Northwestern’s oft-potent spread offense has struggled the last two weeks in the absence of quarterback Brett Basanez, who fractured his left fibula in the Wildcats’ Oct. 10 loss to Minnesota.
Since then, under the direction of Tony Stauss, it was shut out at Penn State and held to 13 points by Purdue at home.
Stauss simply was miscast as the choreographer of his team’s attack. He is more the classic, drop-back quarterback without the nimbleness needed to run the spread. But Saturday, when Northwestern is host to Indiana, the quicker and shiftier Basanez is expected to return as his team’s starter, which presumably lifts its chances of breaking an ugly five-game losing streak.
He and Stauss alternated reps with the first team in preparation for the Wildcats’ meeting with the Hoosiers and, earlier this week, coach Randy Walker said, “He’s good enough to go, I think.”
If he is good to go, does he start?
“Yeah, I think,” said Walker, who was not available to comment further Thursday. “If he looks a little rusty or less than on his best game, maybe we wouldn’t. But he was the previous starter . . . and my belief is you don’t lose your job because you’re hurt.”
Basanez took over as starter in this season’s second game and before getting injured against the Golden Gophers he guided his offense to 42 points in a losing effort. That figure alone indicates the kind of difference he can make in the Wildcats’ attack and is why he can be expected to inject new life into a team severely struggling with its confidence.
“It just seems in [last Saturday’s Purdue] game, there was only one point in the game when everybody on the sideline was into it and was feeling we were going to win. That’s when it was 21-7,” senior tackle Jeff Roehl admitted, clearly indicating the fragility of Northwestern’s state of mind. “After that, [Purdue] scored a couple touchdowns, and from our performance, you could tell people packed it in. That’s unacceptable.”
“When things are going bad, it’s easier, when things start to go bad again, to go, `Oh, here we go again,'” senior center Austin King said. “Guys have to stop saying, `Here we go again’ and start saying, `Well, shoot, we’re down two touchdowns, but it’s not like we’ve never been down two touchdowns before and come back to win the game.’
“Even three weeks ago [against Minnesota], we were down 21 points [entering] the fourth quarter and were there basically [at the end] to win the game. A play or two, we win the game. But the last two weeks, guys have gotten, `Here we go again.’ Guys haven’t come together and made the plays to get us back on track.”
Other problems still mottle the Wildcats as they look to get back on track against Indiana (3-5, 1-3 Big Ten), an eminently beatable foe. The return of safety Dominique Price, who was hurt in the Oct. 19 loss to Penn State, is doubtful, which means their defense again could be without one of its biggest hitters. That defense, in turn, has been ripped apart continually by opponents’ tailbacks and remains highly suspect even though the Hoosiers’ rushing offense is the worst in the Big Ten at 116.9 yards per game.
Those are both significant issues for the Wildcats, yet overshadowing them is the doubt gnawing away at their collective soul. Basanez’s expected return should allay some of that. But they need a victory, any kind of victory, to regain their lost confidence. Yet victory is not possible without the confidence they now lack.
“It’s a conundrum we’re in,” Roehl said.
“It’s a very difficult situation to be in,” defensive tackle Colby Clark said. “In 2000, when we were winning all those games [on the way to sharing the Big Ten title], everybody had confidence. But when you’re not as successful as that, you’re trying to figure out everything you can do, clawing to get everything you can get, and when it doesn’t come your confidence isn’t lifted.”
Is there a way to break through that cycle?
“I don’t know. We’re trying,” Walker said. “I’ve coached as hard this year as I’ve ever coached in my life. I’ve talked more than I’ve ever talked in my life, in my 27 years in coaching. I’m probably talking too much. I said that [to the players] today.
“We’re talking way too much. This isn’t a hard game. You have to win your individual battle. If you get seven out of 11 winning battles, you have a chance.”
