Wildcats triumph in Basement Bowl

The Wildcats beat the spread and won the game, 27-16 over the Fighting Illini, thus consigning Illinois to last place in the Big Ten. Where they feel quite at home, given this is their fourth straight year finishing last. And, few things in college football could feel worse than being tied with MSU for last, as the inept Illini were unable to even secure sole possession of last place.

Not much to say about the game. Warren was reasonably accurate, as it was somewhat of a mistake-filled mess, but NU capitalized on the Illini gaffes (how often does one see the AP use the word "comical" in a sports story!). Bacher and Sutton powered the offense to almost 400 net yards, and the defense dominated the Illini other than on a few long gainers (including Rashard Mendenhall's near-record run). Most telling statistic? Time of possession was 39 minutes for the Cats, 20 minutes for the Illini.

The Cats finished 4-8 overall, 2-6 in the Big Ten. Hard to see the bright spots there, other than the big win over stumbling-to-the-finish-line Iowa. Both NU and the Illini need to claim this was a re-building year.

So as my friend logic101 pointed out, it was Senior Day, so-named not because the Fish Head is old, but because its the last home game for the seniors on the team. How does next season look for the Wildcats based on the graduating class?

Place kicker Joel Howells. While his kicking skills seemed poor, it was especially hard to like this poor guy after the Sun Bowl onside kicking fiasco on national TV. No clue who the replacement is (I think we saw him on one or two kicks early in the season), but this is no loss for the Cats.

Safety Marquice Cole. Marquice was a key hitter and special teams player. He will be sorely missed from a defensive backfield that has been porous for years. A smaller ditto for Bryan Heinz.

Wide receiver Shaun Herbert. Leading receiver and all-around important cog on offense. He will be sorely missed.

RB Terrell Jordan. This guy had a tough college career marred by bad injuries and difficult rehabs.

Punter Slade Larscheid. Affectionately nicknamed Shank, he will be missed only by the manufacturers of Tums, as we no longer need to chew them down to suppress the stomach acid generated by his spectacular, game-altering shanks.

LB Nick Roach. This is a tough one. Nick was the defensive leader and a great LB.

The Fish Head's interpretation? NU does not lose too much to graduation (17 of 22 starters return), and should be a much improved team next year. With a more-experienced offensive backfield, older and stronger lines on both sides of the ball, 2007 should be a good year.