Big News out of Boston; More Camp Reports; WR preview; Penn State and Indiana

As Camp Kenosha grinds on in Wisconsin, a game-changing piece of news came out of Boston that will certainly affect the outcome of NU’s season opener.  Boston College All-ACC running back Montel Harris had a procedure performed on his left knee yesterday, which will force him to sit for the opener in Chestnut Hill.  EVR wishes Montel a speedy recovery, and hopefully he will be able to return for conference play.

blogspot.com

But EVR cannot ignore the effect that this will have on the NU-BC game.  Montel was the Eagles offense in 2010 and there is no reliable backup with much experience.  Sterlin Phifer is the sophomore listed on the depth chart – he has 17 career carries.  Either Phifer or classmate Chase Rettig (QB) will have to get the BC offense going or NU may roll in this game.  BC’s defense is good, but Dan Persa should eventually break through.  Look for NU to go from a touchdown underdog to a favorite by at least a field goal by game time.

Fortunately, NU is now a week and a half into summer practice and they have emerged injury free thus far.  But it is not for lack of effort.  Fitz has called Camp Kenosha “24/7 Football” given that the team is emerged into the game for one entire week.  On the other hand, Fitz has said on a number of occasions that he will toy around with the idea of eliminating two-a-days in future years (also noting that the NCAA may mandate it).  The theory being that the players arrive in camp in such great shape that the concept of the two-a-day has lost its effect.  EVR agrees with this, in theory, but notes that it will add to the temptation to require conditioning in the off-season – as opposed to it being optional.

nusports.com

Speaking of getting into shape, defensive lineman Niko Mafuli arrived at camp this year at a svelte 306 lbs., 32 pounds less than his playing weight at the Ticketcity Bowl in January.  It remains to be seen whether Niko’s new physique will improve his football ability, but Fitz believes that the focus Niko put on his weight loss will translate to better focus on the field.  All EVR can recall about Niko’s season is that he was injured in the Vanderbilt game.  So that is not saying much.  Hopefully Niko can add much-needed depth to the D-Line in 2011.

EVR generally does not cite to the other NU blogs, but Sippin On Purple did a wonderful interview this week with walk-on running back Tyris Jones.  Definitely worth the read.  Awesome to hear the back story of one of the guys who may never see the field.

Skip Myslenski is, as always, doing a wonderful job of blogging and reporting for Camp Kenosha.  Here’s a quick run-down of this week.  Monday involved some situational practices, including goal line offense and running drills offensive plays out of their own end zone.  Both of these situations have required work in recent years.  Also, apparently, Fitz lined up at Center for a few drills.  Skip wrote separately Monday about the “no-name” linebacking corps, as Fitz named them on Big Ten Media Day.  It is basically open competition for these positions – although favorite have emerged for the starting roles.  But the LBs with the most experience will have to improve significantly from last year’s performance.  The LBs were constantly over-committing and finding themselves out of position.  This put an enormous amount of pressure on the defensive backs, and eventually lead to the debacle at Wrigley.  There will be more on the LB position in the coming weeks.

Tuesday’s story did not address much, but it does contain an embedded video of a handful of freshman discussing their first trip to Kenosha.  Wednesday, Skip wrote about the proficiency of the passing game, especially the precision of Dan Persa, and the physicality of the defensive line.  Overall, it appears that Camp Kenosha is moving along without a hitch and that the team is getting read for BC in just over two weeks!

One observation before EVR moves to the WR preview.  The Cats are now two weeks into camp and not a single beat writer has said a word about the running backs.  Lots of reports about how good Persa is looking and the athletic ability of the Cats receiving corps.  Stories about the physicality of the defensive line, the competition among the linebackers, and the leadership of the secondary.  But conspicuously absent is anything about the RBs.  Given how important an improved running game will be to the Cats success this season, the lack of news out of Kenosha is a cause for concern.

Wide Receiver Preview

The success of the Northwestern quarterbacks in the spread offense has been due in large part to the quality of receiver that NU has brought into the system.  For the last 12 years, the Cats have consistently fielded an arsenal of wideouts, all with smart route-running skills and soft hands to make the tough catch.  This season might be the best receiving corps that the Wildcats have ever had, which, along with a healthy Dan Persa, is a scary proposition for opposing defenses.

Leading the pack is All Big-Ten wideout Jeremy Ebert.    He also brought in ten touchdowns.  Ebert is only 6’0”, which is a touch short compared to his teammates, but his 195 frame makes him a relatively huge target.  He also has deceptive speed.  Like many great NU receivers in the past, Ebert was a high school QB, which is demonstrated by his on-the-field smarts.

nusports.com

Starting with Ebert will be Demetrius Fields, Charles Brown, and Rashad Lawrence.  Fields is the prototype possession receiver with 24 and 25 catches in each of the last two seasons – none more than 26 yards.  He make Ebert look tiny at a stout 6’0” / 210.  He is a great route runner.  Brown finally began to come on at the end of his junior season, finishing with 16 catches for the season.  Brown has one of the most impressive springs of any NU offensive player – and has worked himself into a starting roll.  Lawrence impressed many as a true freshman in 2010 and is probably the Cats best deep threat, with receptions of 44 and 50 yards last year.  He is the tallest of the starters at 6’2” and he is expected to play a much larger role in 2011.

Cat fans saw the potential for greatness out of Venric Mark and Tony Jones last season, who will be returning as true sophomores and will certainly see part of the action.  Mark is too fast to be kept off  the field and Jones is another potential big-play threat along with Lawrence.  Look for these two, along with speedster Drew Moulton to figure into the equation as the first set of backups.  Another Soph., Mike Jenson, had an impressive spring and is currently listed on the two-deep depth chart as well.

Finally, the Cats are already prepared to re-load with freshmen Cameron Dickerson, Christian Jones, and Pierre Youngblood-Ary – all of whom tower at 6’3” and could be a dominant three-some in years to come.  Given the depth on the field already, its likely that only one of these guys will see action in 2011.  Pierre has looked the most impressive thus far.

zeiza.com

Penn State – October 22, 2011 – Ryan Field.  NU has had two consecutive heartbreaking disappointments against Penn State in the last two years.  In both games, the Cats were in position to win in the second half, but Penn State simply rolled.  NU players have a bad taste in their mouths about this game – especially Dan Persa, who will get his last chance at his hometown favorite.

On offense Penn State has yet to decide on a quarterback.  While Matt McGloin led the Lions to nice victories against NU and Michigan, he lacks the excitement of Rob Bolden, who is more likely to be the starter.  Silas Redd is the leading returning rusher and will be called upon as the workforce as Stephfon Green continues to get pushed down the depth chart after a breakthrough 2008.  The O-Line starts three seniors, so sophomore John Urschel will have to pull his weight to avoid being classified as the weak link.

On defense the Lions bring back a very veteran group of seven seniors and four juniors – and may be the most experienced defense in the league.  Problem being that the defense gave up 30 points of more in four of the last eight games – and almost allowed Dan Persa to run them out of the building.  Senior linebacker Nate Stupar will need to lead this defense to a more solid position if this team wants to compete in a tough Leaders division.

Indiana – October 29, 2011 – Bloomington, IN.  Bloomington has given the Cats fits over the last decade.   The Cats have only won two of the last five there, and the two wins were by three points and in overtime respectively.  Bloomington is lead into 2011 with a familiar face, Kevin Wilson, who along with Randy Walker was the architect of the Wildcat spread offense.  He has since coached from the booth in a national championship game and groomed a Heisman trophy winner.  So, yeah, he knows what he is doing.

indianauniversitybloomington.wordpress.com

Problem is, it may take a while.  Needing to find a new starting QB, Dusty Kiel (brother of IU’s stunning QB commitment Gunner Kiel) will have to compete for the job.  The running back corps are extremely young, with redshirt sophomore D’Angelo Roberts expected to be the starter.  The Hoosiers do return WR Demarlo Belcher and TE Max Dedmond, who will need to be big playmakers on this young offense.  The O-Line is a relatively veteran group who will need to keep the QB upright for this offense to function.

Defensively, the Hoosiers have a decent amount of experience and talent, but there are some holes.  There are looking to start a freshman at linebacker with Chase Hoobler and sophomore Lawrence Barnett at CB.  This is a defense that had some pretty solid games against NU and Iowa – but also gave up 40 points four times – including an embarrassing 83 to Wisconsin.  Strong offensive should be able to score a lot of points on these guys if they don’t shape up.

Go Cats!

Central Michigan (2-1) at Northwestern (3-0)

Saturday, September 25, 2010 11:00 CST

Dyche Stadium, Evanston, Illinois

Photo credit: hailtopurple.com

Northwestern struggled to get things going early against Rice last week, but in the end cruised to a 30-13 victory lead by outstanding defensive play.  Central Michigan routed in-state rival Eastern Michigan (who has now lost 15 straight games) 52-14 to begin the season 2-1.  NU and CMU have never met, but both are very familiar with their respective conferences.  NU is 15-8-1 all-time against the MAC, including eight in a row.  The Chippewas are 4-19 all-time against the Big Ten, but have won their last two, including an upset victory over Michigan State last year.  Both teams have similar strengths as they both rank in the top ten nationally in scoring defense and both average over 30 points per game.

Injury Report: David Arnold (foot) remains out for the CMU game.  But Jared Carpenter is expected to play tomorrow at safety after sitting out last week in Houston.  Niko Mafuli (leg) is listed as questionable for CMU.  Freshman wideout Tony Jones (shoulder) is still out; and reserve LB Roderick Goodlow (knee) is now expected to miss the entire season.  Get well soon boys!

College Injury Report.com does not report any injuries for the Chippewas.

Weather: Was looking like a perfect day for football earlier in the week.  But now the forecast calls for some light rain.  Strong winds are expected too, over 20 mph.  Click here for the Weather.com forecast.

When Northwestern has the Ball:

Players to watch…

Dan Persa: It is sort of funny to say that Dan Persa "struggled" in the first half of a game where he ended up 24-32 and set career highs for completions and yards (307).  But he solidified his role as the leader of the team in Houston last Saturday.  When things were not going right for the offense, he stepped up and led the team to three strong scoring drives, and a fourth which resulted in a goal-line fumble.  Central Michigan has a veteran defense, starting all juniors and seniors.   The Chips have given up some decent passing numbers, but are stout against the run.  So Dan will need to demonstrate his moxie from the gun. 


Photo credit: lindyssports.com

Nick Bellore (LB): Bellore will start his 45th consecutive game this weekend.  If the Chips can make it to the MAC Championship game and a Bowl, he will break the all time FBS record for consecutive starts.  He is also the nation's active leader in career tackles, which as we know is indicative of his 45 starts.  But he is a beast totaling double-digit tackles 20 times in his career.  He is a perfect size MLB at 6'1" 250; and should give the struggling NU running game fits.  On the other hand, he is not used much as a pass rusher as he has only tallied 4.5 career sacks.  Look for Bellore to drop into coverage on passing downs rather than blitzing.

Demetrius Fields: Fields finally had a breakout game against Rice with six catches, and looks primed to continue this high level of performance.  He is getting pushed by Venric Mark on the two-deep, but the big sophomore Fields is rising to the challenge.  At 205, Fields is NU's biggest wideout, which is why he was a popular target against Rice's unusually large DBs.  The Chippewas have a normal sized defensive backfield, which will give Fields a nice size advantage.  Look for him over the middle especially against man-to-man coverage.

In the trenches: NU’s offensive line continues to improve each week.  Yet they still gave up two sacks (one against Watkins while Persa regained his breath).  The tackles continue to get tested by athletic DEs and they will again against the Chips.  Joe Kinville (6'2" 248) and Kashawn Fraser (6'3" 247) are quick pass rushers who will use their height to get around unsuspecting tackles (think Corey Wootton).  NU should be able to manage the middle of the line fairly well.  But the maturation process of Pat Ward and Al Netter remains the biggest question mark on the offense. 

Overall impression: CMU has been known for its offense for the last few years.  They still have a few remnants from the Brian Kelly era and, of course, Dan LaFevour led the team for four years.  But its defense has slowly crept up to become a strength of the team.  They have only given up four scoring drives all year.  NU has scored on its first possession in each of its games.  Something has to give.  Look for NU to be methodical, but do not expect this to be the game where the running game opens up.  The wind could be a major factor in NU's ability to be effective offensively.

When Central Michigan has the Ball:

Players to watch…Paris Cotton (RB): Cotton (Jr.) was named the MAC's Offensive Player of the week for his performance against Eastern Michigan.  Cotton is a small shifty back at only 5'9" 179, but he has speed to burn.  NU will need to contain Cotton first and deal with the passing game second.  NU's run defense did a much better job containing Sam McGuffie last week than they did against Vandy.  So hopefully this is a gradual improvement.


Photo credit: mlive.com



Quentin Davie: Northwestern’s defensive playmaker was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week last week with his monster performance in the heat of Houston.  He has three interceptions, including his pick-six against Rice.  CMU quarterback Ryan Radcliff is starting only his fourth game, and while he has put up some nice numbers, he is still young and inexperienced.  Davie will need to lead his defense into putting pressure on Radcliff.

Cody Wilson (WR): This sophomore wideout has recorded two 100-yard games thus far and has found the end zone twice.  He is a small, but quick wideout who could be dangerous if he finds his way into space.  The CMU offense is designed around spreading the ball around to its various receivers.  NU cannot get caught up in the distribution, but must keep their eye on this youngster.  Mabin will have his hands full. 

In the trenches: CMU's offensive line is large and is comprised of all juniors and seniors.  With that said, CMU only ran for 43 yards in their 13-10 loss to Temple.  NU's front seven should be able to contain the run and put pressure on Radcliff.  This unit has played well this year, but has not seen anything like the Wildcat defense this year.

Overall Impression: CMU has put up some nice offensive numbers, but against Temple, it managed only 10 points and 43 rushing yards -- against Temple.  Typical of a lot of MAC offenses over the years, there are a lot of eye-popping numbers available to cover up a lot of problems.  The Wildcats should be able to continue to play at their aggressive pace, but they have to be more considerate of the big play than in prior weeks.

Intangibles: The wind and the potential for rain will be a big problem as both teams will need to rely on the pass in order to move the ball.  The quarterback who is able to keep his composure will have the major advantage.  Radcliff is not a runner, so advantage Persa in that area.  The ability for the QBs to get out of trouble and make plays will be the difference in this game.

Bottom Line: CMU will make this game uncomfortable.  But they have already shown a complete inability to perform against a stronger defense.  The more intriguing aspect is how NU will be able to move the ball given the weather and the veteran defense.  NU will squeeze out its points in the end, but it will not be easy.

Cats win 27-17.

Go Cats!