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Sept. 24, 2001
GAME 3
No. 16/18 NORTHWESTERN (2-0) vs. No. 23/24 MICHIGAN STATE (2-0)
Date/Time: Sept. 29, 2001/11 a.m. CDT
Site: Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill.
Capacity/Surface: 47,130/Natural Grass
Television: ABC Regional (Terry Gannon and Mark Herrmann)
Radio: Tape-delayed on WGN 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play, Ted Albrecht, color) (live on wgnradio.com)
The Game
After having its originally scheduled home opener canceled due to the Sept. 11 East Coast tragedies, Northwestern will make its Ryan Field debut this Saturday, Sept. 29 versus Michigan State. Kickoff for the two school's Big Ten opener is set for 11 a.m. The game is being televised regionally by ABC. Saturday's clash features two top-25 clubs. Northwestern remained 16th in the Associated Press national poll and climbed a spot to No. 18 in the ESPN/USA Today poll following its 44-7 rout of Duke this past weekend. Michigan State jumped into the top 25 for the first time this season after knocking off Notre Dame this past weekend in South Bend. The Spartans are ranked 23rd (AP) and 24th (ESPN/USA Today).
MSU opened the 2001 season with a 35-21 win over in-state rival Central Michigan. Following a canceled contest with Missouri, the Spartans returned to action with Saturday's 17-10 win in South Bend. Sophomore wide receiver Charles Rogers, who leads MSU in receiving with seven catches and 188 yards (26.9 ypr), caught the game-winning score-a 47-yard play-with 7:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. Rogers is sharing this week's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor with NU's Damien Anderson (Wilmington, Ill./Wilmington). Junior tailback T.J. Duckett leads the Spartan ground game with a 95.5 ypg average.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to Saturday's game as security is being stepped up in light of the recent terrorist attacks. All fans entering the stadium will receive an adhesive United States of America flag that can be worn on their clothing. A special pregame ceremony will take place as well, honoring and remembering the victims and their families. There also will be a moment of silence for Rashidi Wheeler, the former NU safety who died on Aug. 3 during summer conditioning drills. Saturday is "Scout Day," at Ryan Field. The game sponsor is LaSalle Bank.
The Series with Michigan State
Series Record: MSU leads 30-13
At Evanston: MSU leads 14-9
At East Lansing: MSU leads 16-4
Current Win Streak: Northwestern, 1
Last Meeting: Sept. 30, 2000 (Northwestern 37, Michigan St. 17)
First Meeting: 1905 (Northwestern 37, Michigan St. 11)
Series Notes: Minus the 1995 and '96 seasons, Northwestern and Michigan State have met regularly since 1959 ... The Wildcats and Spartans are opening their respective Big Ten seasons against one another for just the third time in league history. Northwestern won the 1973 Big Ten opener against the Spartans, 14-10, in Evanston. The following year, Michigan State returned the favor, winning 41-7 in East Lansing ... Since NU and MSU began playing as Big Ten Conference members in 1959, the Spartans hold a 30-10 edge in the all-time series.
The Last Meeting with the Spartans
Sept. 30, 2000 -- For the second consecutive week, Northwestern went on the road to knock off a nationally ranked opponent. The Wildcats ran their Big Ten record to 2-0 by defeating the Spartans 37-17 in East Lansing. It was the first time since 1995 that Northwestern had won back-to-back Big Ten road games. Damien Anderson rushed for a then career-high 219 yards, giving him 393 yards in his first two league outings. The Wildcats finished with 506 yards in offense, including 346 yards on the ground. After T.J. Duckett's 11-yard scoring run knotted the game at 10-10, NU reeled off 27 consecutive points to win going away. One of the game's storylines was third-down conversions. NU converted 11 of 19 third-down plays while MSU was 0-for-12.
For (Home) Openers
This is the Wildcats' latest Ryan Field opener since they debuted with Indiana on Oct. 10, 1992. (Northwestern was scheduled to open at home vs. Navy on Sept. 15 before the game was canceled.) It is also the first time since 1997 that Northwestern has not opened its season on its home turf. Since 1905, the Wildcats have posted a 52-37-5 mark (58.0 percent) in home-opening contests. In the last eight years, Northwestern is 5-2-1 in home lid lifters. Interestingly, both losses came at the hands of Miami University, with one of those Miami wins (1995) directed by Randy Walker.
The Duke Recap
Sept. 22, 2001 -- Led by its All-America candidates Damien Anderson and Zak Kustok (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Northwestern ran away from Duke to post a 44-7 victory, the most lopsided margin in 12 meetings between the two schools. The game was tied 7-7 in the early going, but a 5-yard run by Anderson with 50 seconds left in the first quarter ignited a 37-0 game-ending run by the Wildcats. Anderson would finish the contest with four touchdowns, tying the single-game school record for rushing TD's in a game. He totaled 189 rushing yards and 61 receiving yards. Kustok directed the offense to a 638-yard night as he completed 21-of-31 passes for 318 yards, four yards shy of his personal best set last season vs. Michigan. Junior transfer David Wasielewski (Odessa, Fla./Tampa Jesuit) savored a perfect game, converting three field goals and all five PAT kicks. His field goals measured 28, 47 and 36 yards. The 47-yarder-the longest of his short NU career-came as time expired in the first half and gave the 'Cats a 20-7 halftime advantage. Northwestern wasted little time breaking open the game in the second half, scoring 24 points on its first four possessions. Sophomore Jason Wright (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) capped NU's scoring with his first collegiate touchdown, a three-yard pass play from Kustok. While Anderson and Kustok led the offense, linebackers Billy Silva (San Diego, Calif./St. Augustine) and Kevin Bentley (North Hills, Calif./Montclair Prep) directed the defense. Silva totaled 12 tackles, a career-high two interceptions and two pass deflections. Bentley registered 11 tackles, including a team-high nine solo hits. The Wildcat defense allowed the Blue Devils just one scoring opportunity in the red zone.
Northwestern Head Coach Randy Walker
2000 Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of The Year
Randy Walker is in his third season at Northwestern after spending the previous nine years (1990-98) at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In just two years with the Wildcats, Walker directed a stunning turnaround. After a 3-8 season in 1999, he engineered a complete overhaul of the Wildcat offense and the result was an 8-4 record, an Alamo Bowl berth and a share of the 2000 Big Ten championship.
Walker was recognized for his efforts last season by both his peers and the media, as he was named Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year and the Region 3 Coach of the Year by the AFCA. Walker owns a 72-47-5 career record in 11 seasons and a 13-12 mark at Northwestern. Prior to gaining his first head coaching job at Miami in 1990, Walker spent one year as an assistant at Miami (1977), 10 years as an assistant at North Carolina (1978-87) and two years as an assistant at Northwestern (1988-89). Walker came to Evanston with an impressive coaching resume already intact. The 47-year-old Walker departed Oxford as the winningest head coach in school history. His mark at Miami of 59-35-5 (.621) is even more impressive when you consider the coaching greats which Miami has produced: Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler ... and the list goes on.
Walker graduated from Miami in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in social studies education and earned a master's degree in educational administration from his alma mater in 1981. He starred for Miami as a fullback, leading them to three-straight Tangerine Bowl victories. Upon graduation, Walker was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, but returned to Miami to help as a graduate assistant and the next year became a full-time assistant in charge of running backs under Dick Crum. When Coach Crum departed for North Carolina, Walker joined him and spent the next 10 seasons as a Tar Heel. He coached various positions, ending up as the offensive coordinator. From there, he spent two seasons as Northwestern's running backs coach (1988-89) and, in 1990, took over as the head coach at Miami.
The Year Was 1949 ...
At the Big Ten Media Day Kickoff event on August 1, Northwestern was tabbed the league's preseason favorite by five votes over second-place Michigan. Ohio State was picked third. This is the first time since 1949 that the Wildcats were picked by the media to win the conference crown. That 1949 club, which was coming off a Rose Bowl appearance the previous season, finished 3-4 in league play and placed seventh that year.
Head coach Randy Walker and his Wildcats are keeping the preseason favorite tag in perspective. "It's gratifying for our guys to get some respect," says Walker. "However, the same guys who picked us last last year picked us first this year. I know there's a team that's ready to have a breakout year. I just don't know who it is. Tell me what team in this conference can't win it."
Remembering Rashidi
On Friday, Aug. 3, Northwestern suffered a tragic blow as senior safety Rashidi Ayodele Wheeler (Ontario, Calif./Damien) died while running a summer conditioning drill on campus. In his memory, the Wildcats will be wearing a patch on their uniform with his initials, RAW. Also, for the first time in Northwestern football history, Wheeler's jersey number (#30) is being retired. Wheeler's locker in the John Evans Club locker room is also being preserved with a glass case surrounding his jersey and helmet. Wheeler started all 12 games at strong safety in 2000 and registered 88 tackles (59 solos) and three pass deflections.
Coaching Staff Changes
Randy Walker lost two assistant coaches during the offseason: offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and defensive backs coach Brad Bolinger. Kromer joined Jon Gruden's Oakland Raiders' staff while Bolinger left the coaching profession to pursue a sales position. With those two departures, Walker bolstered his staff with the additions of Mike Dunbar, who has 21 years of collegiate coaching experience, and Pat Fitzgerald, the Wildcats' two-time National Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 and '96.
Check The Record Books
With a victory over Michigan State this Saturday, Northwestern would move to 3-0 for the first time since 1962. Four times since '62, the Wildcats have won their first two games only to lose the third. Last year, NU opened with wins over Northern Illinois and Duke before dropping a lopsided contest at TCU.
Check The Record Books, Part II
When the Sept. 15 home game vs. Navy was canceled, that meant Northwestern had to begin the season with back-to-back road contests. The Wildcats emerged from that opening stretch with victories at UNLV and Duke. Amazingly, the last time that Northwestern started a season with two road wins came nearly a century ago, in 1905.
A Good Omen?
Only once since 1963 has Northwestern started a season with a road victory. The other time? In 1995, when the Wildcats ended their long Big Ten championship drought and earned a trip to the Rose Bowl. That year, Northwestern opened its season with a 17-15 victory at Notre Dame. NU went on to win 10 games and go unbeaten in league play.
Zak Attack
The orchestrator of Northwestern's high-octane offense is senior quarterback Zak Kustok. Kustok, who is scheduled to start his 21st straight game at quarterback Saturday vs. Michigan State, developed into one of the nation's most consistent and dangerous signal callers in 2000. Kustok's lowest single-game completion percentage during the regular season was 51.2 percent (21 of 41 at Wisconsin). Until the season-opening 24-for-49 (49.0 percent) effort at UNLV, he had completed 50 percent or more of his pass attempts in 12 consecutive regular-season contests. Kustok returned to his 2000 form last weekend at Duke, completing 21-of-31 passes for a career-best 67.7 percentage. Last season, he completed 67.5 percent (27 of 40) of his pass attempts in the Wildcats' scintillating 54-51 win over Michigan.
Another trait of Kustok's is his ability to keep mistakes to a minimum. Including the Wildcats' bowl game versus Nebraska, Kustok now has attempted 268 straight passes without being intercepted-the longest streak of his career. Dating to the 1999 season, Kustok has thrown at least one touchdown pass in the Wildcats' last 15 games. Kustok added another notch to his belt at UNLV when he rushed for a career-high three touchdowns. He also tossed a pair of TD passes, giving him a hand in all five NU TD's. Against Duke, he threw for 318 yards-four yards shy of his career high-and ran for 33 yards.
While teammate Damien Anderson is making a run at the Heisman Trophy and Doak Walker awards, Kustok is a contender for the Davey O'Brien Award, which honors the nation's top quarterback. According to some national writers and reporters, they also consider Kustok a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, because of his mastery of running the Wildcat offense. In a recent "What's Hot, What's Not" feature on espn.com, writer Dan Shanoff placed Kustok in the "Hot" column for "Please, give him more pub." With one more touchdown pass, Kustok will climb into a third-place tie on the Wildcats' all-time TD list. He ranks fifth nationally in total offense (324.5 ypg). Kustok was named the USA Today Big Ten Player of the Week on Sept. 10.
From One D.A. to Another
In the season-opening victory at UNLV, Damien Anderson became the Wildcats' all-time leading rusher. Needing 66 yards to surpass Darnell Autry (3,793 yards, 1994-96), Anderson registered 99 second-half yards to become NU's career record-holder. He passed another milestone this past weekend at Duke, racking up 189 rushing yards and climbing above the 4,000-yard mark with a total of 4,030. He is now 126 yards shy of moving into the Big Ten's all-time top 10 list for rushing yardage.
Anderson/Kustok Chasing Autry/Schnur
The quarterback/tailback tandem of Zak Kustok and Damien Anderson are on pace to become the Wildcats' top total offensive duo in school history. Through two games in the 2001 season, Kustok and Anderson have a combined 8,523 yards in total offense. During the middle 1990s, when Northwestern captured two Big Ten crowns, quarterback Steve Schnur and tailback Darnell Autry combined for 9,335 yards-tops by a Northwestern duo. Kustok presently ranks fifth all-time in NU total offense with 4,493 yards while Anderson is sixth with 4,030 yards. Len Williams holds NU's career record with 8,029 yards.
Injury Slows Simmons
Senior Sam Simmons (Kansas City, Kan./F.L. Schlagle), who started his senior season with 11 passes for a career-high 161 yards at UNLV, appeared to be headed to another stellar outing at Duke this past weekend. Simmons, however, left the game in the first half with a concussion and an injury to his ring finger on his right hand. He left the game with two catches for 65 yards. Simmons is expected to return this weekend vs. Michigan State.
Simmons earned NU's Offensive Player of the Game honor for his UNLV effort. The 161 yards was the 12th-best single-game performance in Northwestern history. Simmons' 11 receptions were one shy of his personal best (12), set last season vs. Michigan. After two games, Simmons ranks second in receiving yardage (113.0) and third in receptions (6.5) per game. Nationally, Simmons is ninth in receiving yards per game.
Whazz-up, It's Good
Junior place-kicker David Wasielewski, in his first season at Northwestern after transferring from Florida, savored a perfect night against the Blue Devils. Wasielewski successfully drilled all five PAT kicks and three field goal attempts. He hit from distances of 28, 47 and 36 yards. The 47-yarder, his career long, came as time was expiring in the first half. Nationally, Wasielewski ranks 21st in scoring (10.5 ppg) and eighth in field goals per game (2.0). In the Big Ten, he is third in scoring and tied for first in field goals per game.
In The Trenches
Generally regarded as one of the nation's top units, Northwestern's offensive line is anchored by a veteran group that features four players who garnered preseason honors: right guard Jeff Roehl (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), center Austin King (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian), left guard Lance Clelland (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh) and left tackle Leon Brockmeier (Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln). Right tackle Mike Souza (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Punahou) is the other returnee and he owns 28 career starts. In a number of preseason publications, the Wildcats' offensive line was ranked among the top 10 units nationally. According to The Sporting News and Lindy's, the offensive line is rated as the third-best group in the country. Earlier this month, King was one of 21 players named to the 2001 Dave Rimington Award watch list, which honors the country's top center.
Plays, Plays and More Plays
Last year, Northwestern averaged 82.7 offensive plays per game with its new spread offense. In the final weeks of 2000, however, the Wildcats averaged over 90 offensive plays in their last five games. Two games into the 2001 season, NU is averaging 92.0 plays per game. Last year, the Wildcats totaled a season-high 103 plays vs. Illinois. The school record for offensive plays in a game is 106, set in 1989 vs. Purdue.
Bentley, Harris and Silva Lead NU's Revamped "D"
As touted during the offseason, Northwestern's defense would be built around linebackers Kevin Bentley, Napoleon Harris (Dixmoor, Ill./Thornton Township) and Billy Silva. While Harris has since assumed a starting assignment as defensive end, the trio is delivering big play after big play and leading an improved defensive unit. Bentley, Silva and Harris rank first, second and third in tackles with respective totals of 27, 18 and 17. Silva snared two interceptions against Duke and has three pass deflections in two games. Harris has three tackles for a loss, an interception and six quarterback hurries. Besides his team-leading 27 tackles (14 solos), Bentley owns a 45-yard fumble return. Bentley leads the Big Ten in tackles per game.
Walker's 1,000-Yard Rushers
Once a running back, always a running back. Northwestern head coach Randy Walker, a former standout running back at Miami University, prides himself on coaching great running backs. Not many coaches can claim this amazing stat: In 29 seasons, Walker has coached a running back to a 1,000-yard season 21 times. Walker coached the top two rushers in Miami history, Travis Prentice and Deland McCullough, and two times at North Carolina he tutored two running backs to 1,000-yard seasons in the same year (Kelvin Bryant and Amos Lawrence in 1980 and Tyrone Anthony and Ethan Horton in 1983).
Last year, Walker, along with running backs coach Jeff Genyk, mentored Damien Anderson to the first 2,000-yard season in Northwestern football history.
Three Crowns in Six Years
After waiting 47 years to claim its first Big Ten championship in 1995, the Wildcats have now totaled three conference crowns in the past six years. Only Michigan can equal that accomplishment, having won titles in 1997, '98 and 2000. Northwestern won Big Ten crowns in 1995, '96 and 2000. During this stretch, Northwestern has won more Big Ten championships than traditional powers Ohio State and Penn State combined.
Who They Don't Play
Northwestern does not play Michigan and Wisconsin this year, but picked up Ohio State and Penn State in their place. The
other Big Ten schools and who is off the respective schedules: Illinois-Iowa & Michigan State, Indiana-Minnesota & Michigan, Iowa-Ohio State & Illinois, Michigan-NU & Indiana, Michigan State-Ohio State & Illinois, Minnesota-Indiana & Penn State, Ohio State-Michigan State & Iowa, Penn State-Minnesota & Purdue, Purdue-Penn State & Wisconsin, Wisconsin-NU & Purdue.
'Cat Tails ...
* In Saturday's win at Duke, 10 different Wildcat players totaled at least one reception. Sophomore Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) led all players with four catches and was one of four players who gained 50 or more receiving yards (64). The other three were Sam Simmons (65), Damien Anderson (61) and Roger Jordan (League City, Texas/Clear Creek) (54).
* The Wildcats received several solid defensive performances at Duke, including an eight-tackle effort from sophomore Ray Bogenrief (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg), who totaled just one tackle in his freshman campaign. Bogenrief, a defensive end, rang up six solo tackles, one of them a 2-yard sack.
* Wide receiver Jason Wright sang "His Eye Is On the Sparrow" at Rashidi Wheeler's memorial service and funeral last month.
* Running backs Kevin Lawrence and Gilles Lezi both hail from Quebec. Lawrence, a backup tailback, is from Montreal and Lezi, the starting fullback, is from Laval.
* At last week's annual Citrus Bowl selection dinner, Northwestern and Tennessee were tabbed as the schools most likely to represent the SEC and Big Ten in the 56th Annual Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2002. If the matchup were to occur, it would be a rematch of the 1997 Citrus Bowl, which produced a 48-28 victory for the Volunteers.
USA Today Academic Achievement Awards
USA Today announced its first Academic Achievement Awards and Northwestern finished second in the Division I category and tied for first (with Duke) for Division I-A football schools. The Wildcat student-athletes had a graduation rate of 90 percent in the newspapers' survey.
Northwestern Ranks 22nd Among Division I Athletic Programs According to TSN
In The Sporting News' most recent survey of Division I-A athletic programs, Northwestern ranked 22nd in the publication's annual poll. TSN "graded" college programs in four categories: 1) Do we win? 2) Do we rock? 3) Do we play fair? and 4) Do we graduate?
Up Next
The Wildcats continue Big Ten play, traveling to Ohio State to take on the Buckeyes in a nationally televised ESPN game. Kickoff is set for 6:45 CDT.