Northwestern University Athletics
Football Team Readies for Purdue
9/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 21, 1999
NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL (2-1) at Purdue (3-0)
Date/Time: Sept. 25, 1999/1100 a.m.
Site/Capacity: Ross-Ade Stadium (67,332)
Television: ESPN2
Radio: WGN (720 AM)
The Northwestern Wildcats open up their Big Ten Conference season on the road this Saturday when they travel to Purdue. The Wildcats finished nonconference play with a 2-1 mark, while the Boilermakers enter Big Ten play with a perfect 3-0 record. Northwestern has won two straight, after dropping its season opener. Last Saturday at Duke, the ?Cats won in overtime, 15-12, on Sam Simmons 27-yard TD catch from Nick Kreinbrink. This marked NU?s very first overtime game. Purdue easily won its last tune-up at home last Saturday with a 58-16 victory over Central Michigan. The Boilers game versus the ?Cats will be their third-straight contest at Ross-Ade. They beat Notre Dame, 28-23, to start their homestand on September 11. Saturday?s game marks the 67th meeting between the two teams.
PURDUE SERIES
Series Record: 42-23-1, Purdue leads
First Meeting: 1895, Northwestern won 24-6
Last PU win at PU: 1997, 21-9
Last NU win at PU: 1995, 23-8
Current Series Streak: Purdue, two games
NU?s Largest Victory Margin: 32 points, 38-6 in 1916
PU?s Largest Victory Margin: 42 points, 49-7 in 1984
HEAD COACH RANDY WALKER
Randy Walker took over the reins of the Northwestern football program on January 20, 1999 with an impressive coaching resume. The 44-year-old Walker, who had coached Miami University for nine seasons, departed Oxford as the winningest head coach in school history. His mark at Miami of 59-35-5 (.621) is even more impressive when you consider the coaching greats which Miami had produced: Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler... and the list goes on. Walker graduated from Miami in 1976 with a B.A. in social studies education and earned a master?s degree in educational administration from his alma mater in 1981. He starred for MU as a fullback, leading them to three-straight Tangerine Bowl victories. Upon graduation, Walker was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, but returned to Miami to help as a graduate assistant and the next year became a full-time assistant in charge of running backs under Dick Crum. When Coach Crum departed for North Carolina, Walker joined him and spent the next 10 seasons as a Tar Heel. He coached various positions, ending up as the offensive coordinator. From there, he spent two seasons as Northwestern?s running backs coach (1988-89) and, in 1990, took over as the head coach at Miami.
CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
Following the Duke game, 13 players earned Championship Performance recognition from the NU coaching staff. They were Louis Ayeni, Kevin Bentley, Harold Blackmon, Aaron Burrell, John Cerasani, Jeff Dyra, Jack Harnedy, Darryl Hodge, Michael Jones, Dwayne Missouri, Salem Simon, J.J. Standring and Gladston Taylor. Each player earned an N-Cat decal that will be placed on his helmet. The offensive player of the game was John Cerasani, the defensive player of the game was Dwayne Missouri and the special teams player of the game was J.J. Standring. The Defensive Big Playmaker was Kevin Bentley, while the Offensive Big Playmaker was Sam Simmons. The Offensive Scout of the Week was Quentin Brown and the Defensive Scout of the Week was Jaison Cook. These two players also receive N-Cat helmet decals.
NOTES FOLLOWING THE DUKE GAME
? The game was the first overtime game in Northwestern football history.
? Northwestern has won two in a row for the first time since the end of the 1997 season.
? Sam Simmons is averaging 168.3 all-purpose yards per game, 15th best in the nation and second in the Big Ten.
? Simmons? TD reception was the second of his career.
? Damien Anderson tied a career-high by rushing 32 times. He was the only listed running back to rush in Saturday?s game (Simmons and QB Nick Kreinbrink each had three rushes).
? Anderson is now averaging 100.0 yards per game (fourth in Big Ten, 33rd in NCAA) and his 130.0 all-purpose yards per game ranks 46th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten.
? Tim Long had three field goals for the first time in his career. The last time a Northwestern kicker had three FG?s was almost exactly a year to the day ? Brian Gowins kicked three FG?s against Rice on Sept. 19, 1998.
? Long?s 43-yard field goal in the first quarter was the longest of his career.
? Aaron Burrell had four catches, a career high.
? Mike Sherry made his first career reception.
? The Northwestern defense held Duke to 186 yards in regulation, the first time the Wildcats had held an opponent below 200 yards in a game since Sept. 21, 1996 (a 24-7 win over Ohio University).
? Northwestern has not allowed a touchdown since TCU scored on the first drive of the Week 2 game (Sept. 11). That stretch spans 113:17.
? Dwayne Missouri had two sacks, giving him five for the season. He had three all of last year.
? With eight sacks for his career, Missouri is now tied with three other players (Hudaifa Ismaeli, Thomas Homco, Frank Boudreaux) for eighth on Northwestern?s all-time list in that category.
? Harold Blackmon had four pass breakups, a career high. With eight this season, he now has 17 for his career which is fourth all-time. The record of 23 was set by Rodney Ray (1991-95).
DUKE GAME RECAP
Nick Kreinbrink found Sam Simmons for a 27-yard touchdown pass on the Wildcats? second play of overtime, giving Northwestern a 15-12 win over Duke. The game was the first overtime contest in NU history and gave the Wildcats a two-game win streak. This game was a classic defensive struggle, as Duke gained 186 yards in regulation while Northwestern gained 185. The Wildcats took control of the scoreboard early, using a big defensive stand and a blocked punt to set up a career-best 43-yard field goal from Tim Long less than four minutes after the kickoff. Long later added 37-yard and 26-yard field goals to give NU a 9-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Duke came back gradually, as Sims Lenhardt booted a 49-yard field goal late in the first half and added 23-yard and 37-yard field goals in the fourth quarter. In overtime, Duke took possession first and drove all the way to the NU 1-yard line before having to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Lenhardt. After Damien Anderson (32 carries for 73 yards) was stopped for a loss of two yards on the first play of NU?s possession, Kreinbrink pump-faked to Simmons, then found him behind the Blue Devil secondary for the winning points. Kevin Bentley again helped lead the defense. He recorded nine tackles, one QB sack which took Duke out of field goal range with 47 seconds left in regulation, two tackles for loss and a crucial fumble recovery that thwarted another Duke threat deep in NU territory in the fourth quarter. Napoleon Harris had 11 stops, while Harold Blackmon had four PBUs.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The Northwestern defense registered 14 TFLs, caused two forced fumbles, recovered two fumbles, recorded 10 PBUs and and sacked the quarterback five times. That translated into just 186 yards of offense for Duke, compared to last year when the Blue Devils gained 575 yards. The last time the ?Cats held an opponent to under 200 yards was in 1996 versus Ohio U.
NATIONAL LEADERS
The following Northwestern players are ranked in the Top 50 in the NCAA. Their Big Ten rank is in parentheses.
Rushing: Damien Anderson, 100.0 ypg -- 31st (4th)
Punting: J.J. Standring, 40.57 ypp -- 47th (5th)
Punt Returns: Sam Simmons, 20.0ypr -- 2nd (2nd)
Kickoff Returns: Sam Simmons, 26.2 ypr -- 24th (4th)
Field Goals: Tim Long, 1.67 fgpg -- 13th (4th)
All-Purpose Runners: Sam Simmons, 168.83 ypg -- 15th (2nd) and Damien Anderson, 130.0 ypg -- 46th (4th)
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Six true freshmen have seen playing time in each of the three nonconference games this season. Running back Louis Ayeni has eight rushes for 24 yards and six kickoff returns for 102 yards, wide receiver Jon Schweighardt has tallied two receptions for 16 yards, and linebacker Vince Cartaya has recorded two tackles. In addition, linebackers Pat Durr and Regis Eller as well as center Austin King also have played versus Miami,TCU and Duke, with King garnering a start at Duke.
WILDCATS IN THE NFL
As of September 22, the following former Northwestern players were on NFL rosters:
Darrell Ashmore, offensive tackle, Oakland Raiders
D?Wayne Bates, wide receiver, Chicago Bears
Sean Bennett, running back, N.Y. Giants
Bob Christian, running back, Atlanta Falcons
Casey Dailey, linebacker, N.Y. Jets
Barry Gardner, linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles
Brian Gowins, placekicker, Chicago Bears
Bryan LaBelle, offensive tackle, New Orleans Saints
Matt O?Dwyer, offensive guard, Cincinnati Bengals
DID YOU KNOW?
Head coach Randy Walker?s all-time coaching mark of 61-36-5 (.623) is the 18th best among active coaches in Division I?
CHICAGO CONNECTION
Northwestern?s two-deep is loaded with players from the Chicagoland area. On offense: Tight end John Cerasani (Schaumburg/Schaumburg), wide receiver Teddy Johnson (Elgin/Larkin), wide receiver Jon Schweighardt (Wheaton/Wheaton-Warrenville), fullback Mike Sherry (Griffith, Ind./Griffith), wide receiver Derrick Thompson (Harvey/Thornton Township) and offensive lineman Jon Walters (Naperville/Central). On defense: D-Back Harold Blackmon (Chicago/Leo), linebacker Pat Durr (St. Charles/St. Charles), defensive tackle Jeff Dyra (Chicago/St. Patrick), and defensive end Pete Konopka (Marengo/Marion). On special teams: Long snapper Jack Harnedy (Chicago/Mt. Carmel) and punter J.J. Standring (Chicago/St. Rita).
TOUGH SCHEDULE
The Wildcats, according to Sports Illustrated, have the 15th toughest schedule in Division I-A. They play three teams currently ranked in the top 25 (Michigan, Purdue and Wisconsin), four which won bowl games last season (Michigan, Purdue, TCU and Wisconsin), and Miami which went 10-1 in 1998.
BIG?UNS
For the sixth-straight year, Northwestern boasts a roster with several players over 300 pounds. Offensive linemen and their weight are as follows: Lance Clelland (302), Joe Collins (305), Adam Fay (300) and Brian Hemmerle (300). Left tackle Javiar Collins (300) is the lone defensive player at 300 pounds or higher.
SAM SIMMONS
Last year as a true freshman, Sam Simmons made the biggest impact of the 1998 recruiting class. Simmons led the Big Ten and ranked eighth in the nation in kickoff returns (22 for 607 yards, 27.6 ypr). In addition, Simmons made a remarkable 46-yard TD grab at Wisconsin, showed great moves in a 20-yard TD run at Penn State and had a 67-yard kick return at Rice. This season, he will stay put at the wide receiver position, but will add punt returns to his kickoff return duties. In three games this season, Simmons has returned six punts for an average of 20.0 ypr (including an 87-yard score), five kickoffs for an average of 26.2 ypr, nine receptions for a 21.6 ypc average (including a 71-yard reception vs. TCU and a 27-yard TD catch in OT at Duke) and nine rushes, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He is ranked second in the nation in punt returns, 15th in all-purpose running and is 24th in kickoff returns. Simmons was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for Sept. 12 after his 87-yard punt return score in the TCU contest.
BEST CONDITIONED ATHLETES
Strength and conditioning are two topics that Coach Walker preaches the most. His top five best conditioned players are linebacker Kevin Bentley, defensive tackle Jeff Dyra, tight end Jay Tant and linebackers Salem Simon and Conrad Emmerich. The results were based on bench, squat, clean, 40-yard dash, pro shuttle, 300-yard shuttle and vertical leap.
TELEVISED GAMES IN 1999
Since 1995, 46 of NU's 51 contests have been televised. In 1998, all 12 of NU?s games were shown on television. Thus far this season, the TCU (ESPN Regional), Duke (Jefferson Pilot) Purdue (ESPN2) and Iowa (ESPN Regional) games have been selected for broadcast. Other games may be selected for broadcast 10 to 12 days prior to the contest. Since NU football was first televised on October 27, 1951 ? when the 'Cats entertained Wisconsin in Evanston ? the Wildcats have been featured on 96 occasions.
Out For The Season
? Ty Garner, a senior offensive lineman, suffered a torn ACL & MCL last year in practice. He took a medical noncounter and even though he has one year of eligibility remaining, his injuries preclude him from returning to football.
? Chris Jones, a sophomore linebacker, tore his ACL in the Miami game. He will have surgery sometime in the near future.
? Scott Musso, a fifth-year senior defensive back, suffered a career-ending injury when he tore his achilles last year. He took a medical noncounter.
THE RANDY WALKER SHOW
Look for The Randy Walker Show Tue., Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Chicago. The show will be repeated at 1:30 a.m. on Wed., Sept. 22 and at 3 p.m. on Fri., Sept. 24. Dave Eanet, the voice of Wildcat Football on WGN Radio, serves as the host. The show will feature an ?Ameritech Ask the Coach? segment. Fans can send in their questions to Coach Walker at nusports.com and if their question is read on the show, they?ll receive a Gift Pack, courtesy of Ameritech.
LIVE CHAT SESSION
Head coach Randy Walker will take part in a live chat session on Wednesdays from 7 to 7:15 p.m. during the football season. Fans can log on at nusports.com or ESPN.com to ask their questions. The session begins this Wednesday, September 22.
HARRY CARAY LUNCHEONS
Coach Walker, selected players and Wildcat fans meet at Harry Caray?s Restaurant the Friday before home football games. The festivities begin with a reception at 11:30 a.m. and the luncheon starts at noon. Harry Caray?s is located at 33 West Kinzie in downtown Chicago. Members of the media are invited to cover the luncheon, however, if you wish to eat, please contact Jean Yale at 847-491-3694 to make a reservation. Tickets are $25 apiece.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return home to Ryan Field after a two-game road trip to entertain the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Game time for the Oct. 2 contest will be 11 a.m. CT.
