Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Carry Two-Game Winning Streak to 18th-Ranked Purdue
10/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 27, 2003
NU Game Notes vs. Purdue
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The Game
Fresh off its victory over nationally ranked Wisconsin, Northwestern heads into the second half of the Big Ten season standing even, 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference. The Wildcats now take their two-game winning streak -- their longest in-season Big Ten victory string since 2000 -- to West Lafayette for a meeting with one of the league's top teams, the Purdue Boilermakers. Kickoff is set for noon EST (11 a.m. CST). ESPN is televising the game to a national audience.
The 18th-ranked Boilermakers had their six-game winning streak snapped at Michigan on Saturday, 31-3. The loss also ended a five-game Big Ten winning streak that dated to last year. Purdue, which was coming off an impressive road win at Wisconsin, was held to 242 yards of offense by the Wolverines. Michigan jumped out in front 14-0 in the opening 15 minutes and never looked back as the Boilers could only muster a third-quarter field goal. Purdue's two losses this season have both come to top-25 teams: 17th-ranked Bowling Green and 11th-ranked Michigan. Quarterback Kyle Orton directs the Boilermaker offense, which averages 229.0 passing yards per game and 387.3 yards overall. He has completed 166-of-269 passes for 1,805 yards, 11 TDs and just four interceptions. Orton's two favorite receivers rank first and second in Big Ten receptions per game: Taylor Stubblefield averages 7.4 catches per outing (68.5 ypg) and John Standeford averages 5.9 rpg (a Big Ten-best 86.5 ypg). Jerod Void leads the rushing attack, averaging 60.1 ypg and 4.3 ypc. He has scored seven touchdowns.
In addition to slowing down the Boilermakers' passing attack, the Wildcats face a stiff task on offense, taking on Purdue's sixth-ranked defense (275.5 ypg). NU's 34th-ranked rushing offense (178.4 ypg) will go head-to-head with the nation's fourth-ranked run defense (70.9 ypg). Linebackers Landon Johnson (52 tackles) and Niko Koutouvides (51 tackles), along with safety Stuart Schweigert (50 tackles, 3 INT) lead the Boilers.
The Series With Purdue
Series Record: Purdue leads 46-23-1
At Evanston: Purdue leads 25-15-1
At West Lafayette: Purdue leads 20-8
Neutral Site: Purdue leads 1-0
Last Result: 42-13, Purdue, 2002 (in Evanston)
Series Streak: 6, Purdue (dating to 1997)
Series Notes: After NU won three straight games in the series (1992 to 1996), Purdue has won the last six (1997 to 2002) ... The NU-Purdue series dates to 1895.
Northwestern Head Coach Randy Walker
Randy Walker's passion for excellence continues to be the driving force in his mission to return Northwestern's football program to the top of the Big Ten Conference, and among the nation's elite. A 27-year coaching veteran who has been associated with some of the game's greatest mentors, Walker places a high value on a student-athlete not only excelling on the field, but also in the classroom and in the community.
In his fifth season with the Wildcats, Walker has produced a 22-32 record, highlighted by an 8-4 mark in 2000. That season, the Wildcats won a share of the Big Ten title-NU's third conference crown since 1995. Overall, in his 14th year as a college head coach, Walker is 81-67-5. He spent his first nine years at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Walker departed his alma mater as the program's winningest coach with a 59-35-5 (.621) record.
The Northwestern-Wisconsin Recap
A stellar defensive effort combined with strong offensive performances from Jason Wright (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) and Noah Herron (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) proved to be the tonic that Northwestern needed to knock off nationally ranked Wisconsin 16-7 and earn its first home win of the 2003 season. Northwestern's defense, led by linebacker Tim McGarigle (Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick) and defensive end Loren Howard (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro), limited Wisconsin to 135 rushing yards and just 328 yards overall. The seven points were the fewest NU has allowed in a game since a 44-7 win over Duke in 2001, and the fewest it has allowed in a Big Ten game since Oct. 21, 1995 when the Wildcats beat Wisconsin 35-0.
Herron and Wright rushed for 104 and 97 yards, respectively, and the duo also had significant games catching passes out of the backfield. Herron totaled 35 receiving yards on three receptions and Wright caught a 53-yard touchdown pass that put the Wildcats in front, 6-0. The tandem accounted for 289 all-purpose yards. After NU fell behind 7-6, a 25-yard field goal from Brian Huffman (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) with 1:44 left in the second quarter put the 'Cats in front for good at 9-7. The only score of the second half followed a successful fake field goal attempt -- dubbed college football's play of the day by ESPN -- on a fourth-and-six play by Northwestern. Herron rambled 20 yards on the fake, and two plays later, Wright scored on a 1-yard plunge for a 16-7 lead. NU's defense, led by McGarigle's career-high 17 tackles, shut down the Badgers the rest of the way.
NU Receives Academic Kudos From the AFCA ... Again
Once again, Northwestern's football program was lauded for its exemplary graduation rates by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in 2003. Since the Wildcats have been eligible for the award (starting in 1998), they have either won the award (1998 and 2002) or received honorable mention recognition (for a graduation rate of 90 percent or better). Northwestern was one of six schools with a 90 percent or better graduation rate (for its freshman class from the 1997-98 academic year), joining Boston College, Connecticut, Rice, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. Duke won the 2003 title with a 100 percent graduation rate. Northwestern or Duke have held the title all but two years since 1993.
Big Ten schools became eligible for the award in 1998.
NU Picks Up a Pair of Early-Season Big Ten Honors
In the season's first two weeks, Northwestern players were honored by the Big Ten Conference for their performances against Kansas and Air Force. For his performance in the season-opening victory over Kansas, senior running back Jason Wright earned his fourth career Big Ten Player-of-the-Week. In that game, Wright equaled a career high in rushing yards (196) and rushing touchdowns (4). He also set a personal best with 41 rushing attempts. The 196 yards were the second-most on college football's opening weekend.
The following week against Air Force, and for the first time since the 2000 season, a member of Northwestern's defensive unit picked up Big Ten Player of the Week honors. Junior safety Marvin Ward (Landover, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt), who was a late replacement in the starting lineup for the injured Louis Ayeni, shared the honor with Ohio State's Will Allen. Ward collected a career-high 17 tackles (11 solos) and a key fumble recovery in the Air Force game. He played a key role in helping contain the Falcons' vaunted option attack. Only three of Air Force's 53 rushing plays went for distances of 10 or more yards. Ward is seventh on Northwestern's tackle chart with 44 hits.
Wright One of NU's Four Academic All-America Candidates
Northwestern running back Jason Wright is one of four Northwestern players up for Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. To be nominated, an athlete must be a starter and/or key reserve, carry a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be in his second year of athletic eligibility. Also up for the honor is defensive tackle Luis Castillo (Garfield, N.J./Garfield), linebacker Braden Jones (Harrisburg, Ill./Harrisburg) and cornerback Jeff Backes (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington).
The Wright Stuff
The 2002 season was a breakout year for running back Jason Wright. After toiling as a reserve receiver in 2001 (7 catches for 48 yards), Wright finished 2002 by being named an honorable mention all-Big Ten running back. In the Wildcats' last outing vs. Wisconsin, Wright scored two more touchdowns to up his season total to a Big Ten-best 15. He is now tied for sixth place on NU's all-time scoring list. Wright also totaled 150 all-purpose yards-he just missed his 12th 100-yard rushing performance by finishing with 97 yards. Wright also continues to climb NU's all-time rushing list (see chart to the lower left), moving to fifth place after his performance vs. Wisconsin. Wright, who has 11 100-yard games in has last 18 outings, is third in Big Ten rushing, first in Big Ten scoring, and third in Big Ten all-purpose yardage. Against Wisconsin, he became the sixth player at NU to top the 2,000-yard mark for rushing yards.
Wright is one of 39 preseason candidates for the Doak Walker Award, awarded annually to the nation's top running back. He is one of four Big Ten running backs on the list.
An update on some other notable items/numbers for Wright:
* Owns a school-record string of 379 consecutive carries without a fumble (fumbled once in 2002).
* Needs 411 rushing yards to reach to move into fourth place on NU's all-time rushing list.
* Needs 99 all-purpose yards to move into seventh place on NU's all-time list; 196 yards to move into sixth place.
* Averaging 111.0 rushing ypg in his last 18 outings.
* Missed NU's preseason scrimmage (Aug. 16) in order to take the medical school entrance exam (MCAT).
* Delivered the players' keynote address at the 2003 Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon.
* Sang the national anthem prior to an NU men's basketball game (vs. Ohio State) and prior to a 2003 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament session at the United Center.
That's More Like It
Throughout his coaching career, Randy Walker has proven to be nearly unbeatable when his teams carry a lead into the fourth quarter. The Wildcats added to that impressive mark when they carried a 16-7 lead into the final frame vs. Wisconsin on Saturday. Walker's club uncharacteristically lost a fourth-quarter lead earlier this season, letting a 21-7 advantage turn into a 22-21 defeat to unbeaten Air Force. In his 14 years as a head coach, Walker's teams have compiled a 65-3-1 record when leading at the end of the third quarter. At NU, he is 16-2. (The other loss came to Penn State in 2001.)
Playing the Best
Several publications noted that Northwestern's 2003 schedule would be one of the toughest in the country, and seven games into the season, the facts support that claim. According to the NCAA statistics service, Northwestern's 12-game schedule presently ranks as the 25th-toughest slate in Division I-A football. NU's 12 opponents presently have a combined record of 57-43 (.570). Northwestern's first eight opponents sport a 41-25 (.621) mark, making that the 16th-toughest schedule played to date.
In the latest Anderson and Hester computer ranking (one of the computer rankings used in the BCS formula), NU's strength of schedule is ranked 11th nationally; the Sagarin rating ranks it the 24th-most difficult.
Red-Zone Leaders
Although the Wildcat defense is still surrendering more yards than they would like, they are stiffening when the opposition gets inside the 20-yard line. In the latest Big Ten statistics, Northwestern is ranked first in the league in red-zone defense with a .571 percentage. The opponents have been inside the 20-yard line 28 times, but only 16 times have they come away with points-11 touchdowns and five field goals. Conversely, NU has gone inside the opponents' 20-yard line 27 times and scored 21-18 TDs and three FGs.
Heavy Stuff
With the losses of offensive linemen Austin King and Jeff Roehl to graduation and the NFL, there were off-season concerns about replacing those two players up front. Those fears have been reduced somewhat, after Northwestern's starting offensive line, which weighs an average of 310 pounds (12th heaviest in I-A football), has helped the Wildcats total 400-plus yards on four occasions (a season-high 467 yards vs. Kansas). Zach Strief (Milford, Ohio/Milford), the Wildcats' biggest player at 6-foot-7, 335 pounds, has led the way this season with seven "championship-game" performances in eight outings. NU rolled up 245 rushing yards on Wisconsin on Saturday, the most ground yards allowed by a Badger team this year.
Patrick Leads Nation in Reception String
Dating to his freshman season, receiver Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) has caught at least one pass in 42 consecutive games, which leads the nation. USC's Kareem Kelly set the NCAA Division I-A record last year, concluding his career with a 47-game streak.
Patrick caught one pass vs. Wisconsin, and now ranks third and fourth, respectively, on NU's career receiving and receiving yardage lists.
'Cats' "D" Turns in Top Effort of Year
With two of its top defensive players in the lineup together for the first time this year-Tim McGarigle and Louis Ayeni-Northwestern turned in its best outing of the year. The Wildcats held the Badgers to 135 rushing yards (3.6 ypc) and limited Wisconsin to just two plays of 20 or more yards-a 28-yard run by Anthony Davis and a 30-yard reception by Lee Evans. Defensive end Loren Howard (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) led NU's effort up front with five tackles (three TFLs, including 1.5 sacks). He also had three hurries.
Durr's Return Helps Spark Defense
Northwestern's 2002 defensive woes are well-documented, and the rough year was certainly not helped by the absence of Pat Durr (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles), who tore every major ligament in his right knee in the season-opening game at Air Force. Durr has since completed an impressive rehabilitation process and registered some solid play in the early going of the 2003 season. He had 15 tackles at Ohio State on Sept. 27 before eclipsing that previous personal best with 22 tackles at Indiana (Oct. 11). After eight games, Durr is first on the team's tackle chart with 84 hits and second in sacks with two. He now has 257 career tackles.
Injury Shelves Another Wideout
For the second time in three games, NU has lost one of its front-line wide receivers to injury. Mark Philmore (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/ Reynoldsburg) has joined Ashton Aikens (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day) on the sideline with a possible season-ending knee injury. Philmore is third in team receptions (20). He also had posted some impressive punt return numbers (22.0 ypr) since taking over those duties vs. Indiana.
Baz on Three Top-10 Lists
In his first 13 career games, sophomore quarterback Brett Basanez moved into the Wildcats' No. 10 spot on the school's career passing yardage list. He nearly recorded his ninth 200-yard passing game against Wisconsin, finishing with 176 yards. Basanez now has 3,587 career yards (18 career games). Also, he is ninth on NU's all-time total offense list (3,820 yards) and seventh in career pass completions (307).
After suffering a broken fibula midway through the 2002 season, Basanez came back to play the final three games and lead all freshman quarterbacks nationally in passing yardage (220.4 ypg). He concluded his season with a career-best 368-yard effort vs. Illinois.
Ball Security
Holding on to the football has been one of Randy Walker's credos for years. Thus far in 2003, the Wildcats have done a solid job of keeping possession of the ball. Although Northwestern has been credited with 12 fumbles, it has only lost two-those coming against Duke and Ohio State.
'Cat Tails
* Led by Loren Howard, Northwestern has three blocked kicks this year. Howard has two of those blocks-one on a field goal attempt and the other on a PAT attempt. Northwestern did not block any kicks in 2002, and just two in 2001.
* Punter/kicker Brian Huffman (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg), a Ray Guy Award candidate, now has booted 14 of his 51 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Another five punts have found the end zone for touchbacks. Huffman is currently 38th nationally with a 42.2 ypp average.
* Northwestern's opponents have only returned 11 kickoffs (out of 32) this year (for a total of 192 yards and a 17.5 ypr average).
* With three roads win in 2003, NU has equaled its road victory total of 2000, when it won the Big Ten championship. NU has not won four road games in a season since 1996, when it went 9-3.
* NU rushed for 245 yards vs. Wisconsin; the Badgers' first four Big Ten foes (Illinois, Penn State, Ohio State, Purdue) combined for 244 rushing yds.
