Third time a charm?

Declawed 'Cats still 'M' nemesis

Once the easy team on Purdue's schedule and the purple creampuff the Big Ten's better teams used to beat up on, Northwestern has turned its program around.

In the process of winning or sharing the conference title each of the past two years, the Wildcats have become something even more unthinkable than Big Ten champions: the Wolverines' nemesis.

Twice Michigan has entered the Northwestern game with an unblemished record and a No. 6 ranking. Both times the Wolverines were favored. Both games ended in Michigan losses.

In 1995, it was a 19-13 shocker in Michigan Stadium that proved that the Wildcats were for real. Last year, it was a 17-16 miracle win after Michigan blew a 16-0 lead in the fourth quarter.

FILE PHOTO Michigan tailback Chris Howard fumbles the ball on the first play of the first drive after a fourth-quarter Northwestern touchdown cut the Wolverines' lead to 16-8 in last year's game.

Tomorrow, the picture is eerily similar. Michigan (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0 overall) will host Northwestern again undefeated and with a No. 6 ranking. For the third-straight time, the Wolverines are favored to win - and to win big.

"Certainly, because of what has happened in the past, this game has a lot of meaning for us," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "We're playing the Big Ten champions, and I expect them to play like the Big Ten champions."

The only problem is the Wildcats (0-2, 2-4) haven't played anything like Big Ten champions so far. They don't even resemble them. Gone are tailback Darnell Autry, linebacker Pat Fitzgerald, guard Justin Chabot and quarterback Steve Schnur - all All-Big Ten selections. To make matters worse, All-Big Ten receiver D'Wayne Bates suffered a season-ending injury before the Wildcats' season even began.

So Northwestern coach Gary Barnett, still known as the savior of football in Evanston, has had little to work with and little to show for it. Barnett incited such a revolution in Northwestern football that the school renovated its field adding extra seats to accommodate alumni, once ashamed of the program, who now want a piece of the action.

FILE PHOTO With receiver D'Wayne Bates out for the season, Northwestern's offense has been stagnant at best.

And what have the Wildcats done on sparkling new Ryan Field - formerly known as Dyche Stadium - but disappoint their newly acquired "faithful" and drop consecutive home games to Rice and Wisconsin. Barnett even conceded the Big Ten title after only two conference games.

"The Rose Bowl is certainly out of the question at this point," Barnett said. "You have to adjust a little bit. Rather than being down about it, we have to take something away from the" Wisconsin game last week.

Barnett knew the Wildcats' offense wouldn't be anywhere near as potent as last year's - the loss of Bates made the situation even worse - but Northwestern's defense was expected to be solid. The Wildcats were ranked in most preseason top 25 polls. Everyone in Evanston expected a bowl trip.

But Northwestern's performance has been disappointing. The loss to lowly Rice was reminiscent of the meek Northwestern teams of the past. Barnett said the Wildcats had lost their passion.

The loss to Wisconsin last week was a heart-breaker - a last-second field goal from 45 yards did the damage - but Barnett said he saw something that had been absent in the three weeks before. Unlike the debacle against Rice, the Wildcats played rather well, and they played with an intensity that hadn't been seen since last season.

"We were more disappointed in the games that we won," defensive end Casey Dailey said. "If we had played the way we played against Wisconsin the whole season, we'd be 6-0."

"I've never been around a team that has lost that feels so good about going to play the next game," Barnett added.

"It's like we've found ourselves, and we're back to playing the way that we have the last two years."

Now Northwestern enters a treacherous portion of the schedule that starts with Michigan.

Barnett said the Wildcats are playing better now than in those two ugly loses, but even that might not be enough.

Barnett said that this is the best Michigan team he has seen since entering the league five years ago, and he's even comparing Michigan quarterback Brain Griese's poise and leadership to Schnur's.

Michigan is after the Big Ten title that was once Northwestern's, and while history is on his side, Barnett knows that this year's game may not end as well as before.

The Wildcats season certainly won't be as successful. The Big Ten champions of yesteryear may be gone for quite some time.

"That was a special group of kids, but they had two years before they really understood what it takes to win the Big Ten title," Barnett said. "Right now, we're playing kids who watched those two seasons but didn't play a whole lot."

10-10-97