Randy Walker has a knack for speaking the blunt truth. So after his team was relatively devoid of individual accolades a year ago, Walker didn’t beat around the bush when addressing his team.
“I said, ‘Guys, 3-8 football teams don’t get first-team All-Big Ten players,'” Walker said. “They don’t.”
And they didn’t. But what Walker hadn’t told the Wildcats was this: A startling upset of the nation’s No. 7 team Saturday would bring cat-calls to the NU Athletic Department the following Tuesday.
NU linebacker Kevin Bentley and tailback Damien Anderson received national Player of the Week honors Tuesday for their efforts in the Cats’ 47-44 double overtime victory against the Badgers.
Bentley was recognized with the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week Award, which is selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
Anderson, who broke loose for the game-ending, 12-yard touchdown run, was named USAToday.com National Player of the Week.
“I was surprised. I was like, ‘Whoa. That’s a big honor,'” said Bentley, who returned a fumble for a touchdown and made 12 tackles Saturday.
Bentley was the first unanimous choice for the award this year.
“I’ll probably let my mom know,” he continued.
Anderson, who racked up 174 yards in the game and broke through for a 69-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, was a little more elated.
“To have that accomplishment and have acknowledgment by USA Today — I mean, they’re one of the prominent newspapers in America,” Anderson said. “It’s just a great accomplishment for myself and the team because I’m a reflection of them.”
Walker further noted that only positive team results bring prestigious accolades. And he only needed to look back five years to provide some evidence.
“If you win a bunch of games, you get All-Big Ten stuff and junk like that,” Walker started. “There’s some doggone good football players who played on 1-10 football teams — they get nothing. … Accolades go to teams that win. (Former NU linebacker) Pat Fitzgerald here back in ’95 was the Defensive Player of the Year. Why do you think he was? They were 10-1, you know? Duh.”
THE RETURN OF THE CATS: The students, who flocked in scores to Ryan Field after NU’s win over Wisconsin, weren’t the only ones surprised Saturday.
So were the NU players — not at the victory, but at the campus reaction.
“It was one of the best feelings in the world coming back and seeing all the student support,” offensive lineman Jeff Roehl said. “Just to know that the students had the most faith in our team after TCU (which NU lost 41-14) and that they were supporting us coming back from Wisconsin.”
Added Anderson: “When the fans were here after the game, it was just one of those things that you want every game. This is what we’ve been missing and this is what we want — we want everybody to be involved.
“I’ve heard of the past. So many things about the Rose Bowl, Citrus Bowl years. I just want to be a part of something like that.”
INCHES TO GO: Walker said Monday some players were “bumped around” after the Wisconsin game, but added that he expects everyone to be fully prepared to face No. 23 Michigan State on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. … Walker, on his team’s offensive production on Saturday: “When you score 47 points for 544 yards, somebody did a lot of things right.”
