Sept. 9, 2002
NU Football Notes for Duke
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GAME 3
DUKE (1-1) at NORTHWESTERN (0-2)
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 14, 2002/Noon CDT
Site: Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill.
Capacity/Surface: 47,130/Natural Grass
Television: None
Radio: WGN 720 AM (Dave Eanet, play-by-play; Ted Albrecht, analyst) (also on wgnradio.com); WNUR 89.3 FM
The Game
Two of the nation's youngest teams meet this Saturday, Sept. 14 at Ryan Field for their third game of the 2002 season. Duke, a regular nonconference opponent of late for Northwestern, visits Evanston for the seventh time in school history. Kickoff is set for noon CT.
The Blue Devils have just one senior on their roster while the Wildcats have nine. Those figures give Duke and Northwestern the distinction of having the fewest seniors in their respective conferences. Duke, which halted a 23-game losing skid after opening the season with a 23-16 win over East Carolina, is now 1-1 after falling to Louisville 40-3 this past Saturday. Those two contests were played at Duke. The Blue Devils are seeking their first road win since defeating Maryland on Oct. 30, 1999.
Both Duke and Northwestern are seeking improvements with their young offenses. The Wildcats, who ranked a respective first and second in Big Ten total offense the past two years, are averaging 258.0 yards per game and 3.5 yards per play. Duke is averaging 208.0 ypg and 3.2 ypp. Defensively, the Blue Devils have improved significantly from a year ago, allowing just 303.5 ypg. In addition, Duke has yet to commit a turnover in two games while its defense has forced eight miscues (five interceptions, three fumbles). The Blue Devils are led on offense by junior tailback Chris Douglas, who began the season with 3,291 all-purpose yards.
Saturday is "Take a Kid to the Game Day" (one child under 13 admitted free per each paid adult), "City of Evanston Day" ($20 tickets to all Evanston city employees and Chamber of Commerce members and their friends and family) and "NU Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day" ($20 tickets for all full-time and part-time NU faculty).
The Series with Duke
Series Record: 7-5, Duke leads
At Durham: 3-3, tied
At Evanston: 4-2, Duke leads
Last Result: 44-7, NU (2001)
Series Streak: 3, NU
Series Notes: Both schools have held their own on the road in this series. Duke has won four of its seven games in Evanston, while Northwestern has claimed three of its five series victories in Durham ... Duke won the first six games of this series. Since then, NU has gone 5-1 (since 1996) with its lone loss coming in 1998, a 44-10 home loss ... The two schools are scheduled to continue their series with a game in 2003 (at Durham) and a home-and-home set in 2007 and '08 ... After the Blue Devils handed the Wildcats their worst loss in the series in 1998 (44-10), NU has outscored Duke 97-24 the past three years.
The Last Meeting With Duke
Sept. 22, 2001-Led by Damien Anderson and Zak Kustok, Northwestern ran away from Duke and posted 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. David Wasielewski 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 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. Jason Wright 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 and Kevin Bentley 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
Randy Walker is in his fourth season at Northwestern after spending the previous nine years (1990-98) at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In just his second year 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 2000 efforts 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 74-56-5 career record in 13 seasons and a 15-21 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 48-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 that Miami has produced: Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler ... and the list goes on.
The NU-TCU Recap
Sept. 7, 2002-Despite a school-record 63.7 yards per kickoff return average from junior Jason Wright (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar), Northwestern was unable to win its 2002 home-opening game. Seven turnovers and a punt snap out of the end zone proved to be too much for the Wildcats to overcome as they fell 48-24 to TCU.
Wright opened the game in electrifying fashion, scoring on a school-record 100-yard kickoff return. Following his record-setting romp, the NU defense came up big on the game's first offensive play as John Pickens (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Ramapo) forced TCU quarterback Sean Stilley to fumble and Braden Jones (Harrisburg, Ill./Harrisburg) recovered the ball. Three plays later the Wildcats reached the 1-yard line, but they were unable to cross the goal line and had to settle for a 22-yard field goal from David Wasielewski (Odessa, Fla./Tampa Jesuit).
After gaining its 10-0 lead, the tables turned on Northwestern. The Wildcats gave up 41 unanswered points and trailed 41-10 before Jeff Backes (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) stopped the TCU scoring string with a 17-yard TD run with 7:05 left in the third quarter. Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) closed out NU's scoring with a 13-yard TD reception from Brett Basanez (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator) in the fourth.
Northwestern Receives AFCA 2002 Academic Achievement Award
Northwestern University's football program is receiving the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 2002 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 1996-97 earned a degree. Northwestern's win is the second 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 with a 100 percent rate. Northwestern earned honorable mention honors in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Prior to 1998, the award honored only members of the College Football Association. Since 1998, when the award was expanded to include all Division I-A conferences, Big Ten schools have been honored 23 times, with the Wildcats winning the award twice.
NU vs. the ACC
The Wildcats have an all-time record of 7-11 versus the Atlantic Coast Conference. NU is 5-7 vs. Duke, 0-2 vs. North Carolina and 2-2 vs. Wake Forest. Northwestern played its first ACC foe in 1976 (North Carolina).
Injury Update
Northwestern freshman quarterback Alexander Webb (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park) lacerated his liver after taking a hard hit to the stomach in Saturday's game against TCU. Webb, who was admitted to Evanston Hospital Saturday afternoon following the injury, was expected to remain hospitalized for at least another week. The injury did not require surgery.
No definite timetable has been placed on his return to action. Webb, however, is likely out for at least eight weeks.
Webb was one of three quarterbacks to play in NU's game vs. TCU. He rushed for 20 yards on four carries and completed 2 of 6 passes for 45 yards and one interception.
Middle linebacker Pat Durr (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this Friday, Sept. 13.
Let Youth (at QB) Be Served
Both Northwestern and Duke offenses are going through some growing pains, largely due to their youth at quarterback. Neither team has a junior or senior signal caller on its squad. The Blue Devils have three sophomores (two are redshirt and one is a transfer) and a true freshman. The Wildcats have one sophomore (redshirt) and four freshmen (one redshirt).
Century Receivers
Junior Kunle Patrick (Brooklyn, N.Y./Poly Prep Country Day) and senior Jon Schweighardt (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton-Warrenville South) are moving closer to becoming members of NU's "Century Club" for career receptions. After his four-catch game against TCU on Saturday, Patrick needs just three more receptions to reach 100. He also ranks 15th on the all-time yardage list with 1,116. Schweighardt, who leads NU in receiving yardage this season, has 96 career catches for 1,047 yards. They will become the ninth and 10th players in NU history to reach the 100-catch mark.
He's Special -- Wright Earns Big Ten Honors
Junior Jason Wright earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors after a record-setting effort Saturday against TCU. Wright shattered NU's single-game marks for longest kickoff return (100 yards, for TD), yards per kickoff return (63.7) and total kickoff return yards (191). His 100-yard touchdown return was Northwestern's first kickoff return for a TD in 108 games. (NU's Lee Gissendaner returned a kickoff 90 yards vs. Michigan State on Oct. 31, 1992.) In addition, it was the first kickoff return for TD scored on TCU since Oct. 8, 1986 (175 games). Wright's performance also helped NU set a single-game team mark with 270 return yards.
With his outstanding day, Wright leads the nation in kickoff return average (53.3 ypr). Last week, punter Brian Huffman (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) ranked first in Division I-A punting average. Huffman is now third in the nation with a 46.8 yards per punt average.
Building the "D"
Although the Wildcats surrendered 48 points to TCU on Saturday, several of those points were set up by offensive turnovers and/or special teams miscues. When taking a closer look at NU's defense, the Wildcats turned in one of their better efforts in quite some time. Northwestern did allow 441 yards, but 176 of those 441 yards came on three pass plays (65-, 66- and 45-yard plays). Minus those three long plays, NU allowed 3.7 yards per play (265 yards on 71 plays).
Some of NU's stars included freshman Braden Jones (six tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one hurry), freshman David Thompson (10 tackles), freshman Tim McGarigle (9 tackles), sophomore John Pickens (8 tackles, one forced fumble, one pass deflection and one sack) and freshman Loren Howard (8 tackles, one tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries).
A Northwestern Win vs. Duke Will ...
* Give the Wildcats their fourth straight victory over the Blue Devils.
* Up the Wildcats' all-time series record vs. Duke to 6-7.
* Improve the Wildcats' all-time record vs. ACC foes to 8-11.
'Cat Tails ...
* With the temporary loss of Pat Durr, only four seniors are in the Wildcats' starting lineup: three on offense (Jon Schweighardt, Austin King and Jeff Roehl) and one on defense (Raheem Covington). The rest of the lineup (offense and defense only) includes five juniors, seven sophomores and six freshmen. In 2000, when the Wildcats captured a share of the Big Ten crown, they had five seniors, 11 juniors, six sophomores and no freshmen in their starting lineup.
* Fourteen NU players have made their first collegiate start this year.
* NU's top eight tacklers on Saturday were either freshmen (four) or sophomores (four).
Up Next
Northwestern plays its final nonconference game, visiting the U.S. Naval Academy next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT.