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UK Opponent Preview: Who Are the Northwestern Wildcats

By Drew Koch

LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Pat Fitzgerald of the Northwestern Wildcats waits to run on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Pat Fitzgerald of the Northwestern Wildcats waits to run on the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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The Kentucky Wildcats will face off against the Northwestern Wildcats in the Music City Bowl on December 29, 2017. Who is Northwestern University and what does the Kentucky opponent bring to the table?

Northwestern University is based in Evanston, Illinois just north of Chicago. The Wildcats ended the regular season on a 7-game winning streak, finishing 9-3 and ranked No. 21 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Northwestern is coached by Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald played linebacker at Northwestern from 1993-1996. Fitzgerald was the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner and the Chuck Bednarik Trophy winner. Both trophies honor the nation’s best defender and Fitzgerald won both honors twice. Fitzgerald was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

As a coach, Fitzgerald has had moderate success. He has been the head coach at Northwestern since 2006 and his record as a head coach is 86-65. Fitzgerald’s best season was 2015 when he led the Wildcats to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the Outback Bowl. Fitzgerald received a 10-year contract extension this past spring.

Since the Wildcats’ 31-7 loss at home to Penn State they’ve been on a tear. During their 7-game winning streak theWildcats have outscored opponents 238-106. The average margin of victory in those games is almost 19 points.

Senior running back Justin Jackson leads the Wildcats in rushing and is averaging 4.5 yards per carry. It should come as no surprise, however, that Northwestern’s calling card is their defense. They are currently allowing less than 20 points per game and rank 19th in the nation in that category.

The last defense that Kentucky played who ranked in the Top 20 in points allowed was Georgia. If the Wildcats’ defene is anything like the Bulldogs, Kentucky may find it tough to gain consistent yards on the ground and through the air.

Kentucky has more than three weeks to prepare for their opponent. They’re going to need all the practice they can get in between now and the Music City Bowl if they want to defeat Northwestern.

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