, regardless of the outcome of their season finale against Fresno State next week. Northwestern falls to 3-4 in Big Ten play and 7-4 overall. The Wildcats face the 10-1 Wisconsin Badgers next week in Camp Randall Stadium, where they have not won since the 2000 season.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 3 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 23 |
| #5 Badgers | 14 | 35 | 21 | 0 | 70 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 38 |
| Red Raiders | 10 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| 2010 Northwestern Wildcats roster[17][18] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Superbacks
| Offensive line
Defensive line
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Cornerbacks
Safeties | Punters Kickers Long snappers
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The measures taken by the school included vacating all the Buckeyes' wins from last season, a year in which Ohio State captured a record-tying sixth straight Big Ten title and won an unprecedented seventh straight game over Michigan.