Randy Walker wandered around an empty Ryan Field last Saturday. Maybe he did so to take his mind off the week’s events. Perhaps he wanted to stay focused on football. Whatever the reason, Walker knew what he should have been doing.
“I wanted to play,” he said. “It sounds selfish … and our selfish feelings pale in comparison to what’s going on, but I wanted to play.”
Walker’s rare off day resulted from the cancellation of the Sept. 15 Northwestern-Navy game following the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on Sept. 11. All Division I-A football games scheduled for last weekend were postponed or canceled.
NU was facing a 10-game schedule until Tuesday, when the athletic department added a game against Bowling Green on Nov. 17.
It isn’t a perfect solution, but, as Walker says, college football isn’t played in a perfect world. Bowling Green, a member of the Mid-American Conference, is 2-0 with wins against Missouri and Buffalo.
NU will face the Falcons five days before it treks to Illinois for a Thanksgiving Day showdown.
“My dislike for the situation was overcome,” Walker said. “But we have so much time invested in so few opportunities.”
Wedging a nonconference game into their bye week creates an awkward situation for the Cats. Nevertheless, the new matchup could be important late in the season.
On the up side, the added game gives Heisman hopeful Damien Anderson the chance to pad his rushing totals. Anderson said he and the team’s other seniors were happy to have another home game on the schedule. Still, the Bowling Green game is nearly a season away and Anderson said the team has other priorities.
“We’ll approach that day when it comes, but for now we’re just focusing on Duke,” he said.
Tickets for last Saturday’s canceled game can be refunded at the NU ticket office or used for admission to the Bowling Green game. Refunds can be donated to the American Red Cross to aid disaster relief efforts in New York and Washington, D.C.
Promotional tickets for Saturday’s game, including those for “Take a Kid to the Game Day,” “Evanston Chamber of Commerce Day,” “Evanston City Employees Day” and “N Club Day” will be honored for the Bowling Green game.
STEPPING UP: Matt Anderson won’t say he’s anxious to play, but the smile on his face tells a different story. Anderson will start at defensive tackle on Saturday, replacing injured senior Pete Chapman.
“To have a chance to start is the reason why I came here and a dream come true,” Anderson said.
Chapman was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg following the UNLV game on Sept. 7. He will sit out the remainder of the season while undergoing treatment.
Anderson hasn’t started a game for NU, but he saw significant time on the field in the UNLV game.
“It’s unfortunate what happened to Pete — he’s our best defensive tackle and a great player,” Anderson said. “I’m actually learning from him what things to do while I’m out there on the field.”
By replacing Chapman, Anderson also will be filling the shoes of one of NU’s defensive leaders.
“You really can’t replace a guy like Pete Chapman,” said senior defensive end Napoleon Harris. “He’s a dedicated hard worker, and he was the core of the defensive tackles.”
Said Anderson: “I’ve looked up to Pete ever since my freshman year.”
A MAN SHORT: Sophomore linebacker Syga Thomas left the team and pulled out of NU for family reasons last week. Thomas received a call from his parents and decided to return home to California shortly thereafter.
“My plan right now is to be back at NU after I take care of some stuff at home,” Thomas said.
He said he hopes to be back at NU sometime between January and next fall. Thomas said he has kept in touch with the team from his home.
INCHES TO GO: Senior linebacker Billy Silva is playing with a soft cast on his left hand after suffering a chipped bone and a small cartilage tear after being struck by a helmet three weeks ago during training camp in Kenosha, Wis. “Part of my game is punching the lineman and getting off of blocks and it impairs me a little with that,” Silva said. “It gives me pain, but when do you not play in pain? That’s just football.” … NU players will wear an American flag on their uniforms this weekend in tribute to the victims of last week’s terrorist attacks. … Duke tailback Chris Douglas leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in all-purpose yards with 219.5 per game.
