Northwestern University Athletics
NU Counting on Improved Special Teams Play
7/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 26, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Today, NUsports.com previews the Wildcats' 2004 special teams, as well as this year's challenging schedule. Northwestern returns all of its key specialists, including punter/place-kicker Brian Huffman.
The 2004 season gets underway next week in Chicago with the annual Big Ten Media Day and Kickoff Luncheon, Aug. 4 and 5 at the Hyatt Regency. Then, Northwestern's players report to camp Sunday, Aug. 8. The Wildcats begin "Camp Kenosha" Aug. 11. (A detailed Kenosha schedule will be posted soon on this site.)
Special Teams
Like several of Northwestern's other positions, all of the Wildcat specialists return in 2004.
Heading into spring drills, Walker plans to use senior Brian Huffman as the team's place-kicker and punter, a chore he handled the final few games of the 2003 season. Huffman is slated to handle both duties with ongoing injury problems with sophomore Slade Larscheid, who began 2003 as the Wildcats' place-kicker.
"With Brian's experience, I think he can handle both duties, and perform them extremely well," says Walker. "His punting tailed off a bit late in the season, but I think that was partly due to the added duties as place-kicker. If we monitor that better going into the season, I think he'll be a lot more effective. I think he has a legitimate chance to be an All-Big Ten punter and/or place-kicker."
Besides Huffman and Larscheid, the Wildcats return their holder, Eric Batis, and long-snapper, Chris Horton.
"Eric has developed into a dependable holder," says Walker. "And Chris Horton could be one of the better long-snappers in the Big Ten."
Some of the leading returnees for kickoff and punt return include Jeff Backes, Mark Philmore and Derell Jenkins.
Several other players are also candidates for return roles.
2004 SEASON NOTES
The 2004 Schedule
Northwestern's 2003 schedule was one of the nation's most challenging, and there's good reason to believe that 2004 will be just as difficult. Last year, seven of the Wildcats' 12 opponents played in postseason games. This year, the Wildcats have eight bowl opponents on their schedule.
Northwestern will play 12 opponents for a third successive year due to playing at Hawaii on Nov. 27. (Most NCAA I-A schools are reverting back to the 11-game schedule this season.)
Three of the Wildcats' four nonconference foes-TCU, Kansas and Hawaii played in bowl games last year. Five of the 'Cats' Big Ten opponents-Minnesota, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan-also earned bowl berths. Arizona State, which is playing NU for the first time since 1978, finished 5-7 a year ago.
The Wildcats open the year at TCU on a Thursday night (Sept. 2) on national television (ESPN or ESPN2). Northwestern then comes home for back-to-back contests at Ryan Field versus ASU and Kansas.
The Big Ten season begins Sept. 25 at Minnesota. Northwestern will play the same eight conference schools it did a year ago, only at opposite sites. NU will not play Iowa and Michigan State again this year. The 'Cats then conclude the year with a Thanksgiving weekend trip to Hawaii.
Stronger in the Trenches
The foundation of any football team starts with its offensive and defensive lines. Fortunately for the Wildcats, every offensive and defensive line starter returns, along with every key reserve. With the addition of several freshmen to both sides of the ball, the 'Cats will be as deep as they've ever been at those two units since Randy Walker began his NU coaching tenure in 1999. Northwestern is led offensive linemen Zach Strief and Matt Ulrich, and defensive linemen Luis Castillo and Loren Howard.
National Exposure
When the Wildcats open the season Sept. 2 at TCU (on ESPN or ESPN2), it will mark their 10th straight television appearance. The following weekend, Northwestern's home opener will be televised by ESPN2, marking the eighth time in an 11-game stretch the Wildcats will have played in front of a national television audience. The first two Big Ten games -- at Minnesota and vs. Ohio State -- are also scheduled for prime-time coverage on ESPN or ESPN2.
AFCA Academic Champs ... Again
Northwestern University's football program is receiving the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2004 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 1998-99 earned a degree.
The Wildcats are sharing this year's award with Boston College, which also had a 100 percent graduation rate.
Northwestern's win is the third 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 and 2002 with 100-percent rates. Northwestern earned honorable mention status in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003. Prior to 1998, the award only honored members of the College Football Association, which did not include Big Ten schools.
Coaching Changes
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2003 regular season, NU assistants Jeff Genyk, Jay Peterson and Howard Feggins left to take over the football program at Eastern Michigan. Head coach Randy Walker then replaced those three individuals just prior to the Motor City Bowl. Kevin Johns (running backs) and Garrick McGee (wide receivers) joined the Wildcats in time to coach in the Dec. 26 bowl game while Eric Washington (defensive line) joined NU immediately after the bowl game.
Lots of "Starts" Returning
Northwestern has a total of 28 players returning who have made at least one official start. All but one of those players has made three or more career starts. Senior defensive lineman Colby Clark leads all NU players with 35 career starts. He did not start the Minnesota game in 2003; otherwise, he'd have 36 starts, all in succession. A total of 12 players, eight of them on defense, have 16 or more starts.
In all, Northwestern has 16 players returning on defense with a combined 232 starts. There are 12 players returning on offense with a combined 148 starts. Offensive linemen Trai Essex and Matt Ulrich, along with defensive end Loren Howard, have started every game the past two years (25 games).
The Percentages
Northwestern is returning 49.7 percent of its rushing yardage (1,371 of 1,884) in 2004, 100.0 percent of its passing yardage (2,121 of 2,121) and 50.4 percent of its receiving yardage (1,070 of 2,121).
Five-and-10
In 2004, Northwestern will be shooting for its fifth bowl appearance in the last 10 years. Prior to the school's 1995 Rose Bowl trip, NU had played in just one bowl contest. Head coach Randy Walker is trying to become the first head coach to take NU to three bowl games.
On Pace
Junior defensive end Loren Howard, one of the Wildcats' three All-America candidates, is on pace to conclude his NU career as the school's all-time leader in tackles for loss. After two seasons, Howard is presently seventh with 29.5 TFLs. The record (53) is held by Casey Dailey (1994-97). Howard was chosen as the nation's 94th-best returning player in an ESPN.com feature, the "Hot 100." He also was named to the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year preseason watch list.
Rivals.com Announces Its Preseason All-Big Ten Team
The latest publication/web site to announce its preseason all-Big Ten team is Rivals.com, which names Zach Strief as one of its top five offensive linemen. Named to the second team were juniors Loren Howard and Tim McGarigle.
