If Northwestern football coach Francis Peay were a bubbly Pollyanna, his optimism about the 1991 season could be discounted easily. But he is not.
Peay views life as it is, and is realistic enough to know the 2-9 season he just completed won`t impress many.
His five-year Big 10 record is 7-32-1, and Northwestern`s last winning season was in 1971, the year his quarterback, Len Williams, was born. But Peay says he feels better about the coming season than any of the previous 10 he has spent in Evanston, five as an assistant to Dennis Green.
”The worst is certainly behind us,” Peay said after his 31-point underdogs fought to a 28-23 loss to Illinois in the season finale. ”The cupboard is no longer bare.
”For the first time in quite a while, we have personnel in position to help us on the field. We no longer have to rely on freshmen, who are not yet in school, to provide us depth.”
Not all Wildcat fans share Peay`s optimism. Some point to the defense and remind that, even in the hard-fought 29-22 and 28-23 losses in the last two games, it was unable to stop Michigan State or Illinois in clutch late-game situations.
Peay never has estimated the number of games his team will win, and he isn`t doing this for 1991. However, with Rice, Rutgers and Wake Forest as nonconference games, the Wildcats might exceed Peay`s previous best record of 4-7 in 1986.
His optimism surfaced at the recent football banquet when he announced six seniors had committed to play a fifth season of eligibility. ”I could have grabbed and hugged every one of them,” Peay said.
Peay`s feeling was understandable. Stan Holsen, at 6 feet 7 inches and 290 pounds, played every down at offensive left tackle. Tackle Darryl Ashmore, 6-7 and 280, will try to duplicate Chris Hinton`s 1982 move from defense to offense. Dan Freveletti, at 275, excelled at nose guard when the Wildcats battled Michigan State and Illinois to the wire. Mike Shares capably backed up Freveletti. Dwight James is a three-year regular in the secondary. Ex-quarterback Mark Benson alternated at flanker with another returnee, Chip Morris.
Brilliant receiver Richard Buchanan will graduate this spring and pass up a final year of eligibility to turn pro. But the six returnees are uncommon at NU, where athletes frequently take their degrees with eligibility remaining.
Some view the experiment of switching Ashmore to offense or seeing a pro career for him as a long shot. He lost most of the last two seasons to severe knee injuries.
”Offense is where Darryl`s future lies,” said Peay. ”His knees will undergo less stress on offense.”
For the first time in Peay`s tenure, Northwestern has several other positives:
– The Quarterback-NU returns a starting quarterback for the first time since Mike Greenfield in 1987. Sophomore Williams this fall became NU`s first QB since Mitch Anderson in 1973 to throw more TD passes than interceptions. Both had 12-9 ratios. And 1973 was the last time the Wildcats (4-4) played .500 ball in the Big 10.
– The ”99-Point Swing”-In its last two games last year, NU was slaughtered 76-14 and 63-14 by the Spartans and Illini. Against the same two foes this November, the spread fell from 111 to 12 points, a swing of 99!
– The Full Deck. Saddled by ”interim” status in 1986, Peay virtually missed out on an entire class of recruits. Last year was his first with four classes of his own recruits.
– Familiar Faces-Decisions by the fifth-year seniors, plus recovery from injury by fiery linebacker Tom Homco, provide Peay in 1991 with as many as 17 men who have been listed among the 22 starters.
– Recruiting-”We recruited an unquestionably good class last year when we were 0-11,” said Peay. ”My feeling is that we`re further ahead . . . doing a better job recruiting this year.”
Willams` efficiency rating of 120.0 this season was No. 3 in school history. Tim O`Brien`s registered 122.6 in 1989, and Tommy Myers set a school- record 133.3 for Ara Parseghian`s 1962 team that had a No. 1 national ranking in November and finished 7-2.
”There are very, very definite parallels between the team we expect to have in 1991 and in times we`ve had success here before,” said Peay.
Defense has been the weakness of recent Wildcat teams, but coordinator Mike Knoll`s unit improved its record against the big plays that killed the team in 1989. Linebacker Ed Sutter`s 161 tackles may stir some preseason All- American hype for him.
Peay liked this year`s 22 to 15 takeaway-to-turnover ratio, and he likes next year`s down-the-middle look with Sutter and Homco backing up nose man Freveletti. Another linebacker, Steve Ostrowski of Joliet Catholic, was newcomer of the year on defense.
What must Northwestern do to fulfill its coach`s confidence? Several factors must fall into place.
First, NU needs to recruit faster players, especially among pass rushers. The defense, under Knoll, took a big step forward in 1990 by limiting opponents` big plays. The next step is to make big plays.
The Wildcats also have to avoid a rash of injuries. That has been true since Parseghian`s teams faded in November. Despite improved depth, NU still can`t match state schools in the numbers game.
Next, the Wildcats need an emotional uplift. They will jack up community and campus support if they score a breakthrough success-a Big 10 road victory or an upset over a bowl-bound rival.
Finally, the administration and athletic department have major roles to play.
The administration, without compromising its academic integrity, must be willing to take some academic risks to compete in Big 10, the school`s chosen place of residence. The athletic department must sell the Wildcats in the Chicago market and fill the average of 20,000 empty seats per game in Dyche Stadium.
