32 BIG TEN 2002 FOOTBALL PREVIEW QB experience a plus in the Big 10

äBadgers’ Brooks 2001 STANDINGS Bollinger, Zack Mills of CONF All Penn State among school W L GB W L leading returnees Illinois 7 1 — 10 2 MICHIGAN 6 2 1 8 4 By The Associated Press Ohio State 5 3 2 7 5 Iowa 4 4 3 7 5 Wisconsin gets the earliest start Purdue 4 4 3 6 6 in school history, and when the No. Indiana 4 4 3 5 6 25 Badgers hit Camp Randall Penn State 4 4 3 5 6 Stadium for what should be a MICHIGAN ST. 3 5 4 7 5 steamy Aug. 23 opener against Fresno State, Lee Evans will be a Wisconsin 3 5 4 5 7 spectator. Minnesota 2 6 5 4 7 After setting a Big Ten Northwestern 2 6 5 4 7 Conference receiving 2001 STATS record with 1,545 yards returning players in CAPS last season, PASSING EFFICIENCY Evans hurt his knee in spring foot- ball and is not expected back until player, school RATING Oct. 5 — not quite halfway through SMOKER, MICHIGAN ST. 166.4 the 13-game schedule. McCann, Iowa 146.1 That means Anthony Davis, last BANKS, IOWA 145.7 year’s Big Ten rushing leader, will Bellisari, Ohio State 136.0 have to carry on, and Kittner, Illinois 135.8 Brooks Bollinger will need to do a ABDUL-KHALIQ, MINN. 134.6 little bit of everything — the way he Sorgi, Wisconsin 128.6 has for three years. The Associated Press Kustok, Northwestern 124.5 “I don’t know how many quarter- QB Zack Mills (7) is expected to help lead Penn State back to prominence in 2002. backs who are still around have a Randle-El, Indiana 120.1 win in the Rose Bowl under their defensive player of the year, would offensive starters and eight on MILLS, PENN STATE 118.7 belts,” said Badgers coach Barry like to expand his role to kick defense. ... Taylor Stubblefield RUSHING Alvarez. returns and receiver. ... Craig caught 73 passes last season. ... Bollinger, 22-7 as a starter, does. Krenzel is battling Scott McMullen Defense came up with 36 player, school YDS/GM He’s also rushed or passed for at for the QB job. ... Freshman RB turnovers during 6-6 season a year DAVIS, WISCONSIN 133.3 least one TD in 25 of his 33 career is in the hunt for ago. LB Stuart Schweigert had six Williams, Indiana 127.4 games. playing time along with Maurice and DE Shaun Duckett, Michigan State 118.3 Bollinger is back, but Kurt Kittner, Hall and . Phillips had six sacks. Wells, Ohio State 107.8 who led Illinois to the league title a MICHIGAN: The No. 12 IOWA: Hawkeyes have taken big Redmon, Minnesota 99.2 year ago by throwing for more than Wolverines return 15 starters, steps under in three Betts, Iowa 88.3 3,000 yards, isn’t. Neither is years, going from 1-10 to a bowl including eight from a defense that Randle-El, Indiana 87.6 , who rushed for appearance last season where set a school record with 50 sacks ASKEW, MICHIGAN 75.2 3,895 yards, more than any quar- they beat Texas Tech in the last season. DL Dan Rumishek and BARBER, MINNESOTA 67.5 terback in NCAA Division I history, Shantee Orr and LB Victor Hobson Alamodome. ... Iowa led league in HARRIS, ILLINOIS 62.9 while finishing with 42 TD passes are the leaders. ... Navarre looks to scoring last season at 32.6 ppg. ... as a thrower and 45 more as a improve on inconsistent sopho- Brad Banks will have to replace RECEIVING rusher and receiver. more season when he played well Kyle McCann at QB. ... Huge OL , the leader of early and struggled late. He threw led by all-league pick Eric player, school YDS/GM Northwestern’s no-huddle offense, Steinbachn and Bruce Nelson. for 19 TDs but was intercepted 13 The Associated Press EVANS, WISCONSIN 128.8 also is gone, as are Kyle McCann, MINNESOTA: Gophers’ offense times. ... Chris Perry should be the Ron Beutjer is one of the QBs ROGERS, MICHIGAN ST. 122.5 who led Iowa to a bowl last year, TB after B.J. Askew, who gained features versatile QB Asad Abdul- and of Ohio State. vying to replace Kurt Kittner Walker, Michigan 95.2 902 yards last season, went back Khaliq, who passed for 1,393 LLOYD, ILLINOIS 88.5 “Experience at quarterback is at Illinois this season. yards last season and whose to FB. JENKINS, OHIO STATE 82.3 huge, whether it’s high school, col- MICHIGAN STATE: The No. 18 scrambling ability drives defenses lege or professional. It’s something crazy. ... RB Marion Barber III had R. Johnson, Minnesota 81.4 Spartans return eight offensive Kennedy, who had 51 tackles, B. JOHNSON, PENN ST. 78.7 you can’t teach in practice,” Ohio starters and feature the potent 742 yards last season. ... Coach heads the defense that returns STUBBLEFIELD, PURDUE 75.8 State coach said. passing combination of Jeff Glen Mason has eight defensive Jeff Smoker of Michigan State, seven starters. ... Larry Johnson is YOUNG, ILLINOIS 74.2 Smoker to Charles Rogers. the top returning RB, while Bryant starters back from last year’s 4-7 the most efficient passer in the Big Smoker threw for 21 TDs last sea- team. Simmons, Northwestern 73.4 Ten a year ago, does return. So Johnson and Tony Johnson are the son and completed 63 percent of INDIANA: Gerry DiNardo, the INTERCEPTIONS does versatile run-pass threat two top receivers. his passes. Rogers, the preseason ILLINOIS: Replacing Kurt only newcomer among Big Ten Asad Abdul-Khaliq of Minnesota, Big Ten offensive player of the Kittner’s 3,256 yards and 27 TD coaches this season, faces a player, school INTs and 6-foot-6 John Navarre of year, had 1,470 yards receiving. ... passes will be a tough assignment tough challenge. He doesn’t have Ross, Ohio State 7 Michigan. Spartans must replace T.J. for the defending league champi- Randle El, who accounted for more SCHWEIGERT, PURDUE 6 Two players who took over as than 11,000 yards and 86 touch- Duckett, who ran for 1,420 yards ons. Dustin Ward or WILSON, ILLINOIS 6 starters late last season, Zack last season. Dawan Moss, con- downs passing and running in his will be the starter. ... Returning NELSON, MICHIGAN STATE 5 Mills, who rallied Penn State to five verted from FB, gets first shot. career. ... The Hoosiers have just receiver caught 65 SANDERS, IOWA 4 wins in its final seven games after WISCONSIN: Davis was the passes for 1,062 yards and 10 TDs 49 scholarship upperclassmen in a MORTON, ILLINOIS 4 an 0-4 start, and Purdue’s Kyle league’s rushing leader a year ago as the Illini won 10 games for just program that hasn’t played in a Orton, who threw 74 passes in a as a freshman with 1,466 yards. ... the fourth time in school history. ... bowl since 1993. Bryan, Michigan State 4 Sun Bowl loss, will now be starters The strength of the team is the OL, NORTHWESTERN: The All-league T Tony Pashos anchors SCORING from the outset. where all five starters are back, offensive line. ... LB Jerry Wildcats must also replace RB Team capsules, in predicted including Al Johnson, whom coach Schumacher had 125 tackles, Damien Anderson, the leading player, school PTS/GM order of finish: Barry Alvarez says might be the while DB Eugene Wilson broke up rusher in school history. Tony Williams, Indiana 10.4 OHIO STATE: The No. 13 best center to ever play for the Stauss hopes to be the starting 30 passes and picked off six oth- ROGERS, MICHIGAN ST. 8.0 Buckeyes have eight of 13 games Badgers. ers. QB. ... The Wildcats lost their final Wells, Ohio State 8.0 at home. ... OSU returns 15 PENN STATE: The Nittany Lions PURDUE: Coach Joe Tiller says five games last year and their starters, seven on defense, includ- are ranked No. 24. ... Joe Paterno has a stronger arm than defense was porous, yielding 56 Dorsch, Purdue 7.2 ing , Tim Anderson is coming off his first back-to-back , but needs to win a and 59 points in back-to-back KAEDING, IOWA 7.1 and Will Smith on the line. ... S losing seasons since he started as game. He’s 0-3 as a starter. ... The losses to Indiana and Iowa. LB Patt RAYNER, MICHIGAN ST. 6.7 , the preseason league head coach in 1966. ... DT Jimmy Boilermakers have nine returning Durr is the top returner on defense. two players tied with 6.5