2014 Northwestern Wildcats football team
| 2014 Northwestern Wildcats football | |
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| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| West Division | |
| 2014 record | 5–7 (3–5 Big Ten) |
| Head coach | Pat Fitzgerald |
| Offensive coordinator | Mick McCall |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Mike Hankwitz |
| Base defense | Multiple 4–3 |
| Home stadium |
Ryan Field (Capacity: 47,130) |
| 2014 Big Ten football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #1 Ohio State x$#^ | 8 | – | 0 | 14 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #5T Michigan State | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 3 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 2 | – | 6 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 1 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| #13 Wisconsin x | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2014 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University during the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Pat Fitzgerald, who was in his ninth season at Northwestern, as the team's head coach. The Wildcats home games were played at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. They were members of the new West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the West Division.
In a rematch of the 2013 season opener, Cal got off to a fast start, scoring on their first 3 drives to jump out to a 17–0 lead. Northwestern would get on the board with a long touchdown throw from Trevor Siemian to Cameron Dickerson, but Cal responded with a 76 yard touchdown catch by Trevor Davis. Cal would score again at the start of the 3rd to go up 31–7, but Northwestern would fight their way back into the game thanks to questionable play calling and turnovers by Cal. With the Wildcats trailing 31–24 and driving with the ball inside of the Bears' 20 yard-line, Trevor Siemian was intercepted by linebacker Jalen Jefferson, sealing the win for the Golden Bears, and getting revenge on the Wildcats, who beat them 44–30 in Berkley in the first game of the 2013 season. Trevor Siemian finished with 229 yards passing, with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions, and he also caught a touchdown pass. Jared Goff threw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns for Cal, while throwing one interception.
The week 2 matchup between Northern Illinois and Northwestern was a major defensive struggle, with both teams failing to score in the first half. The best chance for Northwestern came when Miles Shuler dropped a would-be touchdown throw from Trevor Siemian midway through the second quarter. Northern Illinois had a good scoring chance before halftime but Tyler Wedel missed a 22 yard field goal. Wedel got the scoring started with a 32 yard field goal on the Huskies opening drive of the second half. Later in the quarter, Northwestern would take a 7–3 lead on a 19 yard touchdown catch by Kyle Prater. Northern Illinois would respond with Drew Hare finding Da'Ron Brown for an 18 yard touchdown to give the Huskies a 10–7 lead going into the 4th. The Huskies would strike again when Hare found Brown again, this time from 59 yards to give NIU a 16–7 lead with 7 minutes left. Northern Illinois scored again to make it 23–7, and the Wildcats would make things interesting when Zack Oliver, replacing an injured Trevor Siemian, would hook up with Pierre Youngblood-Ary for a 54 yard score. The Wildcats converted the two-point conversion to make it a one score game at 23–15, however the Huskies would recover Northwestern's onside kick to win the game. Northwestern would enter their bye week 0–2.
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