No. 8 MSU at Northwestern Saturday

This week promises to be bigger than Northwestern's first seven weeks combined.

Just don't try to run that premise by the Wildcats. They'll disagree.

Never mind that No. 8 Michigan State NU's first ranked opponent since last November comes to Ryan Field to serve as the Homecoming opponent.

Never mind that legendary former NU coach Ara Parseghian, who led the Wildcats to No. 1 in the polls in 1962, puts an exclamation on this homecoming by returning to Evanston for the first time in at least 25 years.

Parseghian will serve as the team's honorary captain, which will include a speech to Pat Fitzgerald's players, and he'll reconnect with his former players Friday and Saturday.

Never mind that the Wildcats (5-1, 1-1), as quarterback Dan Persa so plainly put it, still control their own Big Ten destiny despite their home loss to Purdue two weeks ago.

“We look at each game very similar from how we prepare and what we do to get ready for the game, Fitzgerald said.

The Wildcats' recent performance against Top 25 teams suggests otherwise. They're a respectable 3-4 over the last two seasons including last year's win at No. 4 Iowa when facing ranked foes.

“We really focus on who we are, what we're going to do, said junior defensive end Kevin Watt. “We're not really worried about that stuff. That's not something we can control.

Junior cornerback Jordan Mabin was at least willing to admit the Wildcats used their bye week to spend extra time inhaling video of the undefeated Spartans.

“We've got to be on our game, Mabin said. “Saturday is going to be rocking. It's homecoming and it's going to be exciting. It's going to be another classic game.

Actually, Northwestern didn't exactly enjoy a classic performance the last time it played following a bye week.

Two seasons ago, the Wildcats stood 5-0 and ranked No. 22 in the coaches poll when Michigan State came to town.

The 23rd-ranked Spartans stuck it to NU from the start. Michigan State opened a 17-0 lead in the first 13 minutes and went to a 17-point victory.

The Spartans so dominated the game's opening 14 minutes, every play from scrimmage started and ended in NU's half of the field.

“We didn't play very well in the kicking game, Fitzgerald recalled. “We fumbled a kickoff return. Before anybody's fannies were warm in the seats, we were down 17-nothing.

“I also remember that we shored some things up and we battled back and got it back to a one-score game…we're going to need to execute a lot better than we did in the last two years again them.

Injury watch:

Junior defensive end Vince Browne, who sat out the second half of the Purdue game with a shoulder injury, apparently ran around well during Monday's basic workout.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald said Browne, who ranks second in the Big Ten with 5 sacks, should practice Tuesday and beyond.