Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Remain at Ryan Field, Host Indiana on Family Weekend
10/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 28, 2002
NU-Indiana FB Game Notes
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GAME 10
Indiana (3-5, 1-3) at Northwestern (2-7, 0-5)
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2002/11:10 a.m. CST
Site: Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill.
Capacity/Surface: 47,130/Natural Grass
Television: ESPN Plus
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play; Ted Albrecht, analyst)(also on wgnradio.com); WNUR 89.3 FM)
The Game
Northwestern remains at home this Saturday, Nov. 2, entertaining the Indiana Hoosiers on Family Weekend. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CST. The game is being televised by ESPN Plus. Jim Barbar (play-by-play), Randy Wright (analyst) and Peggy Kusinski (sideline) will describe the action.
Under the direction of first-year head coach Gerry DiNardo, the Hoosiers bring a 3-5 record (1-3 Big Ten) to Evanston. Indiana notched its biggest win of the season at home on Oct. 12, coming from behind to defeat then-23rd-ranked Wisconsin 32-29. The Hoosiers also recorded home nonconference wins over William and Mary (25-17) and Central Michigan (39-29). Indiana is still in search of its first road win this season and its first away victory since defeating Michigan State in East Lansing on Nov. 10, 2001. The Hoosiers are coming off a 45-14 loss at Illinois.
Quarterback Gibran Hamdan has been directing the Hoosiers' new West Coast offense with relief help from Tommy Jones. Both players are fifth-year seniors. Hamdan has completed 119-of-231 passes for 1,739 yards, eight TDs and 10 interceptions. Hamdan leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game (248.4). Jones is 35-of-75 for 474 yards, six TDs and four interceptions. Courtney Roby and Glenn Johnson are Indiana's favorite receivers. Roby averages 106.4 receiving yards per game and 19.3 yards per reception. He has three TDs. Johnson totals 78.5 yards per game (16.5 ypr) and has a team-best four TDs. Brian Lewis and Yamar Washington share the rushing duties, averaging a respective 76.3 and 59.6 yards per game. Washington has scored four of the Hoosiers' five rushing TDs. Indiana averages nearly 280 of its 397 yards of total offense through the air. That average (279.9) is the second highest in the Big Ten, right behind Illinois (283.1). On the ground, the Hoosiers are last in the Big Ten in both rushing yards per game (116.9 ypg) and yards per carry (3.2).
Following the Indiana game, just two contests remain on the Wildcats' schedule: a Nov. 9 game at Iowa and the season-ending home meeting with Illinois on Nov. 23.
The Series with Indiana
Series Record: Northwestern leads 38-33-1
At Evanston: Northwestern leads 24-16-1
At Bloomington: Indiana leads 17-14
Current Win Streak: Indiana, 1
Last Meeting: Nov. 3, 2001 (Indiana 56, Northwestern 21)
First Meeting: 1899 (Northwestern 11, Indiana 6)
Series Notes: The Wildcats lead the all-time series versus the Hoosiers (38-33-1) and have won four of the past six meetings. During that six-game stretch, Northwestern won both of the contests at Ryan Field: 20-7 in 1995 and 52-33 in 2000 ... Indiana is seeking its first victory in Evanston since notching a 24-0 win in 1993 ... In the last two games played between Northwestern and Indiana, the Wildcats scored a series-high 52 points in its 2000 win, while the Hoosiers outdid the 'Cats' accomplishment by four more points (56-21) last year ... The 85 combined points in the 2000 game is a series record, while last year's 77 tied for the second-highest point total.
The Last NU-Indiana Meeting
Nov. 3, 2001-Unable to slow down Antwaan Randle El and the rest of the Hoosier offense, Northwestern never recovered from a dismal first half and fell to Indiana, 56-21, at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers scored 42 unanswered first-half points en route to the highest offensive output in the 72-game series history. After holding the Hoosiers on their first series, Indiana scored touchdowns on their next five possessions. Meanwhile, the Wildcat offense could not get on track. Northwestern's first nine offensive possessions resulted in no points. Two drives, however, reached the Hoosiers' 1- and 2-yard lines, but turnovers, a fumble and an interception, prevented the Wildcats from getting on the scoreboard.
Northwestern finally broke through in the third quarter, scoring touchdowns on three straight possessions. A 1-yard quarterback sneak by Zak Kustok snapped the shutout bid by the Hoosier defense. On their next series, Kustok found Jon Schweighardt open in the corner of the end zone for a 10-yard scoring strike. The two teams finished with a combined 1,075 yards of total offense. The Wildcats totaled 513 yards in offense after being held to 143 in the first half.
The NU-Purdue Recap
Oct. 26, 2002-Despite another 100-yard rushing performance from Jason Wright (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar), the Wildcats fell 42-13 to the Boilermakers, spoiling Northwestern's homecoming. Wright gained 101 yards on 15 carries for his fifth 100-yard performance of the year. The Wildcats fell behind 21-0, but tried to get back in the game in the second quarter when they forced a pair of Purdue fumbles. NU capitalized on the first Boiler mistake, a fumble by freshman quarterback Brandon Kirsch at the Purdue 45. David Thompson (Rockledge, Fla./Rockledge) forced the fumble and Doug Szymul (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) recovered.
Seven plays later Northwestern was in the end zone when Wright rushed over right tackle for a 1-yard TD scamper. Quarterback Tony Stauss (Racine, Wis./Horlick) completed a 23-yard pass to Jon Schweighardt (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) on a key third-down play to keep the drive alive. On Purdue's next series, the Wildcats' Vincent Cartaya (Miami, Fla./Belen Jesuit) recovered another fumble by Kirsch, this one at the Boilermaker 35-yard line. This time, however, Purdue's defense came up with the stop. A 15-yard pass interference penalty against Northwestern hindered any chances of moving to within one touchdown of the Boilermakers. Purdue attempted just 10 passes in the game while totaling 69 rushing plays for 407 yards. The Wildcats finished with 268 yards in offense.
Northwestern Head Coach Randy Walker
Randy Walker is in his fourth season at Northwestern after spending the previous nine years (1990-98) at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In just his second year with the Wildcats, Walker directed a stunning turnaround. After a 3-8 season in 1999, he engineered a complete overhaul of the Wildcat offense and the result was an 8-4 record, an Alamo Bowl berth and a share of the 2000 Big Ten championship.
Walker was recognized for his 2000 efforts by both his peers and the media, as he was named Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year and the Region 3 Coach of the Year by the AFCA. Walker owns a 76-61-5 career record in 13 seasons and a 17-26 mark at Northwestern. Prior to gaining his first head coaching job at Miami in 1990, Walker spent one year as an assistant at Miami (1977), 10 years as an assistant at North Carolina (1978-87) and two years as an assistant at Northwestern (1988-89). Walker came to Evanston with an impressive coaching resume already intact. The 48-year-old Walker 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 that Miami has produced: Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler ... and the list goes on.
Northwestern Receives AFCA 2002 Academic Achievement Award
Northwestern University's football program is receiving the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2002 Academic Achievement Award, which is presented annually by the Touchdown Club of Memphis. NU recorded a 100 percent graduation rate for members of its football squad when all members of its freshman class of 1996-97 earned a degree. Northwestern's win is the second for the school, and it has been honored every year it has been eligible for the award. The Wildcats also earned the honor in 1998 with a 100 percent rate. Northwestern earned honorable mention honors in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Prior to 1998, the award honored only members of the College Football Association. Since 1998, when the award was expanded to include all Division I-A conferences, Big Ten schools have been honored 23 times, with the Wildcats winning the award twice.
More Academic Kudos
According to the latest NCAA graduation rate data, Northwestern's football programs ranks first among all Division I-A schools in graduation rate (85 percent) for the class entering the 1995-96 school year.
Freshmen Figures
With his third full recruiting class on board, head coach Randy Walker has a high percentage of young players on scholarship. This year, 45.8 percent of NU's scholarship roster is comprised of freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
More Youthful Facts
With the loss of Pat Durr (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles), just four seniors have been in the Wildcats' starting lineup since TCU: three on offense (Jon Schweighardt, Austin King and Jeff Roehl) and one on defense (Raheem Covington). This week, however, NU is expected to start a fifth senior, Vincent Cartaya, at MLB. The rest of the probable lineup (offense and defense only) for Indiana includes six juniors, seven sophomores and four freshmen. In 2000, when NU captured a share of the Big Ten crown, it had five seniors, 11 juniors, six sophomores and no freshmen in its starting lineup. Eighteen NU players have or will make their first collegiate start this year.
Injury Update
On his two-point conversion run in the fourth quarter at Minnesota (Oct. 10), quarterback Brett Basanez (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator) suffered a fracture to his left fibula (lower leg). The injury occured to a small non-weight-bearing bone. He has missed the last two games and is listed as questionable this week. Safety Dominique Price (Jeffersontown, Ky./DuPont Manual), who injured his left ankle at Penn State, is probable.
Two Northwestern players are out for the season. Freshman quarterback Alexander Webb (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park) lacerated his liver after taking a hard hit to the stomach in the Sept. 7 game against TCU. Webb was hospitalized for nine days, but the injury did not require surgery. Webb will sit out the remainder of the season and apply for a medical hardship.
Middle linebacker Pat Durr (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Friday, Sept. 13. The surgery revealed a tear to his ACL, which was repaired. Durr is applying for a medical hardship.
Nonconference Success
With its Sept. 21 victory over Navy, Northwestern maintained its string of winning at least two nonconference games every year since 1995. It is also the 10th straight year that NU has sported a .500 or better record in non-league action. (NU went 1-1-1 in 1994.)
Turning it Around
After suffering seven turnovers -- the most miscues by a Randy Walker-coached team -- in its 48-24 loss to TCU, the Wildcats have come back to post a +8 margin (18-to-10) in turnovers their last seven games. In two of those games (Navy and Minnesota), Northwestern did not commit a turnover. In four of the seven games, the Wildcats committed fewer turnovers than the opponent. In its last seven games, NU has suffered just three lost fumbles.
Offensive Highs-and-Lows
Prior to being held to 396 yards in total offense by Ohio State on Oct. 5, NU's offense had accumulated 430 or more yards in three straight games (Duke, Navy, Michigan State) -- the first time the Wildcats had done that since the seventh, eighth and ninth games (Purdue, Minnesota and Michigan) of the 2000 Big Ten championship season. Northwestern went over the 500-yard mark for the second time this season when it totaled 522 yards vs. the Gophers on Oct. 10. Following that game, NU was averaging a season-best 409.4 ypg, which ranked 35th nationally. (After two games, the Wildcats ranked 101st nationally [248.0 ypg] in total offense.) In its last two outings, Northwestern has totaled 202 (a season-low) and 268 yards versus Penn State and Purdue, respectively.
All-Stars Austin King and Jeff Roehl
Senior Jeff Roehl has accepted an offer to play in the East-West Shrine Game, set for Jan. 11, 2003 in San Francisco's Pacific Bell Park. Roehl is slated to play for the East squad, which will be coached by Notre Dame's Tyrone Willingham. He was the second Big Ten player named to the East roster, joining Illinois' Walter Young. Roehl will be the 75th player to suit up for the Shrine Game, and the first since Eric Collier and KeJuan DuBose played in 1997. NU ranks fourth among Big Ten schools and 14th overall in all-time Shrine Game participation.
Classmate Austin King has accepted an invite to the Hula Bowl Maui Classic on Feb. 1, 2003. He has started 39 career games at center, including 29 in a row from 1999 to 2001. Earlier this season, King was named to the Rimington Award Watch List. Established in 2000, the Rimington Trophy honors the top NCAA Division I-A center each season. Roehl and King also have been named to the Rotary Gridiron Classic initial watch list. The Rotary Gridiron Classic, a game that matches the top collegiate players from around the nation against those in Florida, will be played Jan. 25, 2003.
Both King and Roehl were named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) preseason All-America Watch List.
The Wright Stuff
Although he totaled his fewest carries in a game (15) since the TCU contest (15), Jason Wright still managed a 100-yard rushing day -- his fifth of the season-versus Purdue. He is on pace to become the eighth player in NU history to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark for a season. Through nine games, he has totaled 887 yards. In his last seven games, Wright is averaging 119.1 yards per game. Among all Division I-A players, he ranks second in kickoff return average (31.2 ypr), 10th in all-purpose yardage (162.7 ypg) and 38th in rushing average (98.6 ypg).
In September, Wright became the first Big Ten player to be honored on both offense and special teams in the same season since 1997 when he earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for a career-high 186 yards and three touchdowns at Navy. (Iowa wide receiver Tim Dwight was the last Big Ten player to accomplish the feat in 1997.) Two weeks prior to the offensive honor, Wright was the Big Ten's Special Teams Player of the Week for his 191 kickoff return yards and his Big Ten-record 63.7 yards per return mark vs. TCU.
In the TCU game, Wright shattered NU's single-game marks for longest kickoff return (100 yards, for TD), yards per kickoff return (63.7) and total kickoff return yards (191). The kickoff return average also was a Big Ten record. Wright's 100-yard touchdown return was Northwestern's first kickoff return for a TD in 108 games. (NU's Lee Gissendaner returned a kickoff 90 yards vs. MSU on Oct. 31, 1992.) In addition, it was the first kickoff return for TD scored on TCU since Oct. 8, 1986 (175 games). Wright's performance also helped NU set a single-game team mark with 270 return yards. Wright's string of 100-yard rushing games (three) earlier this season was the longest since a five-game streak by Damien Anderson in 2000.
Now This is Special
Last year, the Wildcats ranked 11th in the Big Ten and 96th nationally in kickoff return average. Northwestern averaged 18.1 yards per return. This season, led by junior Jason Wright and freshman Jeff Backes (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), the Wildcats are second on the Big Ten list and 15th nationally. As a team, NU is averaging 23.5 yards per return. Tennessee leads the nation with a 28.1 mark.
Kunle is Streaking
Dating to his freshman season, receiver Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day), has caught at least one pass in 31 consecutive games. That is two shy of NU's career record of 33, held by D'Wayne Bates (1995-98), who presently plays for the Minnesota Vikings.
"Baz" Among Nation's Top Frosh QB's
Redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Basanez, who has missed the last two games with a broken leg, ranks second nationally among all freshmen quarterbacks (true and redshirt) in total offense and third in passing yardage.
Brains and Brawn
The Verizon Academic All-America selection process is underway and Northwestern has nominated six players for the award. To be eligible for the award you must be a sophomore (athletically), a starter or key reserve and own a 3.20 or higher cumulative GPA. NU's six nominees are: DT Luis Castillo, C Austin King, S Dominique Price, G Jeff Roehl, QB Tony Stauss and RB Jason Wright.
Century Receivers
Junior Kunle Patrick and senior Jon Schweighardt (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) became members of NU's "Century Club" for career receptions on Sept. 14 against Duke. Schweighardt and Patrick, who lead Northwestern this season with 44 and 35 receptions, respectively, are fifth and seventh on the all-time list with 133 and 125 catches. The two are also moving up on the career yardage list. Schweighardt, who leads NU in receiving yardage this season, has 1,518 yards (seventh place) and Patrick has 1,421 yards (10th place).
'Cat Tails ...
* Northwestern has faced three of the top six rushing teams in the nation thus far: Air Force (second), Navy (third) and Minnesota (sixth). In addition, Ohio State (17th) and Purdue (28th) rank among the nation's top-30 teams.
* The Wildcats ran for 306 yards against Minnesota, its highest single-game figure since totaling 315 yards against Illinois in its 2000 Big Ten-title clinching win on Nov. 18. The Wildcats averaged 7.8 ypc vs. Minnesota. NU's single-game yards per carry record is 8.1, set against Iowa State in 1953. Nine days later at Penn State, the Wildcats averaged 0.3 ypc and totaled nine rushing yards.
* Northwestern has lost to seven teams with a combined record of 40-17. Five of those teams are ranked or receiving votes in the national polls.
* Jason Wright is responsible for picking up a team-best 45 first downs this year (out of a possible 175) for a 25.8 percentage. Jon Schweighardt has the next-highest total with 24 of his team-high 44 catches going for first downs.
* Running backs Jason Wright and Noah Herron (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) have combined for 29 receptions and 270 receiving yards this year. Herron caught three passes for a career-best 54 yards vs. Purdue.
Up Next
Northwestern travels to league-leading Iowa next Saturday, Nov. 9 for its final road game of the year. Kickoff is TBA.
