Looking for history at Music City Bowl

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops (left) and Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald pose with the Music City Bowl trophy. The teams will meet today.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and his 20th-ranked Wildcats have a chance to make school history with victory against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

They could walk away with back-to-back bowl victories for the first time in Northwestern history. It would also mark a 10-win season for the second time in three years and be the 27th victory for the Wildcats’ seniors.

“That hasn’t happened since 1903 to 1905, so I think my grandmother and grandparents were still in Ireland at that time,” Fitzgerald said of reaching 27 wins. “So we understand the historical significance of this game for our program.”

Sure, Northwestern (No. 21 CFP, 9-3) might have been happier playing in a warmer bowl game further south of Nashville. But Fitzgerald said the Wildcats knew Big Ten rules wouldn’t let them return to the Outback Bowl after they played there to cap the 2015 season.

Executives of the Music City Bowl, sponsored by Franklin American Mortgage, have worked to make Northwestern feel wanted.

Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson also noted it’s still warmer in Nashville than it is in Chicago.

“It’s history for us, and this win is big for our program,” Thorson said.

Of course, Kentucky has other plans.

Kentucky is the first team to play in this bowl five times, and the Wildcats (7-5) from Lexington had hopes of a much better bowl destination themselves. But that was before consecutive losses to Georgia and Louisville left them third in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division. They usually bring a hefty chunk of the Big Blue Nation with them and hope that support pushes them to their first 8-5 season since 2007.

“It’s very important to get the eighth victory,” said Kentucky coach Mark Stoops, who’s wrapping up his fifth season. “Each and every game is so valuable when you’re only guaranteed 12. So getting a win would be good, especially with not ending the season the way we’d like.” Mark Humphrey / AP having held opponents to an average of 96 yards rushing per game over the final 10 games of the season.