Big Ten Bowl Preview: 2017 Music City Bowl
By Marty Leap
On December 29, No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats will do battle with the Kentucky Wildcats in the Music City Bowl in Nashville.
Entering the season there were a lot of expectations surrounding the Northwestern Wildcats. After a slow start to the season, the Wildcats bounced back to finish the regular season with 7 consecutive victories, a 9-3 record, and a top-20 ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Game: Music City Bowl
Teams: #20 Northwestern Wildcats (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (7-5, 4-4 SEC)
Time: December 29, 4:30 PM
Location: Nissan Stadium; Nashville, Tennessee
TV: ESPN
On December 29, they will do battle with the SEC’s Kentucky Wildcats in the Music City Bowl.
Northwestern enters this bowl matchup as one of the hottest teams in the FBS. They finished the season tied for 52nd in the FBS in scoring offense (29.7 points per game) and 19th in scoring defense (19.8 points per game).
Northwestern’s offense checks in 82nd nationally in offensive efficiency according to S&P+. Their calling card this past season was defense, as the Wildcats checked in 24th in the FBS in defensive efficiency.
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Junior quarterback Clayton Thorson has NFL aspirations after completing 60.6 percent of his passes for 2,809 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. However, the talent passer can be careless with the ball having thrown 12 interceptions in the regular season. Thorson also rushed for eight touchdowns.
Northwestern’s best offensive player is one of the most productive running backs in Big Ten history – Justin Jackson. Jackson rushed for 1,187 yards this season, bringing his career total to 5,283, he had 201 receiving yards and accounted for 11 total touchdowns giving him 40 in his career.
Kentucky finished their regular season with back-to-back losses against Georgia and Louisville. They rank just 90th in the FBS in scoring offense (25.8 points per game) and 81st in scoring defense (28.6 points per game). They check in 68th nationally in S&P+ offensive efficiency, and 102nd nationally in defensive efficiency.
Senior quarterback Stephen Johnson leads the struggling Kentucky offense. He completed 60.7 percent of his passes in the regular season for 2,048 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also ran for 358 yards three touchdowns this season.
The team’s leading rusher is sophomore Benny Snell Jr. who had 1,390 all-purpose yards and scored an impressive 18 touchdowns this season. Sihiem King (334 yards and two touchdowns) will see carries as well.
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In the battle of Wildcats, it’s the Wildcats of Northwestern who hold the advantage in all three facets of the game in the Music City Bowl and this is why Northwestern is a touchdown favorite over Kentucky.