Evanston we have a Quarterback
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by The Beast
Since the graduation of legendary passer Brett Basanez nearly two years ago, the Northwestern Wildcats have been searching for their next great quarterback. Last season, the Andrew Brewer experiment failed as C.J. Bacher became the starter with five games left in the 2006 season. He finished the year as the start but was inconsistent during that time.
A year later, Bacher looks to be the man in Evanston and on Saturday he showed why. While his stats weren't off the charts, 20-45, 227 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, his leadership, especially in the final minutes, was priceless.
During the second quarter, Tyrell Sutton suffered an ankle injury and only appeared in one play after the injury. Despite losing their star running back, Bacher continued to manage the offense and keep the Cats in the game.
It was in the final quarter that Bacher truly made his mark. With the Wildcats down 31-27 and starting at their own twenty yard line with no timeouts left, Bacher worked his magic and lead the final scoring drive. Twice, he showed his ability to improvise as he scrambled for a net gain of 35 yards. As they got closer to the endzone, Bacher threaded the needle on a game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Ross Lane. His confidence and moxie were responsible for the Cats' big win and showed why he is one of the conference's bright young stars.
