Sept. 3, 2012
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior running back Venric Mark's superb all-around effort against Syracuse Saturday netted him Co-Special Teams Player of the Week recognition by the Big Ten, the league announced Monday. Mark compiled 281 all-purpose yards -- matching a career high set in 2010 -- and scored touchdowns both as a receiver and on punt returner.
On the same day he made his first career start as a Wildcat at running back, Mark's first big impact against the Orange came in his familiar role on special teams when he returned a punt 82 yards to paydirt. The play stands as the fourth-longest punt return in school history and is NU's first punt return for touchdown since the 2005 campaign.
Syracuse made the mistake of kicking to Mark once again in the second quarter, setting the junior up for a 52-yard return that allowed him to establish a new Northwestern school record for single-game punt-return yardage with 134.
Mark also collected 49 kickoff return yards, enough to become the all-time NU leader in career kickoff return yards with 1,513, breaking a record previous standard held by Ricky Edwards that had stood since 1983.
On offense, the Houston native finished as Northwestern's leading rusher on the day with 82 yards on 14 carries, both career bests for Mark.
Mark is the first Wildcat to earn Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors since he did so following the final game of the 2010 regular season when he compiled 274 kickoff return yards, including a 94-yard touchdown return, against Wisconsin.
Northwestern returns to Evanston to begin a four-game September homestand Saturday, hosting Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. CT at Ryan Field. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-GO-PURPLE or by vising NU's online ticket center.
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