Rising
Ibraheim Campbell, safety
Campbell continued his midseason ascent Saturday, with 10 tackles. In
every way a game-changer, Campbell laid some memorable hits on the
Gophers– even knocking the ‘M’ off Minnesota a ball carrier’s helmet.
I didn’t know that was even possible. Jared Carpenter has been average
as a starter. While he brings leadership and is a better option than
Davion Fleming, the secondary needs Campbell as its glue. In the past
two games, he has done just that.
David Nwabuisi, linebacker
‘Bus,’ a co-captain, grabbed his first interception since Sept. 25,
2010 against Central Michigan. Fellow linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo said
the team is especially motivated by its senior. No doubt the physical
Nwabuisi is among them. After something of a dud at Penn State, the NU
linebackers rebounded and still rank among the top corps in the Big
Ten.
Venric Mark, running back
Wait. He just keeps getting better. Mark gained a career-high 182
yards, 160 of which came in the first half. He continues to make big
plays while keeping the football secure. Mark did most of his work on
the outside in the first two weeks, and improved enough to be a force
between the tackles. What a player.
Tyler Scott, defensive end
Scott entered the game having been one of the strongest, most
consistent defensive players on the team. He added to that with an
excellent eight-tackle performance, which included two sacks and a
forced fumble. So far: All-Big Ten. Little question about it.
Falling
The forward pass (to the turf)
Northwestern threw for 67 yards. Is that some sort of sick joke? Two
of its best receivers never caught a pass. McCall and Fitzgerald
continue to step on the team’s momentum with a bizarrely conservative
game plan. Both quarterbacks have proven they can make throws. And
even after a four-yard outing, it’s hard to blame Siemian considering
he has no opportunity to gain rhythm. After the Penn State game,
Fitzgerald said it would be tough to win in the Big Ten throwing for
only 135 yards. Today, they threw for less than half of that. No
words.
The helmet rule
This is the worst. So if a player’s helmet comes off during a play, he
has to sit out the next play. I understand the safety concerns in
football – as any sane person would – but every time I see the helmet
rule in effect, it bugs me tremendously. Today and against Syracuse,
Kain Colter’s helmet was jarred loose, which forced Trevor Siemian to
enter the game. I don’t understand its application. It seems stupid
and actually has an effect. By the way, equipment was flying
everywhere against Minnesota.
Demetrius Fields, wide receiver
Not long ago, Fields seemed poised for a breakout season. He caught
the game-winning touchdown pass from Trevor Siemian at Syracuse, then
put forth a workmanlike nine-catch performance against Boston College
two weeks later. Recently, Fields has been quiet. When Colter
reemerged as a receiving threat in the Indiana contest, it came at the
expense of Fields, who failed to catch a pass for the first time since
Oct. 8, 2011 against Michigan. Add the fact that Rashad Lawrence has
improved of late, eating up targets in the short passing game. Fields
is a talented pass catcher. The consistency has just never been there.