Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Ready For Another Big Ten Unbeaten
9/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 29, 2003
NU Football Notes vs. Minnesota
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The Game
For the second straight week, Northwestern prepares for a nationally ranked and unbeaten Big Ten football team. After falling 20-0 to then-fourth-ranked Ohio State on Saturday, the Wildcats return home to battle No. 21/16 Minnesota, which is off to its best start since 1987 at 5-0. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT (ESPN2). Ohio State and Minnesota represent the Big Ten's two lone undefeated teams.
After outscoring its first four nonconference foes 187 to 51, the Golden Gophers ran into their season's most significant challenge at Penn State on Saturday. Minnesota, however, responded with two first-quarter touchdowns and a 14-0 lead. Penn State pulled to within three at 17-14 with a late third-quarter touchdown. After Minnesota booted a 30-yard field goal with 2:21 remaining for a 20-14 advantage, PSU marched from its own 20-yard line to the Minnesota 15. The Golden Gopher defense rose to the occasion, though, and kept the Nittany Lions from scoring, which preserved Minnesota's third straight win over PSU and its second straight in "Happy Valley."
Northwestern, which has held four of its first five opponents to 147 yards or less in rushing, will get one of its season's toughest ground tests this week. Led by sophomore Marion Barber III, the Gophers lead the Big Ten in rushing offense, averaging 284.2 yards per carry. Barber, coming off a 134-yard effort against Penn State, is the Big Ten's fourth-leading rusher with a 93.2 ypg average. Barber, however, tops the league in yards per carry average (6.2) and rushing touchdowns (11). Besides Barber, Laurence Maroney (56.8 ypg, 5.8 ypc), Terry Jackson II (55.2 ypg, 4.7 ypc) and Thomas Tapeh (49.8 ypg, 5.2 ypc) have added to the Gophers' ground production. When Minnesota is not running the football, it is being effective in the air. The Gophers have the fewest pass attempts of any Big Ten team (96), but they lead the league in pass efficiency with a 143.43 rating. Starter Asad Abdul-Khaliq has completed 45-of-72 passes for 693 yards and five touchdowns. He also has rushed for 138 yards this season. Receivers Jared Ellerson (16 for 323 yds., 2 TDs) and Aaron Hosack (14 for 200 yds., 4 TDs), along with tight end Ben Utecht (8 for 175 yds.) are the Gophers' favorite targets.
Defensively, linebacker Terrance Campbell (36 tackles, 3 sacks) leads Minnesota, which is allowing 284.4 ypg. The Gophers rank third in the Big Ten in total defense. As a unit, the Gophers have recorded 31 tackles for loss, led by tackle Darrell Reid, who has record 5.5 in five games. Place-kicker/punter Rhys Lloyd has been a big weapon for the Gophers, converting all 27 PAT kicks and all six field goal attempts (long of 54 yards). He is averaging 42.7 yards per punt.
Saturday is LaSalle Bank Day at Ryan Field.
The Series With Minnesota
Series Record: Minnesota leads 47-28-5
At Evanston: Minnesota leads 21-16-2
At Minneapolis: Minnesota leads 26-12-3
Last Result: 45-42, Minnesota (in Minneapolis)
Series Streak: 1, Minnesota (dating to 2002)
Series Notes: While the Gophers hold a 47-28-5 lead in the all-time series with the Wildcats, Northwestern has won five of the last seven meetings ... NU has won two of the last three meetings at Ryan Field: 23-17 in 2001 and 26-24 in 1996. NU lost a 33-14 decision in 1999 ... Excluding the 33-14 decision in 1999, every contest between the Wildcats and Gophers since 1988 (10 games) has been decided by 10 points or less. The average point differential for those 10 games is 4.7 points.
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 20-31 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 79-66-5. 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-Ohio State Recap
Northwestern turned in a solid defensive performance against the defending national champions, but it had no offensive answer for the tough Buckeye defense as the Wildcats fell 20-0 to fourth-ranked Ohio State. The 'Cats became the first team to rush for 100-plus yards (121 yards) on the Buckeyes, but they could only muster 64 passing yards, 162 yards below its season average.
Early in the second quarter, it appeared that Northwestern was on the scoreboard after Brett Basanez (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator) crossed the goal line on a quarterback keeper, but a penalty against NU cost the Wildcats six points. An eventual 35-yard field goal attempt was no good, which left Ohio State ahead 10-0. In the second half, OSU used 15 plays to go 80 yards and move in front 17-0. The Buckeye defense did the job the remainder of the game, keeping the Wildcats from crossing midfield on their final five drives of the game.
Running back Jason Wright (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) was the game's leading rusher with 55 yards.
NU Receives Academic Recognition 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 ailing Louis Ayeni (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury), 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 fifth on Northwestern's tackle chart with 30 hits.
Wright Nominated for National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Postgraduate Scholarship
Northwestern running back Jason Wright is the Wildcats' nominee for the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame postgraduate fellowship. To be eligible for the award, the nominee must be a senior or graduate student in his final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have shown superior academic application and performance, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. Wright was named a first-team Verizon Academic All-American last year.
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. Although he was limited to 55 rushing yards at Ohio State, he totaled more rushing yards vs. the Buckeyes than any of OSU's first four opponents did as a team. He also continues to climb NU's all-time rushing list (see chart to the lower left), moving closer to seventh place. Wright, who has 10 100-yard games in has last 15 outings. is third in Big Ten rushing, fourth in Big Ten scoring, and sixth in Big Ten all-purpose yardage.
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 string of 314 consecutive carries without a fumble (fumbled once in 2002).
* Needs 75 rushing yards to move into seventh place on NU's all-time rushing list; 181 yards to move into sixth place; and 250 yards to move into fifth place.
* Needs 274 all-purpose yards to crack NU's top-10 career list.
* Averaging 113.9 rushing ypg in his last 15 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.
Stiff Schedule Getting Stiffer
Several publications noted that Northwestern's 2003 schedule would be one of the toughest in the country, and five games into this season, the facts support that claim. According to the NCAA statistics service, Northwestern's 12-game schedule presently ranks as the ninth-toughest slate in Division I-A football. NU's 12 opponents presently have a combined record of 39-19 (.672). Northwestern's first five opponents sport a 19-5 (.791), making that the fifth-toughest schedule played to date. The Wildcats are the only team in the country that has played five opponents with more than 17 combined victories. Eight of NU's 12 opponents are ranked or receiving votes nationally.
Defensive Upgrades
Northwestern has significantly upgraded its defense from a year ago. With five games under its belt, the improvements can be backed up with statistics. Some notable items on the defense:
* NU has sliced more than 50 percent off its rushing yards allowed figure. Last year, the Wildcats gave up 313 yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry. This year, the figure has dropped to 146.4 ypg and 4.0 ypc. Through five games a year ago, NU was allowing 308.8 ypg on the ground.
* In five games, the 'Cats have totaled eight pass sacks, including six two weeks ago against Duke. Last year, NU accumulated just six sacks all season.
* Northwestern held an opponent to less than 100 yards rushing for the first time in four years when it limited Duke to 90 yards last month. Against "conventional" offenses this season, NU is giving up 115.5 ypg on the ground. All four "conventional" teams have rushed for no more than 147 yards on the Wildcats. Air Force, which led the nation in rushing a year ago with its option attack, piled up 270 rushing yards on the Wildcat defense.
O-Line Measuring Up
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 offensive line, which weighs an average of 317 pounds (fourth heaviest in I-A football), has helped the Wildcats total 400-plus yards in three games (a season-high 467 yards vs. Kansas). Redshirt sophomore Zach Strief (Milford, Ohio/Milford), the Wildcats' biggest player at 6-foot-7, 335 pounds, has led the way this season with five "championship-game" performances in as many outings.
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 39 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.
In Saturday's game at Ohio State, Patrick, who ranks fourth and fifth, respectively, on NU's career receiving and receiving yardage lists, caught a pass for six yards. Here are the leaders of the nation's longest active receiving string:
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 took a 21-10 lead into the final frame at Duke two weeks ago. 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 64-3-1 record when leading at the end of the third quarter. At NU, he is 15-2. (The other loss came to Penn State in 2001.)
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 a career-high 15 tackles at Ohio State. After five games, Durr is first on the team's tackle chart with 46 hits and second in sacks with two. He now has 219 career tackles.
Red-Zone Defense
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 this week's Big Ten statistics, Northwestern is ranked first in the league in red-zone defense with a .588 percentage. The opponents have been inside the 20-yard line 17 times, but only 10 times have they come away with points--six touchdowns and four field goals. Conversely, NU has gone inside the opponents' 20-yard line 15 times and scored 11--all TDs.
Baz in the Top 10
In just 13 career games, sophomore quarterback Brett Basanez (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator) moved into the Wildcats' No. 10 spot on the school's career passing yardage list. This past weekend, he surpassed the 3,000-yard mark and now totals 3,024 yards (15 career games). 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 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 fairly good job of keeping possession of the ball. Although Northwestern has been credited with 10 fumbles, it has only lost two--those coming in the last two games (one each vs. Duke and Ohio State).
'Cat Tails
* In their first five games, the Wildcats already have eclipsed their cumulative blocked kick totals from the last two years. Led by sophomore Loren Howard (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro), Northwestern has three blocks 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 nine of his 30 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Another three punts have found the end zone for touchbacks. Huffman is currently 32nd nationally with a 42.5 ypp average.
* Northwestern's opponents have only returned five kickoffs (out of 18) this year (for a total of 99 yards).
* Redshirt freshman Bryan Heinz (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) became the fourth member of the NU secondary to notch an interception when he collected his first pick in the second quarter vs. Ohio State. Heinz earned a scholarship just prior to the start of the 2003 season.
