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The Daily OrangeNational Notebook | Basanez, Sutton fuel explosive Northwestern offense to top of Big Ten
By Pat DiSalvo
Posted: 10/27/05, 12:22 AM EST Section: Sports
Northwestern scored 51 points against Wisconsin and 49 points against Michigan State in a three-week span.
No, Big Ten basketball season hasn't kicked off yet. These are the numbers the Wildcat football team is lighting up scoreboards with across the nation.
Northwestern, known more for academics than football, is in second place in one of the nation's elite conferences. Putting up numbers you'd expect to see in video games is becoming normal for the Wildcats, highlighted by last week's 49-14 thumping of then-No. 22 Michigan State. Northwestern won three straight games - two against ranked opponents - and is now ranked No. 21 in the nation.
Senior quarterback Brett Basanez leads the Wildcats' offense both vocally and with his play. Against the Spartans, he threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns and scored another two touchdowns on the ground. For the season, Basanez is averaging 350 total yards of offense. He's thrown for 12 touchdowns, run for five more and has thrown only one interception.
"Basanez didn't surprise me; if you watch him on film, he makes them go," Michigan State head coach John L. Smith said. "I don't know how many years he's been in that offense, but he runs it like it's his own."
The way he's been operating in the offense, along with freshman Tyrell Sutton, the nation's fifth-leading rusher, has pleased head coach Randy Walker.
"Any offense I've ever been a part of comes down to execution," Walker said. "Our kids are executing very well and our quarterback is making good decisions and any time that is the case, you've got a good chance to move the football."
Not only has the offense avoided shooting itself in the foot, the defense has been creating takeaways. Although the defense was ranked 116th in the nation going into the Michigan State game, it forced 20 turnovers this season. The defense has given the offense the ball when it's needed it. The stats can also be misleading, according to Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, whose Wolverines travel to Northwestern this weekend.
"They have played explosive offensive football teams," Carr said. "And they still lead the Big Ten in turnover margin."
But the offense deservedly receives most of the attention. The Wildcats run a spread offense, stretching the field with three or four receivers. The offense suits Northwestern's scrambling quarterback and talented running back, creating lanes for them to run through. Walker explained if the defense packs most of their players toward the middle of the field, the Wildcats will have more room to throw, and if opponents spread their defenses, more room to run.
"We figured out the field is 53 yards (across)," Walker said. "Why don't we spread it out and see what happens?"
What's been happening is the Wildcats are piling up yardage on their way to becoming ranked fourth in total offense in the nation with 529 yards per game. The Wildcats are also averaging 37.1 points.
While Basanez has vaulted into fifth place on the Big Ten career list with 778 completions, generating a plethora of attention, Sutton has quietly produced. Generously listed at 5 feet, 9 inches and 190 pounds, Sutton can't do everything that other running backs do. But that hasn't stopped him from compiling 970 yards rushing, 216 yards receiving and 15 combined touchdowns. All without a fumble.
"One thing that's great about running backs is that they come in all shapes, sizes, speeds and abilities," Walker said. "At some positions like offensive line, you better be a 300-pounder, bench pressing the side of a building."
But the numbers and success of the offense are only from seven games into the season and Walker knows the Wildcats have a tough road ahead of them. This week they play at home against Michigan, and in the following weeks host Iowa and travel to Ohio State.
"It's great to win three in a row," Walker said. "But we have to get busy."
The rule of six
To stand out alone to the nation as a quarterback last weekend, you would have had to tally seven touchdowns. Six seemed to be the trend.
Both Brady Quinn of Notre Dame and Drew Olsen of UCLA threw for six touchdowns on Saturday, breaking each school's records. Quinn sparkled in a 49-23 win against Brigham Young, one week after a heartbreaking lost to Southern California. He originally set the school record earlier this season with five touchdowns. In the first half alone Saturday, Quinn racked up 287 yards, another Notre Dame record.
"I really don't get caught up in records," head coach Charlie Weis said. "But Brady did a lot of things well today. I thought he played a nearly flawless game."
Olsen, a senior, led the Bruins to No. 8 in the nation with his six scores in a win against Oregon State. He has thrown 21 touchdowns on the season and only three interceptions.
Penn State's quarterback Michael Robinson didn't quite match the bar set by Quinn and Olsen, but he didn't do too badly himself. Robinson had four touchdowns through the air and two on the ground.
But the news wasn't all good for quarterbacks this past weekend. Fourth-ranked Georgia lost starting quarterback D.J. Shockley to a sprained MCL against Arkansas. He will likely be out for the Bulldogs' game against Florida this weekend.
BS BCS?
Texas leapfrogged Southern California in the Bowl Championship Series rankings released Monday. Despite receiving 55 first place votes in the AP poll, as well as 53 in the USA Today Poll, the Trojans dropped to No. 2 behind Texas, who had only 10 and eight first-place votes in the respective polls.
The BCS rankings, based on six computer rankings, the coaches poll and Harris Interactive Poll, has Texas with a .9763 score out of a possible 1.000. USC is slightly behind with a ranking of .9756. The change is likely because of strength of schedule, as Texas beat then-undefeated Texas Tech this weekend while USC beat up on Washington, which has one win.
The Trojans should not be too worried about the recent slide. If they win out, they would likely hold on to one of the top two spots as the gap between them and No. 3 Virginia Tech is quite large. Odds are the Longhorns and Trojans will still meet in the BCS Championship game in January.
Paterno reaches milestone victory
With a 63-10 win against Illinois on Saturday, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno joined an elite group as only one other coach who has 350 wins. Paterno is seven wins behind the all-time career victory leader, Bobby Bowden of Florida State.
Paterno commented on the milestone after the game in classic Joe Pa fashion.
Said Paterno: "Did I know it was my 350th win? No. It's nice to hear, though
No, Big Ten basketball season hasn't kicked off yet. These are the numbers the Wildcat football team is lighting up scoreboards with across the nation.
Northwestern, known more for academics than football, is in second place in one of the nation's elite conferences. Putting up numbers you'd expect to see in video games is becoming normal for the Wildcats, highlighted by last week's 49-14 thumping of then-No. 22 Michigan State. Northwestern won three straight games - two against ranked opponents - and is now ranked No. 21 in the nation.
Senior quarterback Brett Basanez leads the Wildcats' offense both vocally and with his play. Against the Spartans, he threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns and scored another two touchdowns on the ground. For the season, Basanez is averaging 350 total yards of offense. He's thrown for 12 touchdowns, run for five more and has thrown only one interception.
"Basanez didn't surprise me; if you watch him on film, he makes them go," Michigan State head coach John L. Smith said. "I don't know how many years he's been in that offense, but he runs it like it's his own."
The way he's been operating in the offense, along with freshman Tyrell Sutton, the nation's fifth-leading rusher, has pleased head coach Randy Walker.
"Any offense I've ever been a part of comes down to execution," Walker said. "Our kids are executing very well and our quarterback is making good decisions and any time that is the case, you've got a good chance to move the football."
Not only has the offense avoided shooting itself in the foot, the defense has been creating takeaways. Although the defense was ranked 116th in the nation going into the Michigan State game, it forced 20 turnovers this season. The defense has given the offense the ball when it's needed it. The stats can also be misleading, according to Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, whose Wolverines travel to Northwestern this weekend.
"They have played explosive offensive football teams," Carr said. "And they still lead the Big Ten in turnover margin."
But the offense deservedly receives most of the attention. The Wildcats run a spread offense, stretching the field with three or four receivers. The offense suits Northwestern's scrambling quarterback and talented running back, creating lanes for them to run through. Walker explained if the defense packs most of their players toward the middle of the field, the Wildcats will have more room to throw, and if opponents spread their defenses, more room to run.
"We figured out the field is 53 yards (across)," Walker said. "Why don't we spread it out and see what happens?"
What's been happening is the Wildcats are piling up yardage on their way to becoming ranked fourth in total offense in the nation with 529 yards per game. The Wildcats are also averaging 37.1 points.
While Basanez has vaulted into fifth place on the Big Ten career list with 778 completions, generating a plethora of attention, Sutton has quietly produced. Generously listed at 5 feet, 9 inches and 190 pounds, Sutton can't do everything that other running backs do. But that hasn't stopped him from compiling 970 yards rushing, 216 yards receiving and 15 combined touchdowns. All without a fumble.
"One thing that's great about running backs is that they come in all shapes, sizes, speeds and abilities," Walker said. "At some positions like offensive line, you better be a 300-pounder, bench pressing the side of a building."
But the numbers and success of the offense are only from seven games into the season and Walker knows the Wildcats have a tough road ahead of them. This week they play at home against Michigan, and in the following weeks host Iowa and travel to Ohio State.
"It's great to win three in a row," Walker said. "But we have to get busy."
The rule of six
To stand out alone to the nation as a quarterback last weekend, you would have had to tally seven touchdowns. Six seemed to be the trend.
Both Brady Quinn of Notre Dame and Drew Olsen of UCLA threw for six touchdowns on Saturday, breaking each school's records. Quinn sparkled in a 49-23 win against Brigham Young, one week after a heartbreaking lost to Southern California. He originally set the school record earlier this season with five touchdowns. In the first half alone Saturday, Quinn racked up 287 yards, another Notre Dame record.
"I really don't get caught up in records," head coach Charlie Weis said. "But Brady did a lot of things well today. I thought he played a nearly flawless game."
Olsen, a senior, led the Bruins to No. 8 in the nation with his six scores in a win against Oregon State. He has thrown 21 touchdowns on the season and only three interceptions.
Penn State's quarterback Michael Robinson didn't quite match the bar set by Quinn and Olsen, but he didn't do too badly himself. Robinson had four touchdowns through the air and two on the ground.
But the news wasn't all good for quarterbacks this past weekend. Fourth-ranked Georgia lost starting quarterback D.J. Shockley to a sprained MCL against Arkansas. He will likely be out for the Bulldogs' game against Florida this weekend.
BS BCS?
Texas leapfrogged Southern California in the Bowl Championship Series rankings released Monday. Despite receiving 55 first place votes in the AP poll, as well as 53 in the USA Today Poll, the Trojans dropped to No. 2 behind Texas, who had only 10 and eight first-place votes in the respective polls.
The BCS rankings, based on six computer rankings, the coaches poll and Harris Interactive Poll, has Texas with a .9763 score out of a possible 1.000. USC is slightly behind with a ranking of .9756. The change is likely because of strength of schedule, as Texas beat then-undefeated Texas Tech this weekend while USC beat up on Washington, which has one win.
The Trojans should not be too worried about the recent slide. If they win out, they would likely hold on to one of the top two spots as the gap between them and No. 3 Virginia Tech is quite large. Odds are the Longhorns and Trojans will still meet in the BCS Championship game in January.
Paterno reaches milestone victory
With a 63-10 win against Illinois on Saturday, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno joined an elite group as only one other coach who has 350 wins. Paterno is seven wins behind the all-time career victory leader, Bobby Bowden of Florida State.
Paterno commented on the milestone after the game in classic Joe Pa fashion.
Said Paterno: "Did I know it was my 350th win? No. It's nice to hear, though
