There may be a new face trying to tack on an extra push-up for the NU cheerleaders. Last year’s placekicker, David Wasielewski, is returning. But after a season in which he converted only 53.8 percent of his field goal attempts, ranking ninth in the Big Ten, his claims to the job aren’t very solid. A heated battle has emerged between the rising senior and sophomore Brian Huffman, who redshirted last season.
The punting job is even more uncertain. J.J. Standring graduated after filling the punting duties for four years, leaving the position wide open. Wasielewski punted for Florida before transferring to NU, and averaging more than 40 yards a boot, but he once again will compete for the position with Huffman.
“We’re breaking in a new holder, a new snapper and potentially a new kicker … so it hasn’t been perfect,” Walker said.
Junior quarterback Matt Danielson is the new holder – another role Standring had played – and Austin King and Eric VanderHorst have taken turns with the long-snapping duties. The kicking competition has been made more interesting by the learning curve experienced by new personnel.
To stir things up further, former NU soccer goalie Ryan Pederson has been practicing with the team and will vie for both kicking jobs.
“I wouldn’t have signed him if I didn’t think he could compete for one or both of the jobs,” Walker said. “Between the three of them, certainly somebody will emerge and be competent.”
HEIR APPARENT: Quarterback Tony Stauss tightened his grip on the reins handed down from Zak Kustok on Saturday.
The redshirt sophomore took the most snaps for the second week in a row, utilizing his wide arsenal of receiving targets to yield impressive results. Stauss completed 13 of 18 pass attempts for 138 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in the face of intense defensive pressure.
“Tony has done a good job and made constant improvement,” head coach Randy Walker said. “He’s clearly in the lead at quarterback.”
Stauss threw to the sidelines with success throughout the scrimmage, but struggled early to hit his targets on crossing routes. Those problems subsided immediately following a 33-yard touchdown strike down the left sideline to junior Ronnie Foster. With a renewed sense of confidence, Stauss threw to all areas of the field with great results.
“I feed off of confidence,” Stauss said. “If I can hit the first one or a big pass, I can just feel myself getting revved up and getting going. When I can get myself in a rhythm like that it’s definitely better.”
Sack happy: The Northwestern football team ended the 2001 season with the worst statistical defense in the Big Ten. Ranked 107th of 115 in Division I total defense, opposing offenses didn’t exactly quake at the prospect of facing the Wildcats.
“We’ve been real soft in the past,” defensive tackle Colby Clark said. “We haven’t been known for just getting down and dirty and gritty.”
The Cats enter the 2002 season with five vacated starting positions on defense and a new defensive coordinator in Greg Colby, who replaces Jerry Brown. The defensive shake-up has left plenty of questions.
But the Cats have started to find answers. An NU defense that recorded just 17 sacks all season – 10th in the Big Ten – chalked up four and added a forced fumble in its Saturday intrasquad scrimmage.
“One thing I’m trying to do is pick up the defensive line,” said Clark, a redshirt sophomore. “Being a little bit crazier, flying around hitting people. Maybe these younger guys will see it and then it will carry over to the linebackers and then back to the DBs.
“They’ll all see it and they’ll start popping people and we’ll come out and be a good defense next year.”
