Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats End Spring Season With 70-Play Scrimmage
4/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 22, 2006
Coach Walker Post-Game Quotes
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- For many fans, Saturday marked the unofficial start of the 2006 football season. Fans flocked to Ryan Field for the annual Spring Game where the offense defeated the defense 64-32 in a uniquely scored competition.
Those who attended (a crowd of 2,000-plus) got an early look at the 2006 product while for the players and coaches it was a way to benchmark their progress this spring and prepare for summer workouts and fall practices in August.
"I thought the spring as a whole was a great learning experience not only for our players and our coaching staff that has been realigned and reshuffled but also for me," Coach Randy Walker said after the game.
The scrimmage consisted of 70 plays, where both the offense and the defense earned points that were tacked onto points both sides earned throughout the week during practice. At the start of the game, the offense led 13-11.
The offense earned six points for a touchdown, three for a field goal, two for a 30-yard pass play or a 20-yard run, and one for a first down and PAT.
The defense earned nine points for a touchdown return off a turnover, three for a turnover, two for a 4th-down stop, two for a three-and-out and one point for any stop of the offense.
The defense came out of the gates strong, holding the offense scoreless on their first two drives. Sophomore safety Brendan Smith intercepted a Mike Kafka pass on the fourth series of the scrimmage.
The offense got into a rhythm behind redshirt freshman Andrew Brewer on the third series of the game. The versatile quarterback ran for 54 yards and that drive and completed a touchdown pass to junior tight end Frayne Abernathy. Throughout the game, Brewer contributed in all three major offensive categories. He completed 6-of-8 passes for 52 yards and a touchdown, ran for 89 yards and caught a pass for 21 yards.
"It's been getting better each week," Brewer said. "I struggled at first throwing the ball and every day in practice I made it a goal to go out and just get better throwing the ball and it's improving each week and I think it showed better today."
The other contenders for the starting quarterback spot put up solid numbers as well. C.J. Bachér led the team in passing with 121 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His 41-yard completion to Rasheed Ward was the longest pass play of the day. Mike Kafka completed 7-of-15 for 46 yards despite two interceptions. Kafka ran for 71 yards, including a 36-yard burst on the last drive of the game.
"I thought today all of them showed the ability to do that and make some plays," Walker said. "We've got to continue to work on our passing game but I thought it's made some real strides with those guys. So hopefully we continue to grow in the summer, they get more and more confident, and we're a better overall offense when we come back in August."
For the players, though they've been competing informally all spring, it was the first time all spring they had a chance to compete for scoreboard supremacy.
"I think just having the scoreboard up gives you more of a competitive feel," senior linebacker Nick Roach said. "It adds that element of competition and gives you that drive you don't normally have in practice."
Roach, while assuming a leadership role on defense as a senior, has impressed Randy Walker throughout the spring.
"I thought it's been good to see Nick Roach have a good spring," Walker said. "He's another guy in our program who's been nicked up, banged around, unable to play."
Other defensive highlights included a Campbell Black interception of Bachér and a Marquice Cole interception to end the scrimmage.
Walker mentioned Cole as a standout on defense during the spring.
"I think Marquice took some steps to being a really good player," Walker said. "I thought that was significant. I challenged him with that. I said, `you're a pretty good player now, but you need to take the next step and be a special player.' I think he took those steps this spring."
Several players sat out the scrimmage, either with injuries or due to a coaches' decision. Running back Tyrell Sutton did not play. "I know what he can do," said Walker. "He's gone live all spring, but I wasn't taking a chance today."
Other notable players sitting out, all due to injury, were: linebacker Adam Kadela, offensive tackle Dylan Thiry, running back Terrell Jordan, running back Omar Conteh, defensive end Corey Wootton, linebacker Eddie Simpson and linebacker Chris Jeske. Walker expects all his injured players back in August.
As the spring ends, Walker says he's generally pleased with a team that's attempting to succeed with a mixture of veterans and youth in key roles. Though he insists they still need to improve, the spring game served to highlight their tangible progress.
"As I told the team, I think it was a good spring," he said.
SCRIMMAGE STATS
PASSING -- Bachér 8-11-121, 2 TD, INT; Brewer 6-8-52, TD; Kafka 7-15-46, 2 INT
RUSHING -- Brewer 10-89; Kafka 8-71; Roberson 9-20, TD; Bachér 2-16; Shanks 2-4
RECEIVING -- Lane 2-57, TD; Ward 3-53, TD; Frymire 3-27; Brewer 1-21; Thompson 2-15; Cheatham 2-13; Shanks 2-13; Jones 1-8; Abernathy 1-5, TD; Roberson 3-5; Yarbrough 1-2
