Northwestern Kicks Off Big Ten Season at Iowa This Saturday
Sept. 22, 2008
Monday Press Conference Video
For Openers
• Backed by a stellar defensive effort and some big special teams plays, Northwestern ran its record to 4-0 with the win over Ohio. The victory gives the Wildcats their first 4-0 start since 1962. That year, Northwestern started the season 6-0 and was ranked No. 1 nationally for two consecutive weeks. • Northwestern's four-game winning streak is its longest since putting together a seven-game victory string in 1996, Pat Fitzgerald's senior season. • The Wildcats set a single-game school record by holding Ohio to just 4 rushing yards (28 attempts) last Saturday. Northwestern's defense registered -53 rushing yards. • After racking up six sacks and 13 total TFL's against Southern Illinois on Sept. 13, Northwestern totaled five sacks and 14 total TFL's this past Saturday against Ohio. In the last two weeks, NU's defense has recorded 132 negative yards. • Northwestern became one of the last FBS schools to allow a passing touchdown, surrending a 12-yard TD reception by Ohio's Andrew Mooney late in the third quarter. Entering the weekend, only five schools had yet to give up a passing TD. • While NU was one of the last teams to surrender a passing TD, Iowa was the last FBS team to allow any type of touchdown this past Saturday. Pittsburgh scored a rushing TD with 6:06 to play in the first quarter to snap its streak. Iowa, along with Boston College and USC, are the only teams left who have yet to give up a passing TD. • After four games, both Iowa and Northwestern rank among the nation's top defensive units. NU is ranked in the top 30 nationally for scoring defense (13th), rushing defense (28th), pass efficiency defense (26th), sacks (fourth) and tackles for loss (fourth). Iowa, meanwhile, is ranked in the nation's top 30 for scoring defense (fifth), rushing defense (30th), pass efficiency defense (second), total defense (19th) and sacks (28th). • Northwestern had a pair of players honored by the Big Ten Conference this week. Senior place-kicker Amado Villarreal was named the league's Special Teams Player of the Week after notching his second-straight double-digit scoring game. Villarreal booted three field goals (33, 46 and 23 yards) and a PAT for a 10-point day. One week earlier he kicked four field goals and had 15 points vs. Southern Illinois. He is eight-of-eight this season on field goal attempts. Redshirt freshman defensive end Vince Browne shared the league's Defensive Player of the Week honors with Penn State's Navorro Bowman. Browne led NU's defense with four TFL's (which included three sacks), a blocked field goal, a forced fumble, a QB hurry and seven tackles overall. He helped NU hold the Bobcats to just four net rushing yards. • NU's players of the game against Ohio were: Vince Browne (defense), Amado Villarreal (special teams), Brad Phillips (defensive big play) and Tyrell Sutton (offensive big play).
The Broadcasts Television -- ESPN Classic is televising the game to a national cable audience. Dave Lamont (play-by-play) and Shaun King (analyst) call the action.
For a complete set of game notes, download the PDF above.)
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