The Northwestern football team was outscored 100-27 and lost one of its co-captains for the season in the first two games of 2002.

But the Cats have battled back and now enter Big Ten play with a 2-2 record.

NU opened the season with a 52-3 road loss to Air Force and a 48-24 home loss to Texas Christian. The team responded with a 26-21 victory over Duke at Ryan Field and a 49-40 victory over Navy in Annapolis, Md., to even its record.

“It’s good to be 2-2 and to have won two games in a row,” head coach Randy Walker said after the Navy victory. “Maybe the best thing in the last two weeks is the way we battled and fought.”

Air Force

The Falcons quickly shot down the Cats’ hopes of an opening-game victory. Air Force scored on its first five possessions and jumped out to a 38-0 halftime lead.

Adding injury to insult, NU senior linebacker Pat Durr suffered a season-ending injury to his medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament in the first series of the game, and the only other senior starter on defense, cornerback Raheem Covington, left the game in the first quarter with a concussion.

Without Durr and Covington, the Cats could not stop Air Force’s triple-option attack as the Falcons ran for 476 yards and compiled 523 total yards.

On offense, NU scored its only points of the game on kicker David Wasielewski’s 51-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the third quarter. The Cats finished with 221 total yards, and starting quarterback Tony Stauss was replaced in the final drive of the first half by redshirt freshman Brett Basanez, who played the entire second half.

“I was most disappointed with our tentativeness in all aspects of the game,” Walker said afterward. “We talked all preseason about playing decisively and with confidence. We didn’t do that today.”

texas christian

NU started out stronger in its second game, grabbing a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Junior Jason Wright returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for the Cats’ first touchdown of the season But the Cats allowed 34 unanswered points in the 48-24 loss. After a Wasielewski field goal, the Cats didn’t score again until the third quarter when running back Jeff Backes had a 17-yard touchdown run. The Cats scored again when Basanez connected with wide receiver Kunle Patrick for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

While Basanez started the game at quarterback, Stauss and true freshman Alexander Webb, who suffered a lacerated liver that will sideline him for the remainder of the season, also saw action under center. The Cats were done in by six fumbles.

“As a team we need to play harder,” said Wright after the defeat. “I was disappointed by the loss, but a positive was our defensive play. But you can’t have turnovers and still win games.”

Duke

After two lopsided losses, NU couldn’t wait to play Duke, a team that had lost 24 of its last 25 games. The Cats overcame 16 penalties for 146 yards to win their first game of the season.

Wright paved the way for the victory with 107 yards on the ground. And in his second start, Basanez added two rushing touchdowns and 245 yards passing.

Wide receivers Jon Schweighardt and Patrick both surpassed the 100 catch mark in the game.

The duo combined to catch 11 balls for 158 yards. Schweighardt also made catches of 38 and 34 yards during the go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter.

After the Cats took the lead, the defense ensured the victory with three fourth-down stops near midfield at the end of the game. NU’s two interceptions were key in the win.

“It didn’t look like a work of art out there,” said Walker after the game. “But I’m very proud of the kids and they kept fighting and battling.”

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NU defense lags behind offense, gives up 161 points in four games

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mark odell/for the daily northwestern

Tailback Noah Herron reaches for the endzone. The Cats rushed for six scores against Navy, including three by Herron.