Three straight sellout crowds of 49,256 for games against Wisconsin, Penn State and Iowa raised Northwestern’s final 1995 home attendance to 229,380 for six dates in Dyche Stadium. That’s an average of 38,230, highest since 1968’s average of 38,771.
Average home crowds in coach Gary Barnett’s four years: 32,989, 30,965, 34,382 and 38,230. The 1992 and 1994 averages were swelled by crowds of 66,000-plus for Notre Dame games in Soldier Field.
Dyche Stadium crowds averaged in the 20,000s from 1986-91.
Coach Ara Parseghian’s 1960 Wildcats set the school attendance record, averaging 50,641 per game when bleachers were erected in the north end zone.
Defensive balance: Northwestern’s defensive balance showed against Iowa. Pat Fitzgerald was credited with taking part in 10 tackles before he broke his leg. Rodney Ray and Tim Scharf had eight tackles apiece. Chris Martin and Matt Rice had seven apiece. Danny Sutter, William Bennett and Hudhaifa Ishmaeli had six, Eric Collier had five and Geoff Shein and Don Holmes had four each.
Behind the numbers: A look beyond the raw statistics shows the huge role special teams played for the Wildcats. Punting averages look close, 40.8 for NU’s Paul Burton and 37.3 for Iowa’s Nick Gallery. Factor in Brian Musso’s 60-yard TD punt return, however, and Gallery’s net average is 27.3, Burton’s 40.3. Also, NU’s coverage unit limited the Hawkeyes to a 10-yard average on kickoff returns. Finally, Brian Gowins kicked four extra points and a 50-yard field goal for NU. Zach Bromert missed a PAT for the Hawkeyes.
