Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Begin Big Ten Play at Michigan State This Saturday
9/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 23, 2002
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GAME 5
Northwestern (2-2, 0-0) at Michigan State (2-2, 0-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002/1 p.m. EDT
Site: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Mich.
Capacity/Surface: 72,027/Natural Grass
Television: None
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play; Ted Albrecht, analyst)(also on wgnradio.com); WNUR 89.3 FM)
The Game
After recovering from an 0-2 start with back-to-back wins the past two weeks, Northwestern begins its 105th Big Ten season this Saturday, taking on one of the preseason league favorites, the Michigan State Spartans at 1:05 p.m. EDT in East Lansing. The game will not be televised, but can be heard live on WGN-AM (720) and WNUR-FM (89.3).
The Wildcats evened their season mark at 2-2 this past weekend with a wild 49-40 victory at Navy. Northwestern totaled a season-high 545 yards of offense en route to its highest point production (49) since defeating Illinois 61-23 for a share of the Big Ten crown on Nov. 18, 2000. This is the eighth straight year that the Wildcats have won at least two nonconference games.
Michigan State opened its season with a pair of wins (56-7 over Eastern Michigan and 27-10 over Rice) before being upended by California, 46-22, on Sept. 14. The Spartans then dropped their second straight game when Notre Dame came from behind to beat MSU 21-17 this past Saturday. Michigan State had rallied to take a 17-14 lead with less than two minutes remaining, only to have the Irish pull out the win with a 60-yard scoring reception. That defeat left the Spartans with a 2-2 nonconference record. Michigan State is paced by its junior quarterback-wide receiver tandem of Jeff Smoker and Charles Rogers. Rogers, who is being touted by some experts as a national player-of-the-year candidate, leads the Big Ten in receptions (7.25 per game) and receiving yards per game (158.5 ypg). Against the Fighting Irish, he caught seven passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns (21 and 30 yards). Rogers has tied an NCAA record for consecutive games with at least one TD reception at 12. He began his streak against Iowa on Oct. 13, 2001, the game following the Northwestern contest. (NU was the only Big Ten team that Rogers did not score a receiving TD against last year.) Smoker is third in league passing yardage (233.0 ypg) and has a Big Ten-leading 10 touchdown passes.
Northwestern, which is in the midst of playing four road games in a five-week period, plays three of its first four league contests away from home.
The Series with Michigan State
Series Record: MSU leads 30-14
At Evanston: MSU leads 14-10
At East Lansing: MSU leads 16-4
Current Win Streak: Northwestern, 2
Last Meeting: Sept. 29, 2001 (Northwestern 27, Michigan St. 26)
First Meeting: 1905 (Northwestern 37, Michigan St. 11)
Series Notes: Minus the 1995 and '96 seasons, Northwestern and Michigan State have met regularly since 1959 ... The Wildcats and Spartans are opening their respective Big Ten seasons against one another for just the fourth time in league history. Northwestern won the 1973 Big Ten opener against the Spartans, 14-10, in Evanston. The following year, Michigan State returned the favor, winning 41-7 in East Lansing. Last year, NU won its Big Ten opener in thrilling fashion, 27-26, in Evanston ... Since NU and MSU began playing as Big Ten Conference members in 1959, the Spartans hold a 30-11 edge in the all-time series.
The Last NU-MSU Meeting
Sept. 29, 2001-For the second time in as many seasons, Northwestern won a game that days later would become an "ESPN Instant Classic." In a matter of 29 seconds, the Wildcats went from what seemed a sure win, to a probable loss and then to a stunning victory. The final heroics came from David Wasielewski, who booted a 47-yard field goal with no time remaining. With 4:42 left in the game, MSU took its first lead since an early 7-0 advantage when Charles Rogers returned a punt 64 yards for a score. The PAT kick was no good and the Spartans led 20-17. Northwestern took the ensuing kickoff and drove 70 yards in 15 plays. The drive was capped with a 10-yard scoring pass from Zak Kustok to Kunle Patrick with 29 seconds left. Needing a touchdown to regain the lead, the Spartans did the improbable, returning the kickoff 84 yards for a go-ahead score. Napoleon Harris blocked the PAT kick, though, and that left MSU with a 26-24 lead. Now, with 16 seconds to go and the ball on their own 13-yard line, the Wildcats completed a 54-yard pass to Jon Schweighardt. Schweighardt actually caught the ball after Patrick jumped and tipped the ball in his direction. That set up Wasielewski's winning kick. There were six lead changes in the contest, including four in the last five minutes.
The NU-Navy Recap
Sept. 21, 2002-Led by tailback Jason Wright (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) and quarterback Brett Basanez (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator), Northwestern outgunned Navy 49-40 to extend its winning streak to two and give the Wildcats a 2-2 mark heading into Big Ten play. Wright rushed for a game-high 186 yards and three touchdowns while Basanez completed 20-of-26 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown. NU, which held a 28-21 halftime lead, jumped ahead 35-21 on Wright's second TD of the day, an 18-yard scamper. Navy came back, however, scoring the next 17 points to go in front 38-35. The lead was short-lived, though. The Wildcats scored five plays later when Wright crossed the end zone on a three-yard run. Wright's score was set up by a 20-yard pass play to Eric Worley (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) and a 24-yard pass play to Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day). Worley finished with a career-best four catches (57 yards) while Patrick led all NU players with 85 receiving yards.
On the Mids' next series, the Wildcat defense came up with one of its five turnovers, a fumble recovery by sophomore Dominique Price (Jeffersontown, Ky./DuPont Manual), his second of the game. Northwestern then converted that Navy mistake into seven points when Noah Herron (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) scored on a 17-yard run. That gave him three scores on the day, equaling Wright's accomplishment. Turnovers were the difference in the game-NU had none compared to Navy's five. The Wildcats were outgained in total offense, 678 to 545 yards.
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 76-56-5 career record in 13 seasons and a 17-21 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.
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 the Wildcats' 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 are in the Wildcats' starting lineup: three on offense (Jon Schweighardt, Austin King and Jeff Roehl) and one on defense (Raheem Covington). The rest of the lineup (offense and defense only) includes five juniors, seven sophomores and six freshmen. In 2000, when the Wildcats captured a share of the Big Ten crown, they had five seniors, 11 juniors, six sophomores and no freshmen in their starting lineup. Fourteen NU players have made their first collegiate start this year.
Nonconference Success
With its 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.)
All-America Watch List
The Football Writers' Association of America (FWAA) has announced its 2002 All-America Watch List and two Northwestern players are listed among the best at their position. Center Austin King (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) and offensive guard Jeff Roehl (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), two of NU's returning honorable mention All-Big Ten players, made the list.
More Roehl and King
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 35 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.
Injury Update
Sophomore wide receiver Ashton Aikens (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day) became the latest NU player to suffer a significant injury. He broke his left index finger in practice last Wednesday and then had surgery to insert two pins the following day. He missed the Navy game and his status for Michigan State is questionable.
Northwestern 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, who was hospitalized immediately following the injury, was scheduled to leave Evanston Hospital on Monday, Sept. 16. The injury did not require surgery.
Webb will sit out the remainder of the season and apply for a medical hardship. He was one of three quarterbacks to play in NU's game vs. TCU. Webb rushed for 20 yards on four carries and completed 2 of 6 passes for 45 yards and one interception.
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 expected to apply for a medical hardship.
The Wright Stuff -- Junior RB Earns Big Ten Honor
For the second time this season, junior Jason Wright picked up Big Ten Player of the Week honors. This time, however, he received the league's Offensive Player of the Week honors after racking up a career-best 186 rushing yards and three touchdowns in NU's win over Navy. Two weeks earlier, 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. Wright becomes the first Big Ten player to be honored on both offense and special teams in the same season since Iowa wide receiver Tim Dwight accomplished the feat in 1997.
Wright now ranks second nationally in kickoff return average with a 43.3 yards per return average. He trails San Jose State's Charles Pauley, who owns a 44.0 ypr mark.
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 was also 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. Michigan State 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.
What a Turnaround
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, the Wildcats are second on the Big Ten list and eighth nationally. As a team, NU is averaging 27.3 yards per return. Pittsburgh leads the nation with a 35.3 mark.
Century Receivers
Junior Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) 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 18 and 16 receptions, respectively, are seventh and eighth on the all-time list with 107 and 106 catches. The two are also moving up on the career yardage list. Schweighardt, who leads NU in receiving yardage this season, has 1,215 yards (14th place) and Patrick has 1,255 yards (11th place).
62-2-1
Throughout his coaching career, Randy Walker has proven to be nearly unbeatable when his teams carry a lead into the fourth quarter. In his 13 years as a head coach, Walker's teams have compiled a 62-2-1 record when leading at the end of the third quarter. At NU, Walker is 13-1 when taking a lead into the final quarter.
The Wildcats carried a 35-31 lead into the fourth quarter in Saturday's game at Navy. When the final gun sounded, NU owned a 49-40 victory.
On This Date (Sept. 28) in NU History ...
Six years ago (1996): Northwestern successfully opened its Big Ten season by handing Indiana a 35-17 setback in Bloomington. The win extended the Wildcats' Big Ten winning string to nine games. NU would go on to finish 7-1 in the league and share the title with Ohio State.
11 years ago (1991): NU picked up its first win of the season with an easy 41-14 victory over Wake Forest. The Wildcats set a school record for most points in a quarter by scoring 34 in the second quarter. Len Williams led the 'Cats to four of the five second-quarter TDs.
56 years ago (1946): Northwestern began its season with a five-game unbeaten streak, starting with a 41-9 win over Iowa State.
NU-Minnesota Game Moved to Oct. 10
Due to Minnesota's lease at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Northwestern's game with the Golden Gophers is being moved from Saturday, Oct. 12 to Thursday, Oct. 10 because of the potential conflict involving the Minnesota Twins and the posteason playoffs. Kickoff is now set for 7 p.m. CDT. Even if the Metrodome were to become available on Oct. 12 (i.e. the Twins fail to advance to the American League Championship Series), the parties agreed that confirming the Wildcats' travel arrangements (air charter) and hotel accommodations on either a five-, six- or seven-day notice would not be possible. All potential rescheduling alternatives were explored, including moving games to Sunday or to the end of the season (Nov. 30), and changing sites. After considerable consultation with the University leaders and the Big Ten office, it was agreed that the Oct. 10 scenario represented the most collegial resolution to a difficult and complex situation.
A Northwestern Win vs. Michigan State Will ...
* Extend the Wildcats' winning string to three games;
* Improve the Wildcats' all-time series record vs. MSU to 15-30;
* Give the Wildcats their third straight win vs. the Spartans;
* Extend the Wildcats' string of victories in Big Ten-opening games to three (NU beat Wisconsin in 2000 and MSU in 2001).
'Cat Tails ...
* After coming up empty in the receiving department in their first three games, NU's tight ends and fullbacks combined for seven receptions and 84 yards against Navy. Eric Worley led the way with a career-best four receptions for 57 yards. The four catches were one shy of his career total.
* Junior Doug Szymul (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) came up five tackles shy of NU's single-game record for total tackles when he recorded 26 hits (19 solo tackles) against Navy.
* Redshirt freshman Braden Jones (Harrisburg, Ill./Harrisburg) recorded just over one-third the tackle amount (nine) that Szymul did against Navy, but Jones contributed with several other big plays: a forced fumble, a pass deflection and two quarterback hurries. Four of Jones' plays were logged as "great plays," the most by any NU player in a game this season.
* Sophomore Dominique Price notched four solo hits as well as two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble against the Midshipmen.
* NU's top eight tacklers against TCU were either freshmen (four) or sophomores (four). Against Duke, NU's top 10 tacklers were divided this way: one junior, five sophomores and four freshmen.
Up Next
Northwestern returns home to play its Big Ten home opener against Ohio State. The contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT (ESPN2).
