SCOUTING REPORT | Big Ten

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
2002: 10-3 overall; 6-2 Big Ten (3rd)
Coach: Lloyd Carr.
Returning starters: 14; 6 offense, 6 defense, kicker, punter
Players to watch: QB John Navarre, RB Chris Perry, OT Tony Pape, OG David Baas, WR Braylon Edwards, DE Larry Stevens, DTs Norman Heuer and Grant Bowman, CB Marlin Jackson, SS Ernest Shazor.
Outlook: The defensive line has a nice balance of veterans and young talent, and cornerbacks Jackson, Markus Curry and Jeremy LeSueur are superb. If some of the linebackers who were injured last season can return, the defense could be outstanding. There is no proven backup for Perry, which is not a good situation for a team that wants to run the ball as much as it can.
Schedule:
Saturday -- Cent. MichiganNoon
Sep. 6 -- HoustonNoon
Sep. 13 -- Notre Dame 3:30
Sep. 20 -- at Oregon 3:30
Sep. 27 -- Indiana5
Oct. 4 -- at Iowa3:30
Oct. 11 -- at MinnesotaTBA
Oct. 18 -- IllinoisNoon
Oct. 25 -- PurdueTBA
Nov. 1 -- at Michigan StateTBA
Nov. 15 -- at NorthwesternTBA
Nov. 22 -- Ohio StateNoon
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
2002: 7-6 overall; 4-4 Big Ten (T-5th)
Coach: Joe Tiller.
Returning starters: 19; 8 offense, 9 defense, kicker, punter
Players to watch: QB Kyle Orton, WR John Standeford, WR Taylor Stubblefield, RB Joey Harris, DE Shaun Phillips, DT Craig Terrill, LB Landon Johnson, LB Niko Koutouvides, LB Gilbert Gardner, FS Stuart Schweigert
Outlook: While the offense under Tiller usually gets most of the headlines, this season's defense, with nine returning starters from the Big Ten's top unit of a year ago, could be his best at Purdue. The linebackers are among the nation's best. The offensive line, which lost three starters, needs to be rebuilt. There's concern with the place-kicking after Berin Lacevic struggled last season.
Schedule:
Sep. 6 -- Bowling GreenNoon
Sep. 13 -- at Wake ForestNoon
Sep. 20 -- ArizonaTBA
Sep. 27 -- Notre DameTBA
Oct. 4 -- Illinois3:30
Oct. 11 -- Penn StateTBA
Oct. 18 -- at WisconsinNoon
Oct. 25 -- at MichiganTBA
Nov. 1 -- NorthwesternTBA
Nov. 8 -- Iowa2
Nov. 15 -- at Ohio StateTBA
Nov. 22 -- at IndianaTBA
WISCONSIN BADGERS
2002: 8-6 overall; 2-6 Big Ten (T-8th)
Coach: Barry Alvarez.
Returning starters: 19; 8 offense, 9 defense, kicker, punter
Players to watch: WR Lee Evans, WR Jonathan Orr, WR Brandon Williams, TB Anthony Davis, QB Jim Sorgi, OG Jonathan Clinkscale, OG Dan Buenning, DT Anttaj Hawthorne, DE Darius Jones, MLB Jeff Mack, LB Alex Lewis, FS Jim Leonhard, CB Scott Starks
Outlook: With the anticipated return of Evans, the Badgers should be very deep at receiver. They may be just as deep at tailback with Davis, Dwayne Smith and Booker Stanley. Alvarez has never been known for wide-open offense. But he may have as many weapons now as he had in 1993 when he won a share of his first Big Ten title.
Schedule:
Saturday -- at West VirginiaNoon
Sep. 6 -- AkronTBA
Sep. 13 -- UNLVNoon
Sep. 20 -- North CarolinaTBA
Sep. 27 -- at Illinois6
Oct. 4 -- at Penn St.Noon
Oct. 11 -- Ohio State9
Oct. 18 -- PurdueNoon
Oct. 25 -- at NorthwesternNoon
Nov. 8 -- at MinnesotaTBA
Nov. 15 -- Michigan St.TBA
Nov. 22 -- Iowa2
IOWA HAWKEYES
2002: 11-2 overall; 8-0 Big Ten (T-1st)
Coach: Kirk Ferentz.
Returning starters: 13; 4 offense, 7 defense, kicker, punter
Players to watch: OT Robert Gallery, PK Nate Kaeding, RB Fred Russell, RB Albert Young, WR Mo Brown, QB Nate Chandler, SS Bob Sanders, DE Howard Hodges, DE Matt Roth, OLB Grant Steen
Outlook: Iowa's defensive line is a little on the small side for the burly Big Ten, but it more than makes up for it in athleticism, and strong safety Bob Sanders is a four-year starter. The experience on defense should cut some slack for the new quarterback (probably senior Nate Chandler) while he learns on the job. Iowa's offensive line needs to replace four starters.
Schedule:
Saturday -- Miami (Ohio)Noon
Sep. 6 -- BuffaloNoon
Sep. 13 -- at Iowa State12:30
Sep. 20 -- Arizona State6
Sep. 27 -- at Michigan State1
Oct. 4 -- Michigan3:30
Oct. 18 -- at Ohio State3:30
Oct. 25 -- Penn State2
Nov. 1 -- Illinois2
Nov. 8 -- at Purdue2
Nov. 15 -- Minnesota2
Nov. 22 -- at Wisconsin2
MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS
2002: 8-5 overall; 3-5 Big Ten (7th)
Coach: Glen Mason.
Returning starters: 16; 8 offense, 8 defense
Players to watch: QB Asad Abdul-Khaliq, RB Terry Jackson II, RB Marion Barber III, RB Thomas Tapeh, TE Ben Utecht, WR Aaron Hosack, WR Paris Hamilton, DE Mark Losli, LB Terrance Campbell, LB Brian Smith, FS Eli Ward
Outlook: The Gophers offense should certainly be able to move the ball and score points. While eight starters return on defense, this is still Minnesota -- a program that has been among the worst defensively in the Big Ten for most of the past two decades.
Schedule:
Saturday -- Tulsa7
Sep. 6 -- Troy State8
Sep. 13 -- at OhioTBA
Sep. 20 -- Louisiana-Lafayette8
Sep. 27 -- at Penn StateTBA
Oct. 4 -- at NorthwesternTBA
Oct. 11 -- MichiganTBA
Oct. 18 -- Michigan StateTBA
Oct. 25 -- at IllinoisNoon
Nov. 1 -- IndianaTBA
Nov. 8 -- WisconsinTBA
Nov. 15 -- at Iowa2
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
2002: 5-7overall; 4-4 Big Ten (5th)
Coach: Ron Turner.
Returning starters: 14; 6 offense, 7 defense, punter
Players to watch: QB Jon Beutjer, RB Ibrahim Halsey, WR Kendrick Jones, MLB Matt Sinclair, DE Derrick Strong, DE Mike O'Brien
Outlook: An experienced Beutjer should mean the offense won't sputter the way it did early last season. The defensive backfield, which will have a lot of new faces, needs to overcome its inexperience to take full advantage of defensive coordinator Mike Cassity's aggressive scheme.
Schedule:
Aug. 30 -- at MissouriNoon
Sep. 6 -- Illinois StateNoon
Sep. 13 -- at UCLA8
Sep. 20 -- CaliforniaTBA
Sep. 27 -- Wisconsin6
Oct. 4 -- at Purdue3:30
Oct. 11 -- Michigan StateTBA
Oct. 18 -- at MichiganNoon
Oct. 25 -- MinnesotaNoon
Nov. 1 -- at Iowa2
Nov. 8 -- at IndianaTBA
Nov. 22 -- NorthwesternTBA
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
2002: 4-8 overall; 2-6 Big Ten (T-8th)
Coach: John L. Smith.
Returning starters: 17; 7 offense, 8 defense, kicker, punter
Players to watch: QB Drew Stanton, TB Tyrell Dortch, WR Agim Shabaj, TE Eric Knott, DE Clifford Dukes, LB Ronald Stanley, LB-S Monquiz Wedlow, FS Jason Harmon
Outlook: The veteran offensive line, a group the Spartans have waited for two years to mature, could give Michigan State an edge. There are question marks at every impact position on both sides of the ball.
Schedule:
Saturday -- Western Michigan3:30
Sep. 6 -- Rutgers3:30
Sep. 13 -- Louisiana TechNoon
Sep. 20 -- at Notre Dame1:30 p.m.
Sep. 27 -- Iowa1 p.m.
Oct. 4 -- IndianaNoon
Oct. 11 -- at IllinoisTBA
Oct. 18 -- at MinnesotaTBA
Nov. 1 -- MichiganTBA
Nov. 8 -- at Ohio StateTBA
Nov. 15 -- at WisconsinTBA
Nov. 22 -- Penn StateTBA
NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
2002: 3-9 overall; 1-7 Big Ten (Tied-10th).
Coach: Randy Walker.
Returning starters: 16 -- 7 offense, 8 defense, punter
Players to watch: QB Brett Basanez, RB Jason Wright, WR Kunle Patrick, OG Matt Ulrich, DE Loren Howard, LB Pat Durr, S Dominique Price
Outlook: All but one of the regular skill-position players returns from an offense that averaged 22.7 points per game -- and reeled off 28.4 ppg in the nine games started by sophomore QB Brett Basanez. On defense, the Wildcats retain seven full-time starters and six others who started at least three games last year.
Schedule:
Saturday -- at Kansas, 7 p.m.
Sep. 6 -- Air ForceTBA
Sep. 13 -- Miami (Ohio)Noon
Sep. 20 -- at Duke7 p.m.
Sep. 27 -- at Ohio StateTBA
Oct. 4 -- MinnesotaTBA
Oct. 11 -- at IndianaTBA
Oct. 25 -- WisconsinNoon
Nov. 1 -- at PurdueTBA
Nov. 8 -- Penn StateTBA
Nov. 15 -- MichiganTBA
Nov. 22 -- at IllinoisTBA
INDIANA HOOSIERS
2002: 3-9 overall; 1-7 Big Ten (T-10th)
Coach: Gerry DiNardo.
Returning starters: 16; 8 offense, 7 defense, kicker
Players to watch: QB Matt LoVecchio, WR Courtney Roby, WR Glenn Johnson, TE Aaron Halterman, RB Brian Lewis, RB Yamar Washington, LB Kyle Killion, SS Herana-Daze Jones, FS Joe Gonzalez, CB Damien Jones
Outlook: If the line develops, the offense could be pretty potent. Wideouts Roby and Johnson are excellent, and running backs Lewis and Washington are solid. The defense needs to make dramatic improvement, especially against the run.
Schedule:
Saturday -- at ConnecticutNoon
Sep. 6 -- at Washington4
Sep. 13 -- Indiana State7
Sep. 20 -- Kentucky7
Sep. 27 -- at Michigan5
Oct. 4 -- at Michigan StateNoon
Oct. 11 -- NorthwesternTBA
Oct. 25 -- Ohio StateTBA
Nov. 1 -- at MinnesotaTBA
Nov. 8 -- IllinoisTBA
Nov. 15 -- at Penn StateTBA
Nov. 22 -- PurdueTBA
-- Scripps Howard News Service