This was actually a pretty slow news week for NU; which is why EVR waited for Thursday, in hopes that some additional tidbits would come down the pipeline. There is no recruiting news to report so this post will focus on updating the NU injury report.
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| allstatesugarbowl.org |
The primary story out of Evanston is that there is no timetable set for Dan Persa’s return to action for the Wildcats. While, officially, Fitz said Tuesday that Dan is day-to-day – and even then simply said that everyone other than injured DT Jack DiNardo is day-to-day – no one believes that Persa is going to expedite the timeline to play against Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The idea situation for Persa would be to get in a little work against Army and then have two weeks to really strengthen up for Illinois on October 1st. Effectively buying another month of rehab. Whether anyone wants to risk Persa’s health for the Army game will depend on his progress in the next week. EVR would like to see him get in to some game action in West Point to shake off the rust before going into battle in Champaign.
Fortunately, NU fans now know that they have an efficient, productive backup in Kain Colter. Colter did a number of things on Saturday. He stood up in front of one of the best defensive fronts in the country and picked them apart. He allowed Cat fans to collectively exhale, confirming that NU is going to be “OK” until Persa is back at 100%. He also demonstrated that the Cats potentially have a very special talent on their hands for the next two years. What he did not do is get injured. Despite missing post-game interviews in order to get an x-ray; both Fitz and Kain confirmed that he is OK to play against EIU. No one has disclosed what part of Colter needed the x-ray.
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| scout.com |
As mentioned above, starting DT Jack DiNardo will miss the EIU game with a leg injury that he suffered on a play when he sacked BC quarterback Chase Rettig. There is no indication of how serious the injury is, or how long DiNardo will be out. Given Army’s quirky offense, it will certainly be helpful to have all hands on deck next Saturday – so hopefully Jack will heal quickly. Sophomore Will Hampton is expected to start instead. The team does have a lot of depth at the DT position – at least according to the coaching staff. But injuries to starters are always an issue.
Other notes on the depth chart: Ben Johnson will start again in place of Collin Ellis. David Arnold is listed as the starter at safety – despite earning an injury timeout after a brutal hit against BC. There are a handful of non-starters who are listed as questionable on the injury report. More on that tomorrow.
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| detnews.com |
Finally, Fitz was apparently pretty disappointed with the team’s handling of the football on Saturday, both offensively and defensively. He said that there were some opportunities to strip the ball -- which is something that the Cats worked hard at in camp. NU also fumbled twice – although recovered both times. He also called out the Cats’ backups for not being spirited enough on the sidelines. Expect them to be loud and proud on Saturday.
Big Ten Power Rankings
Here is how EVR sees the Big Ten after week one:
Legends Division:
1 Nebraska: Nebraska did not show much in their week one thrashing of Chattanooga. But Taylor Martinez looked sharp and the Huskers took care of business, so they get to keep the top spot.
2 Michigan State: Sparty was less than impressive in their Friday night debut against YSU. While the game was never really in question, they came out flat and never really put the pedal to the floor. They get to keep their spot for now, but they have been warned.
3 Northwestern: If quality of opponent is taken into consideration, it is hard to argue that NU was not the most impressive team in the league on Saturday. Not only were they the only team to win on the road, but the Cats were the only team to beat a BCS opponent.
4 Iowa (-1): Iowa controlled this game from the beginning. Not much to say here. They lose their “T-3” status because of NU’s big win at BC.
5 Michigan: Michigan stumbled out of the gate and then got the benefit of not having to worry about a fourth quarter comeback. In one of two lightening shortened games this weekend, Big Blue took care of business in the end.
6 Minnesota: The Gophers certainly had the opportunity to pull off a huge upset in LA, but their performance proved, unquestionably, that the power division in the Big Ten is the Legends.
Leaders Division
1 Wisconsin: Welcome to the Big Ten Russell Wilson. The Badgers QB pitches a near perfect game as the Badgers cruise to a victory over UNLV.
2 Ohio State: Ohio State did play one of the worst teams in the FBS. They will be tested a little more against Toledo next week. Either way, the Buckeyes looked solid and may not have to worry so much about losing Pryor.
3 Illinois: Illinois set the bar high with a convincing win over Arkansas State. By avoiding Missouri, they have to potential to have a 4-0 start before Big Ten play October 1.
4 Penn State: Penn State, like Wisconsin, scored early and often. But they were playing Indiana State. And Indiana State is no Alabama. Good luck guys.
5 Purdue: EVR was all ready to downgrade Purdue to the 6th spot alone after barely beating MTSU. This could be a long year for the Boilers.
6 Indiana (-1): The Hoosiers lost to Ball State. Not much else needs to be said there. The Kevin Wilson Era does not start well.
Game Preview tomorrow!! And then GameDay.
Go Cats!
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