EVANSTON, Ill. -- The way star linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. sees it, the season opener might as well count as a conference game for Northwestern.The Wildcats come into Saturdays game against MAC favorite Western Michigan knowing they face a stiff challenge as they try to start on a winning note and build on a rebuild year.We have to come in with the mindset that were facing a Big Ten opponent, Walker said. Theyre going to come out ready to play and were going to have to come out ready to play. They have weapons all over the field.The Wildcats have a renewed energy coming off a 10-3 season that squashed concerns about a regression after back-to-back 5-7 showings.Coach Pat Fitzgerald enters his 11th year with a 70-56 record and more victories than any other coach for a program that started in 1882. He is the only one to win 10 games twice. But the margin between double digits in wins and a .500 or losing record last season was a thin one.Northwestern was 5-0 in games decided by seven points or less, got manhandled by a combined 78-10 in consecutive games against Michigan and Iowa, and was pounded 45-6 by Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. Yet a strong defense led the turnaround, starting with a 16-6 victory over No. 21 Stanford. The Wildcats kept the Cardinal out of the end zone in a performance that set the course toward a bounce-back season.They begin this year with their sights set another big run like the one that led to bowl games in five straight years. It starts with the opener, and here are some things for lk for against Western Michigan:BIG `DFour starters are gone from a defense that fueled the turnaround last season. But Walker is back -- and that is huge. After all, he led Wildcats in tackles (122) by more than 30, finished fourth in the nation with 20 1/2 tackles for loss and earned third-team, All-America honors as a sophomore last season. Given that, its not hard to see why he is at the center of a major promotional blitz the likes of which Northwestern had not produced since it pushed former quarterback Dan Persa as a Heisman candidate five years ago.ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGANThe Broncos were favored to win the MAC in a preseason media poll and put Northern Illinois six-year run of championship game appearances to the test. Quarterback Zach Terrell and receiver Corey Davis are back from an 8-5 team that lost just twice in league play a year ago, to NIU and Bowling Green. And those teams played for the conference title. Western Michigan went on to beat Middle Tennessee State in the Bahamas Bowl for its first bowl victory.I think theyve done a terrific job, Fitzgerald said. Theyve taken young guys that probably were overlked by our conference and have done a great job.ON THE RUNNo returning Big Ten running back rushed for more yards last season than Justin Jackson. His per-carry average, however, was rather underwhelming. Despite finishing second to Ohio States Ezekiel Elliott last season with 1,418 yards, he averaged 4.5 per attempt. Thats something Jackson hopes to change and he will start against a Western Michigan team ranked eighth in the MAC in run defense last year, allowing 5.3 yards per carry.TAKING OFFENSENorthwestern did not ask much of quarterback Clayton Thorson as a freshman. But his development could go a long way toward determining if the Wildcats will rise after finishing last in the conference in scoring and yards per game. Thorson threw for 1,522 yards and seven touchdowns while running for 397 yards and five TDs last season.BIG CATCHNorthwestern will have its hands full with Corey Davis. He ended last season as the leading active FBS receiver with 3,785 yards and needs 402 to match the all-time MAC record.Cheap Jersey Website .ca lks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Cheap Jerseys Review . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. https://www.cheapjerseysreview.com/ . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Cheap Jerseys For Sale . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Best Site Buy China Jerseys . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J.FIA race director Charlie Whiting has explained Lewis Hamilton was not punished for going off track at the Mexican GP because the Mercedes driver did not gain a lasting advantage.The decision not to penalise Hamilton at the start of the last race was challenged by Red Bull after Max Verstappen was hit by a five-second penalty for, like Hamilton, missing the circuits first corner.However, as Whiting revealed immediately after the race to Sky F1s Martin Brundle, data showed from Hamiltons car showed that the Mercedes driver immediately slowed upon returning to the track. Verstappen, on the other hand, was defending from Sebastian Vettel when he lost control of his Red Bull car under braking. Whitings explanation was provided in full during a captivating but highly unusual briefing at the end of the traditional pre-event drivers press conference for this weekends Brazilian GP when Whiting joined Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Williams Felipe Massa to talk through the incidents.Hours after Whitings appearance, Ferrari announced they would appeal against Vettels demotion, stating that a number of new elements had come to light after the decision that make the decison reviewable. Its understd the appeal was lodged on Wednesday - the night before Whitings appearance. Vettel unhappy with his Mexico penaltyThe conference provided Vettel with his first public opportunity to discuss his penalty in Mexico after the Ferrari driver was stripped of his podium finish over three hours after the race had finished.In an incident which was analysed in depth by Whiting in front of the assembled media and the drivers, Vettel was found guilty of moving in the braking zone when trying to hold off Ricciardo on the penultimate lap of the race. Ironically, Vettel was one of the strongest advocates for the rules surrounding such manoeuvres being tightened up in the wake of sustained criticism of Verstappen for similar perceived offences.But Vettel remained adamant he had done nothing wrong.I dont agree with the decision made, said the Ferrari driver. I gave enough rm on the inside, l kept the car straight for the majority of the braking and in my opinion Daniel locked up so badly because there was no grip on the inside. I think it lked worse than it actually was. Whiting accepts Vettel apologyWhiting was himself speaking publicly for the first time since Vettel launched a foul-mouthed outburst aimed directly at the FIA race director after the four-time world champion became exasperated with Verstappens refusal to yield.Its not the first time that bad language has been used and the fact it was directed at me was unfortunate, said Whiting. There were a number of mitigating factors which built up to Sebastians frustrations but the fact he sought me out to apologise...for me, that was enough. I am prepared just to forget it and move on.The FIA investigated the outburst but decided not to levy a further penalty against Vettel after the Ferrari driver wrote a letter of apology to the governing body. I am sorry for what l said, conceded Vettel. I regret what l said, I didnt mean it and I am happy Charlie has accepted the apology. Sebastian Vettel says he doesnt agree with his penalty in Mexico Verstappens lasting advantage or double standards?Vettel wasnt alone in expressing his unhappiness with the stewards post-race verdicts in Mexico.ddddddddddddAlong with Red Bull boss Christian Horner, Verstappen felt he had been the victim of double standards when he was demoted from third place for cutting the first corner following Hamiltons let-off.But according to Whiting, the telemetry from Hamiltons W07 showed the Mercedes driver had backed off to 80 per cent throttle between turns three and four to give back his advantage. Charlie Whiting joins the drivers press conference to explain the two incidents in Mexico where Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen missed the first corner Turning to the Verstappen incident, Whiting then added: If Max had done the same thing between turns three and four, he would have certainly have lost his place. So the stewards felt he deserved a penalty because he had gained a lasting advantage. Thats the fundamental difference.With Whiting sitting directly in front of him, Verstappen responded: Of course I dont agree with the decision. If you give penalties, give it to both or dont give any penalties. A second Verstappen rule in the future?But Verstappen also argued that a blanket ban on drivers leaving the track should be imposed to avoid similar future controversy.Maybe what we should change in the future is that once you go off you should be penalised instead of the stewards interfering and giving an opinion, said the Red Bull teenager.It would be gd if we could somehow automatically get some sort of slowing down, agreed Mercedes Nico Rosberg. Sky F1 pundit Brundle argued along similar lines in his post-Mexico column for Sky Sports, writing: I have believed for many years that in those situations a driver should be made to go through a penalty box area at pit lane speed limit so that he takes some serious pain for his mistake.The Verstappen rule, which outlaws drivers moving in the braking zone, was also discussed at length with Whiting clarifying the circumstances under which a penalty would be imposed: Firstly, if a driver has to take avoiding action, if a driver makes an abnormal change of direction in the braking zone and if it is potentially dangerous to another driver. If those three conditions are satisfied then the stewards will feel a penalty should be applied.Such complexity is likely to confuse rather than excite Formula 1 fans. But as Whiting reflected, simplicity is never simple in F1.The whole sport has become more complex. There are continued requests to make things clearer, but the clearer things become the longer, and the more detailed, the rules.For example, all the rules around driving could be summed up in one sentence: drivers must drive safely.But when you have a simple rule like that, you are continually asked what does that exactly mean, can we do this? and can we do that?, and the rule becomes longer and longer… Also See:The Formula 1 Gossip columnWhens the Brazilian GP on Sky F1?Get a Sky Sports weekend passRed Bull: Vettels demotion right ' ' '