Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Closes Regular Season at No. 5 Wisconsin
11/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 22, 2010
Northwestern (7-4, 3-4 Big Ten) at No. 5 Wisconsin (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten)
2:30 p.m. CT • Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010
Camp Randall Stadium (80,321) • Madison, Wis.
Television: ABC (ESPN in outer markets)
Radio: WGN (720 AM), WNUR (89.3 FM)
Internet: ESPN3.com, wgnradio.com, wnur.org
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Next Game: Bowl game • site and opponent to be announced Sunday, Dec. 5
Ticket Information: Once NU's bowl site is finalized, ticket procedures will be announced on NUsports.com
NU Football Game Notes (vs. Wisconsin) 
For Openers
• Northwestern closes out the 2010 regular season this Saturday, taking on Big Ten co-leader Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. Kickoff in Madison is set for 2:30 p.m. CT with ABC televising to a regional audience and ESPN televising in the outer markets. Saturday's game at Wisconsin marks NU's first regular-season Big Ten game to be played post-Thanksgiving since 1931.
• With one regular-season game to play, Northwestern already has clinched a bowl berth and its third successive winning season. This Saturday in Madison, the Wildcats are trying to improve their bowl resume, as well as notch a .500 Big Ten record. NU has won four or more conference games five times in the past seven years.
• The Wildcats are bowl-eligible for a fourth straight season and the fifth time in the past six years. (Note: NU was bowl-eligible in 2007 with a 6-6 record, but did not play in a bowl game due to the fact that there were a Big Ten-record 10 bowl-eligible teams.) NU has won six or more games for the 10th time since 1995.
• November has been a good month for Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats. Since taking over as NU's head coach in 2006, the Wildcats have posted a 10-6 record in November, which includes a 7-3 record since 2008. Four of those seven wins have come against top-25 clubs. This year's slate of November foes may be the most challenging yet for Fitzgerald's 'Cats: NU's four November foes own a combined record of 30-14. Two of those teams (Iowa and Wisconsin) are ranked in the top-25, while all four teams are bowl-eligible. Fitzgerald's .625 winning percentage in November is the Wildcats' top month since he became the head coach in 2006.
• Northwestern is 4-4 in its last eight games versus ranked teams.
• The Wildcats are making their first visit to Camp Randall since Oct. 7, 2006. Northwestern and Wisconsin did not play one another in 2007 and '08, and then NU won last year's meeting, 33-31, in Evanston.
• Prior to last Saturday's game vs. Illinois, Northwestern had either led or been tied in the second half of 26 straight games dating to November 2008.
• Northwestern is facing a red-hot offense in Wisconsin, which has scored 30 or more points in each of its last six games, all Badger victories. In its last two contests, Wisconsin has scored a combined 131 points. The Badgers, who presently sit in a three-way first-place tie at 6-1, can clinch a trip to Pasadena with a win over the Wildcats and an Ohio State victory over Michigan. Wisconsin's trio of running backs--John Clay, James White and Montee Ball--have combined for 2,510 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns. All three running backs have scored 13 TD's apiece.
• After this Saturday's regular-season finale, the Wildcats will take a majority of next week off before finding out their postseason bowl destination on Sunday, Dec. 5. Northwestern will hold a news conference that day (time TBA) once the bowl site and opponent is determined.
• The 2010 All-Big Ten Football teams will be announced at 6 p.m. CT on Monday, Nov. 29 on the Big Ten Network.
The Broadcasts
Radio -- WGN Radio (720 AM, wgnradio.com) will carry the game live with the broadcast starting at 2 p.m. Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Ted Albrecht (analyst) call the action. WNUR (89.3), NU's student station, also will carry the game. The game can be heard on satellite radio: Sirius (Ch. 90), XM Satellite (Ch. 196).
Television -- ABC is televising the game to a regional audience with ESPN televising to the outer markets. Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bob Griese (analyst), Chris Spielman (analyst) and Jeannine Edwards (sideline) call the action. ESPN3.com is also streaming the game live.
(For a complete set of notes, download the PDF above.)
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