*** NCAA Football Preview - Northwestern Wildcats ***
From The My Sportsbook
By Frank Haynes, College Football Senior Editor
2003 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Wildcats lost two of their first three games last season and the prevailing thought of Northwestern fans everywhere was, "oh no, here we go again." Two of their next three also resulted in defeat and the season was heading down the drain in a hurry. A pair of humiliating losses to Ohio State and Minnesota to open the Big Ten slate had the team reeling, but a 16-7 upset of perennial conference power Wisconsin was a turning point, and coach Randy Walker's squad went on to win four of its final six regular-season games en route to earning a berth in the Motor City Bowl. The 'Cats dropped a 28-24 verdict to MAC foe Bowling Green in that contest, but it was their first postseason appearance since 2000 and only their fourth since 1948, setting up what folks in Evanston hope is a long run of winning campaigns and subsequent invitations to the postseason.
2004 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The return of eight starters from an offense that ranked 14th in the nation in rushing (212.2 ypg), including the entire offensive line, should spell success for the Wildcats this season. Sure Jason Wright and his 1,388 yards and 20 TDs are gone, but senior Noah Herron, who is a big back at 5-11, 230 pounds, is a solid runner and should certainly get his share of both yards and scores after racking up 996 all-purpose yards as Wright's backup last year. Junior QB Brett Basanez is back after completing 53.6 percent of his passes for 1,916 yards, but his TD-to-INT ratio of 4-to-12 could obviously stand some significant improvement. The receiving corps is relatively inexperienced, as junior Mark Philmore is the team's top returning pass catcher, but he hauled in just 23 balls and averaged a shade under 10 yards per reception. Senior Ashton Aikens has the makings of a big-time playmaker, but he needs to show that the torn ACL he suffered last year will not be a factor. As far as the NU offensive line, it could be one of the best in the Big Ten this season. The unit paved the way for a rushing average of 4.7 ypc in '03 and allowed just 23 sacks, and with three seniors back in the fold, all of which are highly regarded, a return to that form would spell a another successful run for the Wildcats.
DEFENSE: Northwestern will have plenty of players with experience on defense this season, as nine starters return from a unit that allowed more than 417 yards of total offense last year. While that figure is far from acceptable, it was the pass that was the team's undoing as opponents torched the Wildcats for 253.2 ypg (92nd in the country). Getting more pressure on the quarterback is obviously paramount to bringing that number down, and that will be the job of junior DEs Loren Howard and Barry Cofield, among others. Howard posted eight sacks a year ago and is more of the speed rusher, while Cofield brings the beef off the edge, coming in at 6-4 and 305 pounds. Seniors Luis Castillo and Colby Clark are solid tackles and the two combined for 125 tackles last season. The linebackers are set with the return of leading tackler Tim McGarigle (140 stops), as well as senior John Pickens (106 tackles). The 'Cats allowed more than 61 percent of opposing passes to be completed last season, and the hope is that a year of experience under the secondary's belt will help cut that figure dramatically. Athletic guys like junior Jeff Backes and seniors Marvin Ward and Dominique Price should be better equipped to handle things, but the key to improving against the pass will be the pressure the front seven gets on the quarterback.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior Brian Huffman is back to handle the punting duties and could also take care of kicks if sophomore Slade Larscheid hasn't fully recovered from a hip injury that cost him the second half of last season. Huffman averaged 39.9 ypp in '03, and the 'Cats didn't have a successful FG attempt in the first four games. Larscheid hit just 2-of-6 FGs before being injured, and Huffman took over and connected on 5-of-7 tries. Philmore averaged 22 ypr last season and he more than likely will handle the bulk of the punt returns, while Derrell Jenkins is expected to be back returning kicks after averaging 17.8 ypr last year.
OUTLOOK: The Wildcats' non-conference schedule isn't exactly a walk in the park as they will face TCU, Arizona State and Kansas the first three weeks of the season. The Big Ten slate gets underway with a trip to Minnesota, followed by home games against Ohio State and Indiana. With the game against the Hoosiers likely the only winnable of that set, the team could be staring at a 1-5 record by the time its bye week rolls around on October 16th. The schedule only gets tougher from there as a visit to Wisconsin will be difficult as will a home game against Purdue. Trips to Penn State and Michigan follow before the 'Cats return home to battle Illinois. The regular season concludes with a trek to the South Pacific for a clash with Hawaii, but by then NU's season could either be in shambles or on the brink of greatness. The guess here is it will be the former.
