Northwestern University Athletics
NU Wraps Up Third Week of Spring Practice
4/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 19, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern closed out week three of spring football practice outside Saturday, as temperatures rose to the high 60s by noon. NU spent the majority of session 11 running a 60-play situational scrimmage.
As expected, sophomore Brett Basanez (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator) and freshman Alexander Webb (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park) took turns under center. Both provided some highlight reel plays. Working with the second unit, Webb connected with senior Roger Jordan (League City, Texas/Clear Creek) for a 23-yard pass completion. That set up freshman Slade Larscheid's (Spearfish, S.D./Spearfish) 39-yard field goal.
On the ensuing drive, Basanez took the offense 40 yards for a score. The redshirt freshman went 3-for-3 on the drive, collecting 25 passing yards, and also ran a bootleg for a three-yard touchdown.
"Both guys are doing well," offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar said of the two quarterbacks. "We're trying to get them both reps, and the best way for them to learn is to get them out there in the heat of the battle."
The defense also had its moments in the spotlight. After recording four sacks and a tackle for a loss in the second series of the day, the defense also tallied some points of its own when defensive end Loren Howard (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) busted through the right side and sacked Webb for a safety in the fourth series.
"We started slow," said defensive coordinator Greg Colby. "But after that first score the kids responded pretty well. They played more intense and aggressive. Our focus this spring is to tackle a lot better and they're starting to do that.
"Loren is having a good spring; he'll have his flashes of brilliance and then he won't. He's going to be a really good player, but the guy that's really come on has been Barry Cofield (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights). He's probably had the best spring of all of them."
Session 11 Notes
Sophomore running back Terrell Jordan (Clarkston, Ga./Tucker) tallied the first score of the day, scampering 25 yards for a touchdown in the opening series. Jordan carried the ball eight times for 39 yards and a touchdown ... Getting more depth at tailback has been a goal this spring. Besides Jordan, sophomore Derell Jenkins (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook), a quarterback, is also getting some reps. Jenkins had seven carries for 25 yards Saturday ... Freshman place-kicker Joel Howells (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore) nailed the longest field goal of the day, a 45-yarder from the left hash marks ... The 'Cats resume their final week of practice Tuesday with a closed session.
