Another day brings the open of spring practice at another Big Ten school. Northwestern began drills Wednesday on the heels of a second straight losing season -- a first in Pat Fitzgerald's nine seasons.
The Wildcats, in fact, have lost 14 of 20 games since a 4-0 start two years ago that followed a 10-3 finish in 2012.
Despite the struggles, Northwestern is counting on stability to help right the ship. Fitzgerald's full staff has remained intact since 2011, the longest run nationally without a change.
Check out our reports on the state of the program at Northwestern and three position battles.
Schedule: The Wildcats, after the Wednesday start, will work out again Thursday and continue for two weeks before time off until March 31 for spring break and exams. Practice concludes April 11 with the annual Spring Showcase at Lakeside Field.
What's new: A quarterback race will grab headlines this spring, but the Wildcats have equally large holes to fill at other spots. Northwestern faces the tall task of replacing its two best receivers in Tony Jones and Kyle Prater, two most important offensive linemen in left tackle Paul Jorgensen and four-year starter center Brandon Vitabile, QB Trevor Siemian and top defenders Chi Chi Ariguzo at linebacker and safety Ibraheim Campbell.
Fitzgerald and the Wildcats insisted that the unionization debate and April 2014 vote did not serve as a distraction last year, but the story grew legs shortly after the 2013 season and dragged through the entire offseason. A sense of normalcy around the program this spring, in comparison to a year ago, ought to help.
Biggest question: Zack Oliver, Matt Alviti or Clayton Thorson? The three quarterbacks are scheduled to split snaps during the spring after Oliver, a rising senior, received the majority of time in place of the injured Siemian late last season. Oliver was erratic, committing five turnovers in the Wildcats' loss to Illinois. So the door is open for Alviti, who played in four games as a redshirt freshman, and Thorson, a 6-foot-4 former elite recruit out of suburban Chicago who redshirted in 2014.
Three things we want to see:
1. A healthy spring. Northwestern cannot afford more of the same bad luck with injuries that has plagued it recently. By the end of last season, key contributors Siemian, receivers Miles Shuler and Christian Jones, defensive tackle Greg Kuhar and linebacker Collin Ellis, among others, were out with injuries. Ellis was forced to retire because of concussions. Jones, the Wildcats' top receiver in 2013, returns as a fifth-year senior from a knee injury suffered last August. Northwestern is relatively healthy to open the spring, and it needs to stay that way to avoid delays in progress on both sides of the ball.
2. More focus on the running game. Justin Jackson rushed for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman last year and returns as the Wildcats' most known offensive commodity. With questions at quarterback that figure to linger into September, Northwestern can create stability on offense by emphasizing Jackson. Even in a spread offense, it can be done. Last year, the Wildcats ranked 11th in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game and 13th in yards per rush. Until the successor to Siemian is ready to air it out -- Northwestern may not reach that point in 2015 -- it should look to lean on Jackson.
3. A productive pass rush. Any pass rush would rate as an improvement over 2014, when Northwestern amassed 17 sacks in 12 games to rank last in the league. Considering the time it gave quarterbacks to throw, Northwestern's defensive numbers (25.2 points per game and 6.5 yards per passing attempt) look good. How much it might improve with a steady push from the front four? The Wildcats are experienced on the line, led by end Dean Lowry and Kuhar, who remains sidelined. Perhaps this spring can bring the awaited breakout of end Ifeadi Odenigbo, a former top recruit used as a pass-rush specialist in two seasons.