[NU Sports] may be a long time to break this streak

Wed Jan 4 11:35:58 CST 2012

Dennis wrote <snip>

I suppose, though, you can say we are getting better.  It was 3.6 last year and a dismal 2.9 in 2009.  

==========

See, that wasn't so hard.  

That's why facts are helpful.  

This simple point "we are getting better" was my only claim.  Not that we are back to the glory days of Autry, Anderson, or Sutton.

BTW, not sure where you got that stat regarding Autry's Freshman year.

Here's a link to the site that I used which listed his 1994 stats.  They show 120 attempts.

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/darnell-autry-1.html

That said, I did mislabel his 1994 season as his sophmore year.  It was his freshman year.  I forgot that he left early for the 1997 NFL draft and didn't play his senior year.  So to be fair to Darnell, here are his sophmore year stats (1995) which were stellar and earned him a #4 ranking in the Heisman voting that year.

1995 - Darnell Autry
          1675 rushing - 4.7 yards/attempt
          130 receiving - 6.2 yards/reception 
          Team record - 11-2 BT Champs. Lost to USC in the Rose Bowl. Final AP ranking #8 

(Duh here completely optional)

Jeff

________________________________

From: Dennis W. Brandt [mailto:tbng at comcast.net]
Sent: Sun 1/1/2012 7:21 PM
To: Beamsley, Jeff; Scott Zeller, M.D.; NUSPORTS
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] may be a long time to break this streak

<I also believe facts are an important component for any reasonable discussion between thoughtful people.

Yes, facts are wonderful things, but details are just as important.  You didn't note that Darnell Autry only started one game in 1994 but ran for 140+ yards, and that it was his second 100 yard effort that freshman year.  You failed to mention that Damien Anderson and Noah Herron played on terrible teams in 1998 and 2002, respectively, and that Anderson blossomed in the spread.  You did not recollect that Otto Graham only played nine games in 1941 because that was all Northwestern had on its schedule.

Facts are more wonderful yet when they are relevant to the discussion at hand.  Yours aren't.  I have never said that Kain Colter wasn't a good runner from the quarterback spot.  Indeed he is (at least in a relief role; whether he can last a full season as a starter remains to be seen).

This is what I have said:

Fact:  Kain Colter was our leading rusher this season.

Fact:  Kain Colter's principle role this season was backup quarterback.

Fact:  Our leading rusher was our backup quarterback.  (Do I year a DUH?)

Fact:  An offense has problems when its backup quarterback is its best runner.  I find it amazing that someone could disagree with that.  In fact, gimme a DUH here as well.

Fact:  While we ranked a not-too-shabby seventh in the league this season in rushing yardage, that is a false stat because our hurry-up offense allowed us to run both the most rushing and passing plays.  Our per-rush average tells a clearer story.  It was the league's worst at 3.8 yards per carry.  (I suppose, though, you can say we are getting better.  It was 3.6 last year and a dismal 2.9 in 2009.  However, it was 3.8 in 2008 and a heady 5.0 in 2007, which, of course, was Sutton's last season.  As I said, our running game hasn't been good since Tyrell Sutton left.  How about another DUH?)

But our biggest goal for next season is a significant improvement in our defense, especially pass defense.  If we don't, we're no better than .500 again and maybe worse.

<As I said at the start of this year, this season depended on whether Dan Persa returned to 2010 form. Even though he probably worked harder at it than any other human on the planet, it didn't happen.  Between his achilles and other injuries, he wasn't able to start the season, and he never regained the 2010 mobility that made him a dangerous QB to blitz.  We had a 6-7 season and a consecutive bowl game losing streak that we now share with ND. 

I also agree with you that Autry, Anderson, Herron, and Sutton were great backs. Heck Otto Graham was a great back too. If any of those guys were on the field in their prime in 2011, I agree it would have made a difference. But wishes aren't horses.

But lets compare Kain Colter's Sophomore season with the Sophmore seasons of each of these guys anyway and see how he ranks.

1994 - Darnell Autry
          556 rushing - 4.6 yards/attempt
          83 receiving - 11.9 yards/reception 
          Team record - 3-7-1

1998 - Damien Anderson
          537 rushing - 3.3 yards/attempt
          79 receiving - 7.9 yards/reception 
          Team record - 3-9

2002 - Noah Herron
          365 rushing - 5.5 yards/attempt
          184 receiving - 12.3 yards/reception
          Team record - 3-9

2006 - Tyrell Sutton
          1000 rushing - 5.3 yards/attempt
           261 receiving - 6.5 yards/reception
           Team record - 4-8

1941 - Otto Graham
          359 rushing - 3.0 yards/attempt 
          0 receiving
          Team record - 5-3 Ranked 11th in the year-end AP

2011 - Kain Coulter
          654 rushing - 4.8 yards/attempt
          466 receiving - 10.8 yards/receiption 
          Team record - 6-7 Lost to Texas A&M in the Meineke Car Care Bowl

When you look at the facts, the only player on your list who had a better Sophmore season than Kain Colter was Sutton. It turned out to be Sutton's career season, and the team that year still won only 4 games.  Sutton didn't throw any passes.

It's hard to say what the future will hold for Colter, but clearly there is huge potential.  If he stays healthy and motivated, Colter could easily join the pantheon of great NU players. 

We were all holding our breathe to see what the Sophomore run-mostly Persa (208 yrd/3.4 per attempt) would turn into when he became the starting QB. Colter beat Persa in efficiency rating this year and was significantly better than Persa's Sophmore year.  If the NU coaches can help Colter mature in the same way that Persa did, 2012 will be a good year to be a Northwestern Wildcat football fan regardless of the color of the sky.

Jeff

________________________________

From: Dennis W. Brandt [mailto:tbng at comcast.net]
Sent: Sun 1/1/2012 9:41 AM
To: Beamsley, Jeff; Scott Zeller, M.D.; NUSPORTS
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] may be a long time to break this streak

<That backup QB/WR that you seem to want to discount ended up gaining more
yards on the ground this year than our top two rushers in 2009 combined.
That didn't happen by accident and as far as I can see <represents a welcome
improvement in our running game.

I discount no one's skills, least of all Colter's - as a runner that is.  I
simply make the 100% obvious point that we have not had a good running back
since Tyrell Sutton graduated.  We are desperately in need of an Autry, an
Anderson, a Herron, or a Sutton.  (Not as much as a Fitz, a Castillo, a
Bentley, a Cofield, a McManis, a Roach, a Wooten, etc. on defense, but a
good RB would be welcom.)  That absence and a weak offensive line are the
reasons our quarterbacks ate so much grass yesterday and probably need hours
in the whirlpool today.

Brandt:  The sky is a beautiful blue on a cloudless day.
Beamsley: No, it's an ugly shade of red!

That's what your argument boils down to.