2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University
in the Big Ten Conference
during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Randy Walker
died unexpectedly on June 29, 2006 of an apparent heart attack
at the age of 52. Pat Fitzgerald
, seen by many before the tragedy as Walker's eventual successor, was promoted from linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator to head coach on July 7. The Wildcats also had to replace their offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and Brett Basanez
, the team's former four-year starter at quarterback and holder of dozens of school records. Not surprisingly, the 2006 season was not as successful as previous years.
Northwestern began their season with a win at Miami
, Walker's alma mater, in an emotional game that featured several tributes to the late coach. However, the season went downhill from there. The second game was a blowout loss to I-AA New Hampshire
. The low point of the season came on October 21 with a home loss to Michigan State
in which the Spartans staged the largest comeback in Division I-A history. A win against Illinois
in the final game gave the Wildcats a 4-8 record for the year and saved them from finishing last in the Big Ten. The high point of the season, despite coming in defeat, was Northwestern's surprisingly close and competitive play against undefeated and #3 ranked Michigan
. Despite being held to -13 rushing yards, the Wildcats came with-on one-possession of tying the game early in the third quarter and prevented the Wolverines from scoring in the fourth quarter en route to a 17-3 final.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Randy Walker
Randy Walker (football coach)
Randy J. Walker was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1990 to 1998 and at Northwestern University from 1999 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 96–81–5...
died unexpectedly on June 29, 2006 of an apparent heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 52. Pat Fitzgerald
Pat Fitzgerald
-External links:*...
, seen by many before the tragedy as Walker's eventual successor, was promoted from linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator to head coach on July 7. The Wildcats also had to replace their offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and Brett Basanez
Brett Basanez
Brett Stephen Basanez is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Northwestern....
, the team's former four-year starter at quarterback and holder of dozens of school records. Not surprisingly, the 2006 season was not as successful as previous years.
Northwestern began their season with a win at Miami
2006 Miami RedHawks football team
The 2006 Miami RedHawks football team represented the Miami University in the college football season of 2006. The team was coached by Shane Montgomery and played their homes game in Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.-Pre-season:...
, Walker's alma mater, in an emotional game that featured several tributes to the late coach. However, the season went downhill from there. The second game was a blowout loss to I-AA New Hampshire
New Hampshire Wildcats
The New Hampshire Wildcats, or Cats, are the athletic teams of the University of New Hampshire. The wildcat is the school's official mascot, the colors are UNH Blue and white...
. The low point of the season came on October 21 with a home loss to Michigan State
2006 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2006 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2006 season. Michigan State competed as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and played their home games...
in which the Spartans staged the largest comeback in Division I-A history. A win against Illinois
2006 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2006 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2006–2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook, who was in his second season with the Illini. Illinois had a record of 2–10, as they did the year before...
in the final game gave the Wildcats a 4-8 record for the year and saved them from finishing last in the Big Ten. The high point of the season, despite coming in defeat, was Northwestern's surprisingly close and competitive play against undefeated and #3 ranked Michigan
2006 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14...
. Despite being held to -13 rushing yards, the Wildcats came with-on one-possession of tying the game early in the third quarter and prevented the Wolverines from scoring in the fourth quarter en route to a 17-3 final.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31, 2006 | Miami (Ohio) 2006 Miami RedHawks football team The 2006 Miami RedHawks football team represented the Miami University in the college football season of 2006. The team was coached by Shane Montgomery and played their homes game in Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.-Pre-season:... |
Yager Stadium · Oxford, OH | W, 21-3 | |
||
| September 9, 2006 | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 34-17 | |
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| September 16, 2006 | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 14-6 | |
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| September 22, 2006 | Mackay Stadium Mackay Stadium Mackay Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Reno, Nevada, on the campus of the University of Nevada. It is the home field of the Nevada Wolf Pack of the Western Athletic Conference, the university's venue for football and track & field.... · Reno, NV |
L, 31-21 | |
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| September 30, 2006 | Penn State 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team The 2006 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2006–2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.... |
Beaver Stadium Beaver Stadium Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, United States, on the campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference. The stadium is named for James A... · University Park, PA |
L, 33-7 | |
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| October 7, 2006 | Wisconsin 2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team The 2006 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Bret Bielema, the Badgers completed the season with a 12-1 record, including a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference, good for a... |
Camp Randall Stadium Camp Randall Stadium Camp Randall Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. It has been the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team in rudimentary form since 1895, and as a complete stadium since 1917. It is located on the center-southern region of the University of Wisconsin campus. The stadium seats... · Madison, WI |
L, 41-9 | |
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| October 14, 2006 | Purdue 2006 Purdue Boilermakers football team The 2006 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Tiller and played its home games at Ross-Ade Stadium... |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 31-10 | |
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| October 21, 2006 | Michigan State 2006 Michigan State Spartans football team The 2006 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2006 season. Michigan State competed as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and played their home games... |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 41-38 | |
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| October 28, 2006 | Michigan 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team The 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2006 college football season. The team's head football coach was Lloyd Carr. The Wolverines came into the season with lower expectations than many Michigan teams of the previous few seasons, ranked #14... |
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field... · Ann Arbor, MI |
L, 17-3 | |
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| November 4, 2006 | Iowa 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team The 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2006 college football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were coached by Kirk Ferentz... |
Kinnick Stadium Kinnick Stadium Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, and known in the area simply as Kinnick, is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, in the sport of college football... · Iowa City, IA |
W, 21-7 | |
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| November 11, 2006 | Ohio State 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was an American football team representing the Ohio State University in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's head coach was Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium... |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 54-10 | |
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| November 18, 2006 | Illinois 2006 Illinois Fighting Illini football team The 2006 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2006–2007 college football season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook, who was in his second season with the Illini. Illinois had a record of 2–10, as they did the year before... |
Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 27-16 | |
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