Northwestern coach Randy Walker needed a little extra time to collect himself and measure his words after Saturday’s 30-21 loss to Arizona State before 21,939 at Ryan Field.
The problem was emotion: too little by the Wildcats, too much for Walker to control easily.
“I can’t see everything that happens on every play out there, why we missed a tackle or why we didn’t pick up a blitz,” a guarded Walker said. “But I’m pretty astute at seeing into people’s eyes and what lies behind them. And that’s where I’m as concerned and upset about anything as I’ve ever been here.
“We have good kids and the ability to be a good team. I’m not sure we are playing with the passion it takes to be a good team.”
The players did not disagree.
“When you look out there on the field and see a lot of blank faces,” cornerback Marvin Ward said, attesting to the collective lack of focus, “you have to question yourself as a player.”
The Wildcats (0-2) outgained their opponent for the second straight game but made more mistakes and poor plays than could be overcome.
Northwestern had momentum and lost it. Had the lead and lost it. Had chances to score and lost them. Had chances to put away Arizona State (2-0) and lost them.
Northwestern had possession in Arizona State territory four times while the outcome was in doubt and failed to get any points. In fact Arizona turned three of those failures into two touchdowns and a field goal.
Of four fumbles, three by Arizona State, the Wildcats recovered none. The last and worst was running back Terrell Jordan’s fumble at the Arizona State 20 while Northwestern was driving while down 27-21.
“We have to have that killer instinct out there,” said Wildcats receiver Mark Philmore, who caught six passes for 91 yards, “and we haven’t had it.”
After going up 7-3 in the second quarter on Noah Herron’s 9-yard touchdown run, Northwestern failed to score on its next two possessions, both ending in Sun Devils territory.
The blown chances continued when Northwestern opened the second half trailing 17-7 but, with a penalty-aided drive, moved again into the Sun Devils’ end of the field.
That all ended with a desperation pass on fourth down at the Arizona State 28 on which both quarterback Brett Basanez and receiver Ashton Aikens were flattened by Sun Devils.
“We have to come away with [points in] those chances,” Philmore said.
Basanez completed 21 of 38 passes for 228 yards. His counterpart, Andrew Walter, was 19 of 36 for 292 yards and three touchdowns.
A delay-of-game penalty on a first-half field-goal attempt took the Wildcats out of three-point range. A fake punt failed completely and handed the ball to Arizona State at its 40. Four plays later Walter hit wide receiver Derek Hagan with a 47-yard touchdown pass.
Northwestern answered with a drive to the Arizona State 29 only to see Basanez sacked for a 10-yard loss that forced a punt.
One possession later, with a chance to pin the Sun Devils deep in their own end, Brian Huffman shanked an 11-yard punt from the Arizona 42.
The turnaround was complete when Walter found Hagan open down middle of the Northwestern zone from 41 yards out for the halftime lead.
Those scoring passes both went into open seams in the Northwestern defense, exactly the kind the Wildcats were intent on sealing after breakdowns against Texas Christian that saw similar throws with identical results.
“We know what we’re doing out there,” Ward said. “We’re just not doing it.”
