4 S 0 I 6C - The Michigan Daily - KICKOFF 2001 - Thursday, September 6, 2001 Thursday, September 6, 2001-- KICKOFF 2001 - The Michigan Daily -.11C .I @ PENN ST. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 3:30 P.M., ABC PURDUE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 12:10 P.M., ESPN-REGIONAL LIVING UP TO THE HYPE? When Penn State coach Joe Paterno stepped up to the microphone at the Big Ten media gathering in Chicago last month, he did something a little dif- ferent. Instead of saying anything about his team, Paterno told the assembled media members, "I don't have any statement about my team, so I'll just take any questions you might have." Although the icon was- n't trying to sound p e s - simistic, his state- ment spoke volumes about the state of affairs at Penn State - if you can't think of anything nice to say, don't say any- thing at all. Last year's edition of the Nittany Lions was nothing if not forgettable. Led by Rashard Casey, Penn State staggered to a 5-7 record. This year's Nittany Lions don't look much better. JoePa needs just two mole wins to pass Bear Bryant as the all-time winningest coach in Division I football, but that might not happen until November, if at all. Penn State's first seven games are as follows: Miami (Fla.), at Virginia, Wisconsin, at Iowa, Michigan, at Northwestern, Ohio State. With such a bleak outlook for 2001, Penn State will have to rely on a few stars like tailback E r i c McCoo a n d defen- s i v e lineman J i m my Kennedy. Still, quar- terback Matt Senneca 's analysis of his nightmarish experi- ence last year could very easily dou- ble as a description of what lies ahead for the Nittany Lions. "You know you're not supposed to be losing like you're losing," Senneca said, "but you are, and you don't know how to fix it." -Arun Gopal e blind squirrel found its acorn last season when bad defense and worse special teams didn't deter Purdue from taking a break from its usual holiday destination - the Alamo Bowl - and going to the Rose Bowl, where they eventually lost to Washington. Unfortunately for coach Joe Tiller's Boilermakers, quar- terback Drew Brees graduated. . Freshman Brand on Hance is expected to pick up where Brees left off. While the Boilermakers have the talent to repeat last sea- son's 8-4 record, they shouldn't forget the Alamo, as a return to San Antonio is certainly not out of the question. Like Michigan, the Boilermakers return a lot of starters from a defense that was at best poor, and lose the majority of an offense that was more dangerous than Roxette. While Hance is only a freshman, he'll run the spread offense, an offense that when run properly, n't get much attention around the Big Ten last year because of Anthony Thomas, Michigan State's T.J. Duckett and Northwestern's Damien Anderson. But, Lowe is one of the con- y ference's most underrated backs - both as a rusher and as a receiver. On the other side of the ball, the Boilermakers return 10 starters including Big Ten freshman of the year, Stuart Schweigert, who led the team in tackles as a safety. Also returning is defen- sive end Akin Ayodele, who is a candidate for Big Ten defensive player of the year. While impres- sive, it's never a good sign when a safety leads the team in tackles, as this is a sign that the defense is giv- ing up a lot of big plays. Raphael Goodstein @ IOWA SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, TBA 00001 Ulrich s has you covered. Come in and see our huge supply of top brand name clothes and gifts! or the first time in a decade, Michigan's game with Iowa will not be a gimmie. Quietly, coach Kirk Ferentz - Hayden Fry's replace- ment, who, believe it or not, is entering his third season as coach - has turned this program into one that will likely contend for a berth in a bowl game. The Hawkeyes beat Penn State and Big Ten co-champion Northwestern in the final month of the season to give them momentum heading iito this year. Senior Kyle McCann and sophomore Jon Beutjer will rotate at quarterback this year, but don't be surprised to see Beutjer playing fulltime by season's end, as Ferentz knows the sophomore is his future. Senior running back Ladell Betts needs a strong year if the Hawkeyes are to win more games than they lose; he has run for the third highest rushing total in school history - an impressive feat considering the three offensive lines he's rushed behind. Betts should see more holes to run through .: this year, as defensive: end Aaron Kampman says that the . line is. improved. "Overall, the offen- sive line is the most physical they've been since I've been here," the all-conference candidate said. Don't be surprised if Iowa is 4-0 entering its Oct. 6 game with Purdue, as not one of its first four opponents were bowl eligible last year. - Raphael Goodstein By Jeff Philips Daily Sports Editor Defining a Heisman trophy candidate has become the subject of much debate in recent years. The emergence of the role of the Internet combined with strong pro- motional campaigns has given coverage to lesser-known contenders, whether they are deserving of the award or not. The Heisman trophy is given out to the best player in college football in that year. But lately with four-year players like Texas' Ricky Williams and Wisconsin's Ron Dayne, the award has become more of a lifetime achievement award - given to the best career, even if they weren't the best player in that particular year. This may bode well for players like Illinois' Kurt Kittner, who has been solid in his career thus far, but hurts a player like Northwestern's Damien Anderson, whose breakout year last season could have brought home the hardware. All things considered, there are four contenders for the Heisman this year in the Big Ten: Indiana's Antwaan Randle El, Michigan State's T.J. Duckett; Anderson and Kittner. Damien Anderson (Northwestern, Sr. RB): After his breakout season last year, big things are expected from Anderson in head coach Randy Walker's spread offense. Anderson's numbers from last season - 2,063 yards rushing, 23 touchdowns - were phenomenal. Anderson finished fifth in the voting, and had he played on a top-10 team, he may have won it. Northwestern was projected to finish last in the Big Ten and never really got the respect that Anderson need- ed to win. While the cards seem to be in favor of Anderson, he will have to overcome a few obstacles before he takes the podium. First, it has yet to be seen how the death of teammate Rashidi Wheeler will affect the team and Anderson's perfor- mance. How they react will be a key component in the how long the Wildcats remain in the Big Ten race and how long Anderson lasts in the Hleisman race. Second, Anderson will need voters to get past believing that the spread offense is just a gimmick offense. "(Critics) say, 'oh they are just a gim- mick offense, they will be stopped next year," Anderson said. "It hurts. It is a slap in the face." Many teams across the nation are even taking a page out of Walker's playbook What it takes The past four offensive Heisman winners have put up outstanding numbers. Do the four Big Ten candi- dates this year have what it takes to win it? Here is a breakdown the - winners' final seasons. Chris Weinke Florida State, QB, Sr. In leading Florida State to the BCS he passed for 4,167 yards and 33 TDs. Ron Dayne Wisconsin, RB, Sr. Dayne rushed for 1,834 yards and broke RickyWilliams career rushing record. Ricky Williams Texas, RB, Sr. Broke the NCAA rushing record and rushed for 2,124 yards and 27 TDs. Danny Wuerffel Florida, QB, Sr. Wuerffel threw for 3,625 yards and 39 TDs and led Florida to the National title. starter and the Hoosiers' best Big Ten fin- ish in those years was a tie for seventh in 1998. This spring, Indiana decided to move Randle El out to wide receiver in order to bolster one of the Hoosiers' weakest posi- tions. But Indiana might not be able to afford keep its best athlete from touching the ball as much as possible. "There may be some games where I only play quarterback," Randle El said. NFL scouts criticize Randle El's size at just 5-11, but thaf doesn't bother him. He believes that his time will come. "I know that I'm not the tallest guy, but I've never been the tallest guy and I still find a way to make plays," Randle El said. "The mobile quarterback is coming - whether you are short or tall." - Indiana is making a strong push for Randle El, giving him the necessary hype to win. He image is pasted throughout the media guide, where he is listed as a "Heisman trophy frontrunner." Calling him a frontrunner is a stretch, but he should be a the top of the list if the wide receiver experiment works and if Indiana puts up some wins. Photos courtesy Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin Athletic Departments Antwaan Randle El, Kurt Kittner, Damien Anderson and Ti Duckett are four of the Big Ten's best football players and best hopes to win the Heisman. and instituting the spread offense after the success of the Wildcats' last season. Third, Big Ten coaches dedicated a fair amount of time this offseason to stopping the spread offense. How successful the defensive changes will be remains to be seen, but it is safe to say that Northwestern won't catch as many teams by surprise this season. T.J. Duckett (Michigan State, Jr. RB): Duckett was the most highly touted recruit in East Lansing since Magic Johnson, and thus far he hasn't disap- pointed the Spartan faithful. After two seasons, Duckett is already 12th on Michigan State's all-time rushing list, with just one year of being the Spartans' full-time starter. He rushed for 1,353 yards and seven scores last season while facing defenses that gave no respect to Michigan State's passing game. Duckett should be helped by a more potent passing game this season, but he is still the Spartans' No. 1 threat. Duckett has a much different style than Anderson - something that Anderson is quick to point out. "If I don't have to hit a guy, believe me, I won't!' Anderson said. "But he is one of those guys that makes his living doing that." If Duckett is to contend for the Heisman, he will have to improve on his mark of seven touchdowns - down from 10 his freshman season. But with just one returning starter on his offensive line - sophomore center Brian Ottney - Duckett will need some help from an inexperienced group to get the numbers, and some help from his teammates to get the wins. * "Players who win (the Heisman) are, pretty much on teams that go undefeated or lose one game - it is an award you have to win as a team," Duckett said. Despite the possible setbacks, Duckett has too much talent to ignore. The spot- light has been on him since he arrived on campus and pro teams can't wait to get their paws on him. But Duckett is thus far committed to staying in school and graduating, which bodes well for the Spartans and his Heisman chances. If he doesn't get it this year, next year the hype will no doubt be fuI-tilt. Kurt Kittner (llinois, Sr. QB): Of all of the candidates in the Big Ten, Kittner is perhaps the longest shot at win- ning the Heisman. It takes ridiculous numbers to win it for a quarterback and Kittner has yet to show that he is capable. Nevertheless, Kittner is ESPN the Magazine's regional cover boy for the Midwest, which will certainly help him at the beginning of the season. He is also featured as one of top quarterbacks nationally by ESPN. "Kurt Kittner is one of the best quar- terbacks in the country," his coach Ron Turner said. The Illinois athletic department has done its share to promote Kittner. The promotion includes a full-page of accom- plishments in the Illinois media guide and handing out notebooks with Kittner's picture and statistics on the cover. Kittner is entering his third year as a full-time starter for the Illini after starting five games his freshman season. He has an incredible touchdown-to-interception ratio over past two years, with 42 scores to just 13 interception, but, he has yet to throw over 3,000 yards in a season. The closest he came was just over 2,700 in his sophomore season. Kittner will be helped by the return of a go-to receiver in sophomore Brandon Lloyd, who broke his leg and had to miss the entire season after a tremendous freshman campaign. Lloyd set Illinois' freshman receiving record in 1999 with 511 yards in seven starts. When asked about Lloyd's recovery, Kittner was confident about the receiver's return. "He may even be better when he comes back," Kittner said. After two Lloyd-Kittner hook-ups against California, the Illini passing game looks to be on track for a tri- umphant return. If Illinois' makes a run at the Big Ten title, look out for Kittner, who should carry the team this season. But if the Illini have another mediocre season, Kittner's chances for the Heisman will fade away. Antwaan Randle II (Indiana, Sr. WR/QB): Randle El has been Indiana's do-everything quarterback for the past three years. He has started every game as a Hoosier and has accumulated nearly. 6,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. These are spectacular numbers, but Indiana is just 11-22 with Randle El as a XAX,69 ) ,Sseii MI I d FANS! .- - -- F JiwT p ;'S , .yay -4w/ zi ' r r rarsiC 1 1 I I 1 I 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 To TODD VAN SICKLE: r? -. Bookstore 549 E: University9 662-3201 WE OWE YOU ONE, BUDDY. THANKS FOR THE PAPER AND THE MEMORIES. -AND TO ALL THE NONBELIEVERS: BEST OF LUCK OUT THERE TODAY. 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 i