Despite a dominant defense, a record-breaking kick returner and a solid running game, Northwestern finished 80th in the nation in Football Outsiders' field position Fremau Efficiency Index (FEI) ratings for field position, 18 spots higher than the 98th-ranked team of 2014.
Several facets of the game go into determining field position. Special teams, obviously, are important, and Northwestern has one of the best returners in the game in Solomon Vault. Punt returning, too, plays a role, though and the Wildcats have struggled in that area ever since Venric Mark left. Similarly, kicking off and punting, as well as coverage units for those actions, are an important factor.