[NU Sports] my take

[John A. DeGroat]

Abrahamson, Alan wrote:

> First, may I say that any day that brings a note from Frank Loomis is a good day. I always welcome his grace and insight.
> Second, I say again that I don't have any particular professional insight but I would be surprised were Randy Walker under any pressure from the AD or the president. There may be legitimate reasons for complaint -- in particular, a resounding lack of defensive success over the years. But, especially these past three seasons, the team has been competitive, a few head off to the NFL and pretty much all the players graduate. 
> I am on record -- in a column published in the Daily this past spring -- as saying that expecting mediocrity no longer cuts it. The Rose Bowl team forever put a lie to the notion that Northwestern can't excel in football while simultaneously serving as the academic beacon on the hill. 
> If memory serves, I believe I said in that column that all Wildcat fans ought to reasonably expect eight or nine wins a year and a bowl game without compromising the consistent excellence in academics the university has always stood for and must always stand for. 
> Let's say we beat the snot out of Illinois. Then we're 7-4, 5-3.
> Let's say we win whatever bowl game we go to. That's eight.
> Any sportswriter knows full well that woulda coulda shoulda doesn't get it done. But -- at the risk of momentarily losing my card-carrying newsman status -- this team woulda coulda shoulda beaten Penn State. And we'd all be looking at this season very differently, and Randy Walker might well have been the 2005 version of GB in the nation's sports pages.
> (This is why woulda coulda shoulda's are good for nothing, by the way. I've been perhaps the biggest complainer on this list about this year's defense, and god knows the way other things woulda coulda shoulda turned out -- Purdue, Iowa, Northern Illinois. OK OK OK ...)
> At any rate ...
> I think the issue is how to bring consistent defensive and special teams excellence to the table. 
> The spread offense makes up for the talent/size/speed problem we face when recruiting. Give Walker credit for recognizing that, implementing it and finding a succession of qbs to run it well.
> Why we can't find one kicker in the entire country is beyond me. Sam Valensizi - are your kids old enough yet?!
> And why can't we consistently recruit defensive studs up front and in the secondary? We do well enough at linebacker. Why is this?
> And, again: Frank - hope you're well - great to hear from you -
> Alan 
> 
> 
>
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