Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
GAME NOTES: Wildcats Open 2018 Campaign Under the Lights at Purdue
8/27/2018 4:22:00 PM | Football
| NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL: GAME DAY INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | BROADCAST | LIVE STATS |
| Thursday, Aug. 30 |
Purdue | 7:06 p.m. | Ross-Ade Stadium West Lafayette, Ind. |
TV: ESPN RADIO: WGN 720 |
PurdueSports.com |
| ESPN: Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color), Maria Taylor (sideline) WGN 720: Dave Eanet (play-by-play), Ted Albrecht (analyst), Adam Hoge (sideline) Social: Twitter (@NUFBFamily and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@nufbfamily) | Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern | Purdue | Big Ten Fitzgerald Press Conference | Student-Athlete Press Conference |
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EVANSTON, Ill. — The Northwestern football program will open the 2018 campaign with a Big Ten contest versus Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, Thursday night under the lights.
The Wildcats, riding a Power-5 best eight-game winning streak dating back to last season, will open the season with a Big Ten contest for the first time since 1984. The Boilermakers, led by second-year head coach Jeff Brohm, are coming off a 7-6 season and a win in the Foster Farm's Bowl. The game will be played in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN with Dave Flemming, Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor on the call.
As always, fans can listen to the contest with the voice of the Wildcats Dave Eanet, Ted Albrecht and Adam Hoge on WGN 720.
KICKING THINGS OFF -- Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald enters his 13th season coming off the Wildcats' third 10-win campaign during his tenure. Fitzgerald has compiled a 87-65 record overall, including three victories in bowl games. The #HOMEGROWN head coach has led the 'Cats to 27 wins over the last three seasons, ranking inside the top 15 among FBS programs.
WILDCATS NAME 2018 TEAM CAPTAINS -- Senior quarterback Clayton Thorson, senior offensive lineman Tommy Doles, senior cornerback Montre Hartage and redshirt sophomore Paddy Fisher were voted team captains by their teammates during training camp. Thorson becomes the fifth two-time captain under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, while Fisher is the first sophomore to serve as a captain during the Fitzgerald era.
OPENING THE DOORS -- Northwestern opened the doors to the brand-new, 500,000-square-foot Walter Athletics Center on the shores of Lake Michigan this offseason. The state-of-the-art facility includes Ryan Fieldhouse and Wilson Field, a 97,000-square-foot indoor practice facility.
WELCOME BACK -- Chicago's Big Ten Team returns 61-of-76 letterwinners (81 percent) from its 10-win team last season, entering 2018 as one of the top-25 most-experienced teams in the nation. The Wildcats return seven starters on offense, including their top passer, two top receivers and four of five offensive linemen. The defensive side of the ball also returns seven starters, including its top two leading tacklers, leader in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles.
RETURN OF SOME 'CATS -- The Northwestern coaching staff saw its first change in over seven years with the addition of three familiar names in the offseason. Former NU assistant Jeff Genyk returned to campus as the program's Special Teams Coordinator, while alumni Lou Ayeni (Running Backs) and Tim McGarigle (Linebackers) were named assistant coaches in January. Veteran coach Matt MacPherson was elevated to Associate Head Coach and will lead the defensive backs in 2018. Despite the changes, the Wildcats eight coaches who have at least 10 years experience at the institution, marking the second most in the country behind only Navy (9).
More notes are available in the full 'Game Notes' packet at the top of the page.
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