Courtesy of Northwestern Athletics
We live, of course, in the Instant Age and embrace that adjective as if it were some
elixir. We drink our instant coffee and eat our instant mashed potatoes, we demand
an expert's instant analysis and seek always the bliss of instant gratification.
But, right now, we ask you to relax and take a deep breath, to slow way down and
keep in mind one, quite-salient fact. This. Is. A. Report. On. The. 'Cats. First.
Scrimmage. Of. The. Spring.
For the record, it lasted 68 plays and generally matched the first offense against
the first defense, the second offense against the second defense. For the record,
starting quarterback Dan Persa went 8-of-10 for 40 yards and his backup, Evan
Watkins, went 7-of-16 for 135 yards and the only touchdown the offense would score
on this Saturday morning. Demetrius Fields, on a deep post, caught that 48-yard
pass, but Sidney Stewart led all receivers with four catches for 32 yards. Stephen
Simmons and Jacob Schmidt each gained 47 yards rushing, Simmons on 10 carries and
Schmidt on 14, and Schmidt aborted a possible scoring drive by fumbling at the goal
line. What else? Well, both running back Arby Fields and defensive end Quentin
Williams were at Penn State with the baseball team.
Their absences, and the absences of others due to injury, explain why it would be
foolish to rush-to-judgment here. They also explain why those numbers are just
for-the-record and really nothing more than window dressing. This. Was. The. 'Cats.
First. Scrimmage. Of. The. Spring, which meant there was more at work here.