Oct. 15, 2001
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GAME 6
No. 22/20 NORTHWESTERN (4-1, 2-1) vs. PENN STATE (0-4, 0-3)
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 20/2:30 p.m. (CDT)
Site: Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill.
Capacity/Surface: 47,130/Natural Grass
Television: ABC (Brent Musburger, Gary Danielson, Jack Arute)
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play, Ted Albrecht, color) (also on wgnradio.com)
The Game
After regaining its winning ways this past Saturday against Minnesota, Northwestern stays at home this week and entertains Penn State, one of the nation's winningest college football programs. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CDT this Saturday, Oct. 20 at Ryan Field. ABC Sports is televising the game regionally. Calling the action for ABC is Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (color analyst) and Jack Arute (sideline).
It is an understatement to say the Nittany Lions are having an uncharacteristic season. Penn State is winless through four games, marking the first time in the program's 115-year history that PSU has started 0-4. The Nittany Lions opened the 2001 season by falling to the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes, 33-7. Since that game, the Nittany Lions have lost successive contests to Wisconsin (18-6), Iowa (24-18) and Michigan (20-0). Penn State is averaging 229.3 yards in total offense, but just 40.8 yards per game on the ground.
Joe Paterno, in his 36th year as the Lions' head mentor, is one of just eight coaches in NCAA history to record 300 wins (322-94-3). With the next PSU win, Paterno will tie Paul "Bear" Bryant for most coaching victories at the Division I-A level. Overall, Penn State has accumulated 739 victories, which ranks sixth most among major college programs. The Wildcats moved to 2-1 in the Big Ten race with a 23-17 victory over Minnesota last weekend. Although Northwestern was held to less than 400 yards in total yards for a second straight week, the Wildcats continue to lead the Big Ten in total offense (425.4 ypg) and rank second in scoring offense (30.2 ppg). NU is seeking its fifth consecutive home win and its eighth victory in its last nine outings at Ryan Field. Tickets are still available for Saturday's game vs. the Nittany Lions. Call 847-491-CATS for ticket information.
The Series with Penn State
Series Record: PSU leads 5-1
At Evanston: PSU leads 2-1
At State College: PSU leads 3-0
Current Win Streak: Penn State, 3
Last Meeting: Nov. 14, 1998 (Penn State 41, Northwestern 10)
First Meeting: 1993 (Penn State 43, Northwestern 21)
Series Notes: The two teams are meeting for the first time since the 1998 season ... Northwestern's only series victory came in 1995, its unbeaten Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl season. The Wildcats won that game 21-10 at Ryan Field ... Four of the Nittany Lions' five series victories have come by margins of 22 points or more.
The Last Meeting with the Nittany Lions
Nov. 14, 1998-Led by a stellar defensive effort, Penn State posted an easy 41-10 victory at Beaver Stadium. The Lions' defense recorded 17 tackles for loss and held the Wildcats to 21 yards rushing on 32 attempts. Northwestern opened the game with a field goal for a 3-0 lead. Penn State, however, quickly gained control of the game by scoring 34 unanswered points. The Nittany Lions piled up 248 yards on the ground with Eric McCoo totaling 127 yards on 11 carries. One of his rushes went for 57 yards and a touchdown. D'Wayne Bates led the Wildcat offense with 127 receiving yards on four catches.
The Minnesota Recap
Oct. 13, 2001 -- On a rainy day at Ryan Field, senior wideout Sam Simmons (Kansas City, Kan./F.L. Schlagle) tormented the Gophers for a second straight year as he totaled 191 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns. One of the TD's came on a 29-yard screen pass and the other on a 71-yard punt return. Offensively, Simmons finished the game with seven catches for 97 yards and a 21-yard rushing play. Last year, he notched his only previous multiple-TD game at Minnesota and scored the game's winning touchdown on the final play of the contest. Quarterback Zak Kustok (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) also savored a solid day, getting the NU offense on track in the game's early going with touchdown drives on its first two series. The first drive of the game went 95 yards on 16 plays while the second drive totaled 69 yards on 10 plays.That game-opening surge gave the Wildcats a lead (13-3) they would never relinquish. Simmons' 71-yard punt return came with 2:46 left in the first half and gave the 'Cats a 20-10 halftime lead. A 40-yard field goal from David Wasielewski (Odessa, Fla./Tampa Jesuit) midway through the third quarter gave Northwestern its biggest lead at 23-10. The Gophers cut the lead to 23-17 when Ron Johnson hauled in a 35-yard pass on a fourth-down play with 32 seconds left. NU, however, recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock to remain in the hunt for another Big Ten crown.
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 74-48-5 career record in 12 seasons and a 15-13 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 are wearing a patch on their uniform with his initials, RAW. Also, for the first time in Northwestern football history, Wheeler's jersey number (#30) was 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 12 games at strong safety in 2000 and registered 88 tackles (59 solos) and three pass deflections.
Big Ten Conference Standings
2001 Standings Conference Games All Games Michigan 3 0 1.00 5 1 .833 Illinois 2 1 .667 5 1 .833 Northwestern 2 1 .667 4 1 .800 Purdue 2 1 .667 4 1 .800 Ohio State 2 1 .667 3 2 .600 Wisconsin 2 1 .667 4 3 .571 Michigan State 1 1 .500 3 1 .750 Iowa 1 2 .333 3 2 .600 Indiana 1 2 .333 1 4 .200 Minnesota 0 3 .000 1 4 .200 Penn State 0 3 .000 0 4 .000
Damien Ascending On The Big Ten Rushing Chart
Although he finished with his third-straight sub-100-yard rushing effort against Minnesota, Damien Anderson climbed another rung on the Big Ten's career rushing chart. Anderson accumulated enough yardage (86 yards) to become the Conference's eighth all-time leading rusher. With 123 more yards, he will move a notch higher, surpassing Michigan's Jamie Morris. The following is a look at the entire Big Ten top 10:
Rank Yards Name Years Played
1. 7,125 Ron Dayne (Wis.) (1,220 attempts) 1996-99
2. 5,589 Archie Griffin (OSU) (924) 1972-75
3. 5,299 Anthony Thompson (IU) (1,161) 1986-89
4. 4,887 Lorenzo White (MSU) (1,082) 1984-87
5. 4,654 Darrell Thompson (Minn.) (936) 1986-89
6. 4,472 Anthony Thomas (Mich.) (924) 1997-00
7. 4,393 Jamie Morris (Mich.) (809) 1984-87
8. 4,271 Damien Anderson (NU) (903) 1998-present
9. 4,212 Tico Duckett (MSU) (836) 1989-92
10. 4,178 Tyrone Wheatley (Mich.) (688) 1991-94
Turnovers Tell The Story
Once again, Northwestern is proving that if you win the turnover battle, the odds of winning a football game climb significantly. This season, the Wildcats are 4-0 when suffering fewer turnovers than the opposition and 0-1 when commiting more than the other school. Since coming to Northwestern, head coach Randy Walker is 12-1 when turning it over fewer times than the opponent. The Wildcats rank ninth nationally in turnover margin and are tied for first in that category in the Big Ten.
Say What?
When the Sept. 15 home game vs. Navy was canceled, that meant Northwestern had to begin the season with back-to-back road contests. (Northwestern has since added a game to its schedule, an 11 a.m. kickoff vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 17.) 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.
61-1-1
Head coach Randy Walker is nearly unbeatable when his teams carry a lead into the fourth quarter. Since Walker began his head coaching duties at Miami University in 1990, he has compiled a 61-1-1 record when leading at the end of the third quarter. At NU, Walker is 12-0 with a fourth-quarter lead and 11-0 when leading at halftime. Earlier this season, the Wildcats came close to losing just the second fourth-quarter lead of Walker's career when Michigan State overcame deficits of 17-14 and 24-20 on Sept. 29. Northwestern pulled out the game 27-26 with a last-second field goal.
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.
Cardiac 'Cats At It Again
Many programs are fortunate to win one or two "miracle-type" games over a stretch of seasons. With the Sept. 29 gut-wrenching victory over Michigan State, which incidentally was dubbed an "ESPN Instant Classic," Northwestern has captured three improbable wins in less than a year. On back-to-back weekends in 2000, the Wildcats threw a "Victory Right" pass to beat Minnesota on the game's final play before edging out Michigan the following week with a 54-51 victory. The winning score in the Michigan game came with 20 seconds remaining.
Since Randy Walker assumed the coaching duties at Northwestern, he has never lost a game (7-0) that was decided by seven points or less. One of those seven wins was a double-overtime decision at Wisconsin last year.
Zak Attack
The orchestrator of the Big Ten's No. 1 offense is senior quarterback Zak Kustok. Kustok, who is scheduled to start his 24th straight game at quarterback Saturday vs. Minnesota, 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. In his last four outings, Kustok has completed 82 of 129 passes for 63.6 percent. He is coming off a career-best single-game completion percentage of .688 (22-of-32) against Minnesota.
Another trait of Kustok's is his ability to keep mistakes to a minimum. Prior to suffering his first interception in eight games against Michigan State, Kustok attempted 277 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 18 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. Versus the Spartans, Kustok rushed for a career-high 105 yards and totaled 336 yards in total offense. He ranks first in the Big Ten in the category "points responsible for."
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 three more touchdown passes, Kustok will climb into a second-place tie on the Wildcats' all-time TD list. He ranks 15th nationally in total offense (275.2 ypg). Kustok is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark for career rushing, needing 44 yards to reach that milestone. He also has 16 career rushing TD's, which is good enough for seventh place on NU's all-time list.
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 on Sept. 22 at Duke, racking up 189 rushing yards and climbing above the 4,000-yard mark.
Anderson/Kustok Overtake Autry/Schnur
The quarterback/tailback tandem of Zak Kustok and Damien Anderson became the Wildcats' top total offensive duo in school history last week against Minnesota. Through five games in the 2001 season, Kustok and Anderson have a combined 9,491 career 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-the previous best by a Northwestern duo. Kustok presently ranks fifth all-time in NU total offense with 5,220 yards while Anderson is sixth with 4,271 yards. Len Williams holds NU's career record with 8,029 yards.
Kudos For Sam
Sam Simmons, who was slowed the previous two weeks with a broken finger, came back with a solid performance against Minnesota and picked up Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Simmons returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, lifting NU to a 20-10 halftime lead. He finished with 191 all-purpose yards. Simmons scored a second TD on 29-yard pass play. Earlier this season, he opened at UNLV with 161 receiving yards (11 receptions), 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.
Spreading It Around
Northwestern's spread offense allows for numerous individuals to get involved in the offense. After five games, 12 Wildcats have caught at least one pass. Sophomore Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) leads the receiving corps with 28 catches for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten in receptions per game (5.6). Sam Simmons (24, 14.6 ypr), Jon Schweighardt (20, 12.3 ypr) and Damien Anderson (12, 8.1 ypr) are NU's other double-digit reception leaders.
Whazz-up
Junior place-kicker David Wasielewski, in his first season at Northwestern after transferring from Florida, kicked the biggest field goal of his young career when he nailed the game-winning kick vs. Michigan State on Sept. 29 with no time remaining. The 47-yard boot equaled his career long, which he accomplished first the previous week at Duke. Wasielewski is a perfect five-for-five from distances of 40 to 49 yards.
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 32 career starts, the most among the five starters. Combined, the unit has 124 career starts. According to The Sporting News and Lindy's, the offensive line is rated as the third-best group in the country. Last 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. Five games into the 2001 season, NU is averaging 85.0 per game. Minnesota held the Wildcats to a season-low 78 plays last week. A year ago, 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.
Standring Standing Tall
Veteran punter J.J. Standring (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) is savoring his finest season yet in a Wildcat uniform. Standring booted seven punts for a career-best 48.6 ypp average Saturday against Minnesota. On the season, he owns a 45.2 yards per punt average, which ranks seventh nationally.
Northwestern's All-Time Leading Rusher Damien Anderson
Now Northwestern's all-time leader in rushing yardage, all-purpose yardage and rushing touchdowns, Damien Anderson is climbing the top 10 rushing charts in the Big Ten. He is on pace to finish among the top five rushers in league history. Facing two of the league's better defenses the past three weeks, Anderson fell short of the 100-yard rushing mark with 75 yards against Michigan State and 80 yards at Ohio State. He totaled 86 yards Saturday vs. Minnesota. Despite the three sub-par outings, Anderson ranks 22nd nationally in rushing and 26th in all-purpose yardage.
One of the overlooked aspects of Anderson's game is his ability to hold on to the football. He has lost just two fumbles in his last 435 carries. Another Randy Walker-coached running back, Travis Prentice, holds the NCAA mark (862) for consecutive rushes without losing a fumble.
2001 HIGHLIGHTS
* Heisman Trophy and Doak Walker Award Candidate
* Big Ten Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
* Sept. 24 Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Duke game)
* Football News first-team All-America
* Street & Smith's first-team All-America, first-team All-Big Ten
* Athlon Sports first-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten
* Rated No. 1 running back by Lindy's and The Sporting News
* Lindy's National Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-
American and first-team All-Big Ten
* The Sporting News first-team All-America, Big Ten Offensive
Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten
* Preview Sports first-team All-America, Big Ten Offensive
Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten
* Collegefootballnews.com first-team All-America, Big Ten Offensive
Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten
* Will be featured on ESPN's SportsCentury 50 and Beyond documentary in
November
* Featured on FOX Sports Net's "The Slant," Friday, Sept. 7
2000 HIGHLIGHTS
* Finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Memorial Trophy
* Doak Walker Award finalist
* FWAA, Walter Camp, Football News, CNNSI, The Sporting News All-America
* Football News Offensive Player of the Year finalist
* Touchdown Club of Columbus' Outstanding Running Back
* Only unanimous All-Big Ten first-team pick by both coaches and media
* Broke Michigan State's Lorenzo White's Big Ten rushing record for yards
in conference games with 1,549 yards. Also broke White's yards per
game record with a 193.6 average.
* Averaged an outstanding 6.6 yards per carry.
* Rushed for 200-plus yards four times and became the first NU back to
rush for 200 yards in back-to-back games.
* Anderson was the first player nationally to reach the 1,000-yard mark.
Anderson reached the 1,000-yard mark in the Wildcats' sixth game. No
other NU player has performed that feat.
* Anderson reached the 1,000-yard mark on his 135th carry of the season
(an average of 7.4 yards per carry). No NU player has taken so few carries to reach the 1,000-yard mark.
Defensive Upgrades
While the Wildcats are still seeking improvements in their run defense, they have made great strides in the pass efficiency defensive category this season. Through five games, NU ranks first in the Big Ten and 12th nationally with a defensive pass efficiency rating of 95.04. Last year, NU ranked ninth in the Big Ten in the same category. Opponents are completing just 45.5 percent of their passes and have thrown 10 interceptions to just four touchdown passes. In fact, Northwestern went 15 quarters without allowing a touchdown pass. That streak ended when Minnesota connected for a late fourth-quarter TD this past Saturday. Last year, NU's defense totaled 13 interceptions in 12 games. Thus far in 2001, the 'Cats have 10 picks in five games. Interestingly, nine different players have interceptions.
Bentley, Harris Among Nation's Leaders
Linebacker Kevin Bentley (North Hills, Calif./Montclair Prep) and defensive end Napoleon Harris (Dixmoor, Ill./Thornton Township) were ranked among the nation's leaders in the first NCAA defensive statistic report on Sept. 30. Bentley, who has led the Big Ten in tackles per game much of the year, ranked seventh nationally in tackles. He is currently averaging 12.4 per game. Harris ranked 12th nationally in tackles for loss with 2.0 per game. He is now averaging 1.6 per outing.
'Cat Tails ...
* Northwestern's defensive ends turned in a stellar effort against Minnesota. Salem Simon (Cleveland, Ohio/Benedictine) and Onaje Grimes (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights) both had a pair of sacks against the Gophers. Throw in two TFL by Napoleon Harris and the trio notched eight tackles for loss. Simon had four TFL.
* NU's next three opponents, Penn State, Purdue and Indiana, all have open weekends prior to playing the Wildcats.
* The Wildcats' roughest quarter for reaching the endzone is the second: they are getting outscored 28-19. NU has yet to score an offensive touchdown in the second this season.
* NU started the season 3-0, its best start since '62.
* Quarterback Zak Kustok is Northwestern's nominee for the annual National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete award. The award is based on academic and athletic success, as well as community service. Kustok carries a 3.06 cumulative grade point average.
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-Northwestern & Indiana, Michigan State-Ohio State & Illinois, Minnesota-Indiana & Penn State, Ohio State-Michigan State & Iowa, Penn State-Minnesota & Purdue, Purdue-Penn State & Wisconsin, Wisconsin-Northwestern & Purdue.
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?
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.
Up Next
The Wildcats play at Purdue on Oct. 27. Kickoff is 11 a.m. and the game will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2.