1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team
Encyclopedia
The 1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University
in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A college football season
.
, the trio of quarterback
Steve Schnur, running back
Darnell Autry
, and linebacker
Pat Fitzgerald
lead the Wildcats to a dramatic turnaround for the program. "Expect Victory" was the motto even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17-15 season-opening win over heavily favored Notre Dame, along with wins over Michigan
, 19-13, and Penn State, 21-10, catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern achieved a ranking of #3 in the nation and won the Big Ten Conference
title. They faced off against USC in the Rose Bowl
where the Wilcats' Cinderella
season came to an abrupt halt with a 41-32 loss.
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 1995 NCAA Division I-A college football season
1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl....
.
Season
Northwestern finished the season with a 10-2 record. Under head coach Gary BarnettGary Barnett
Gary Barnett is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Fort Lewis College , Northwestern University , and the University of Colorado at Boulder , compiling a career college football record of 92–94–2...
, the trio of quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Steve Schnur, running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Darnell Autry
Darnell Autry
Harrington Darnell Autry is a former American football player who played college football at Northwestern University. In his sophomore season, he helped lead the Northwestern Wildcats to the Big Ten Championship and the 1996 Rose Bowl...
, and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Pat Fitzgerald
Pat Fitzgerald
-External links:*...
lead the Wildcats to a dramatic turnaround for the program. "Expect Victory" was the motto even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17-15 season-opening win over heavily favored Notre Dame, along with wins over Michigan
1995 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1995 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1995 college football season. The team's head coach was Lloyd Carr...
, 19-13, and Penn State, 21-10, catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern achieved a ranking of #3 in the nation and won 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...
title. They faced off against USC in the Rose Bowl
1996 Rose Bowl
The 1996 Rose Bowl was the 82nd Rose Bowl Game. It was the 50th game in the series featuring the Big Ten Conference and the Pacific-10 Conference. The USC Trojans defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 41-32 on the strength of two touchdown passes from USC QB Brad Otton to WR Keyshawn Johnson...
where the Wilcats' Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
season came to an abrupt halt with a 41-32 loss.
Schedule
Awards and honors
- Gary BarnettGary BarnettGary Barnett is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Fort Lewis College , Northwestern University , and the University of Colorado at Boulder , compiling a career college football record of 92–94–2...
, Paul "Bear" Bryant Award - Gary Barnett, Walter Camp Coach of the YearWalter Camp Coach of the YearThe Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football head coach adjudged by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football...
- Pat FitzgeraldPat Fitzgerald-External links:*...
, LB, Chuck Bednarik AwardChuck Bednarik AwardThe Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States... - Pat Fitzgerald, LB, Bronko Nagurski TrophyBronko Nagurski TrophyThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...