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NIU RB Garrett Wolfe (official thread)

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Steve19;627356; said:
One of the things I teach is content analysis of media. In my opinion, I sense the beginning of a small shift. It's not worrying yet but there are signs that things could shift radically over the next few games as Florida gets attention for playing three tough opponents, we play a series of easier games, Notre Dame regains winning form against some easy opponents and St Quinn is resurrected, and Wolfe puts up big numbers.
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Maybe it's related in a small way (or maybe even in a big way), but how much might these "small shifts" be just the media tired of talking about the usual suspects? They've said all that the audience wants to hear about Troy Smith, so they'll move on to Wolfe, or to someone at Florida, or maybe back to their original sweetheart, Brady Quinn. Of course, maybe the shift is caused by the fact that some people are tired of hearing of Troy Smith.

Steve19;627356; said:
There are at least three journalists today saying that if Florida wins the next three games, they should be #1, not Ohio State.
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There are also people who believe that if any SEC team goes undefeated, they should be able to play for a national championship, regardless of who else is undefeated. My answer to that is what if an SEC team is undefeated, and two other teams in the country have each given up an average of -200 yards per game, 0 points per game, they score 100+ points per game, etc? I know that it's very unrealistic, but if one person comes up with an "if" statement, I'll find a way to come up with another "if" statement. No one will find a conclusion.

Steve19;627356; said:
If we get a speed wobbly somewhere and have a close game that we are supposed to win easily, then things could shift for us. I don't think they will, but we shouldn't be complacent.
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I'm definitely not trying to sound complacent. To tell you the truth, a Heisman means very little to me, as a fan, compared to the game on January 8. The Heisman is basically like getting the toy surprise in the Cracker Jack box, compared to getting a 24-oz slab of prime rib. But that doesn't mean I'm going to throw away the little toy if someone gave it to me.
 
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NYPost

WOLFE AT THE HEISMAN DOOR




lennrobbins.jpg




October 7, 2006 -- ONE of the most popular sentiments in college football over the last decade has been the narrowing gap
between BCS and non-BCS schools. Ben Roethlisberger (Miami of Ohio), Brian Urlacher (New Mexico) and
LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU) are examples of the quality players coming out of mid-major programs.
Now its time to see if the interest in MAC, WAC and Conference USA schools is sincere or merely lip service. It?s time to see if a player not from the college-football elite can win the Heisman Trophy.
Are the voters ready to choose a player whose team has two losses and wouldn?t contend for the national title even if it went undefeated? Are they willing to pick a player who is smaller than the average height of most of the men and women that vote? Are they ready to vote for Northern Illinois running back GarrettWolfe?
Most of the nation hadn?t heard of the 5-foot-7 Wolfe before the season (he was on The Post?s preseason All- Underpublicized squad). And his school, in DeKalb, Ill., isn?t going to sniff the publicity that schools such
as Notre Dame (Brady Quinn), Ohio State (Troy Smith) or Oklahoma (Adrian Peterson) receive.
But Wolfe is making himself hard to ignore. He rushed for 353 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-28 win over Ball State last week and his Division I-A-leading average of 236 yards per game is more than 75 yards per game more than that of Rutgers? Ray Rice.
Wolfe has rushed for 1,181 yards in his first five games, more than any back in the history of Division I-A. He is averaging a staggering 9.3 yards per carry, nearly twice that of Oklahoma?s Peterson.
Skeptics belittle Wolfe?s numbers by calling into question the level of competition he faces. But he had 171 yards rushing and 114 receiving against Ohio State, for more total yards than Cincinnati or Penn State had against the Buckeyes. He shredded Michigan last season for 148.
The second argument, which is flat-out lame, is a player good enough to be named the best in the nation wouldn?t be playing at a MAC school. It would follow that Larry Bird was a stiff because he played at Indiana State. Right.
The refreshing part of the Garrett Wolfe story is that he has little interest in winning the Downtown Athletic Club?s little bronze trophy. After working his way up from ninth team, he wants to help the Huskies win games. He thanks his offensive linemen during every interview.
It will take more than stats for a player from the MAC to win the Heisman. The time and player are upon us. Northern Illinois plays Sunday night at Miami of Ohio. The game is live at 8 p.m. on ESPN. See for yourself. [email protected]
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Zurp;627522; said:
Maybe it's related in a small way (or maybe even in a big way), but how much might these "small shifts" be just the media tired of talking about the usual suspects? They've said all that the audience wants to hear about Troy Smith, so they'll move on to Wolfe, or to someone at Florida, or maybe back to their original sweetheart, Brady Quinn. Of course, maybe the shift is caused by the fact that some people are tired of hearing of Troy Smith.

There are also people who believe that if any SEC team goes undefeated, they should be able to play for a national championship, regardless of who else is undefeated. My answer to that is what if an SEC team is undefeated, and two other teams in the country have each given up an average of -200 yards per game, 0 points per game, they score 100+ points per game, etc? I know that it's very unrealistic, but if one person comes up with an "if" statement, I'll find a way to come up with another "if" statement. No one will find a conclusion.

I'm definitely not trying to sound complacent. To tell you the truth, a Heisman means very little to me, as a fan, compared to the game on January 8. The Heisman is basically like getting the toy surprise in the Cracker Jack box, compared to getting a 24-oz slab of prime rib. But that doesn't mean I'm going to throw away the little toy if someone gave it to me.
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Well, I want a Heisman to lay that Notre Dame "home of the Heisman" thing to rest and I want one for Troy because I think he deserves it.

I didn't mean to imply that you were being complacent, Zurp, and I think you hit the nail on the head. If Ohio State is a solid #1 and if Smith is the solid #1 Heisman candidate, then the sites get a lot less hits and the mags get less readership. So, if you are media, create controversy. What I was trying to say was that these things can create a momentum that can take on a life of their own and it can be hard to overcome that momentum, if it shifts because of the events I described over the next four to six weeks.
 
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G-FORCE;627719; said:
Lee Corso said there are 10 backs better then GW.


What a fucking tool.
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He didn't say that. He said there there were 10 players in the country better at their own position than Wolfe is.

That's the way I heard it when he said it, and Fowler also had him clarify it a little later.
 
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BB73;627807; said:
He didn't say that. He said there there were 10 players in the country better at their own position than Wolfe is.

That's the way I heard it when he said it, and Fowler also had him clarify it a little later.
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Correct. Corso clarified Wolfe is a Top-10 back.
 
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Link

Prime-time player (literally)
Heisman candidate Wolfe garners some national exposure

By Reid Hanley
Tribune staff reporter

October 8, 2006

Northern Illinois and Garrett Wolfe will have the college football stage to themselves at 7 p.m. Sunday in Oxford, Ohio. Miami University will be there, too, but ESPN is counting on Wolfe to pull in viewers.

The rare Sunday night game will have only the NFL's Pittsburgh at San Diego game on TV to battle for football fans' attention. Wolfe, the nation's leading rusher, will get a chance again to validate his candidacy for the Heisman Trophy before a national audience."That's great," Northern coach Joe Novak said. "The national exposure is good for our football team, our program, our university. [It's good] for Garrett to get a chance to be on national TV.

"I love Saturday college football, but when you play on other days, you're the only game being played. Anybody who's a college fan is watching you. It's a great opportunity."

The Huskies (3-2, 2-1 Mid-American) opened the season on national TV against No. 1 Ohio State as Wolfe ran for 171 yards and caught five passes for 114 more. The winless Redhawks (0-5, 0-1) will have to be at their best to hold Wolfe even to those totals. Wolfe, who averages 9.3 yards per carry, has averaged 236.2 yards rushing per game. He ran for 353 yards last week against Ball State in a 40-28 victory.

Wolfe, who has a school-sponsored Web site to promote his Heisman Trophy candidacy at www.watchwolfe.com, realizes the opportunity playing on Sunday gives him and his teammates. The fact that Miami is 102nd in the county against the run makes the prime-time appearance a chance to rack up more big numbers.

"In terms of exposure, [the value is] immeasurable," Wolfe said. "Something you can't put into words. . . . I think people's perceptions outside the university and across the country are changing because of the things I've been fortunate enough to accomplish. But the most important stat last Saturday was that we went 1-0 that week."

It will be homecoming at Miami, and Novak is a Miami graduate. But the proud football tradition at the Cradle of Coaches doesn't include a 0-5 team.

The Redhawks have an overtime loss to Purdue and a two-point loss to Kent State, in addition to losses to Northwestern, Syracuse and Cincinnati. Miami's streak of 12 straight winning seasons is in severe jeopardy.

The Redhawks are young after losing 16 senior starters from last season. The two-deep chart contains 17 freshmen, including redshirts.

Junior quarterback Mike Kokal is the MAC total-offense leader but is questionable because of headaches. Senior wide receiver Ryne Robinson is a dangerous player, especially on punt returns.

Miami is looking at Sunday night's game as a second season opener with seven straight MAC games left on the schedule. How it handles Wolfe will determine how it starts the new season.

"It's going to be a challenge not only for the defense to stop him but for the offense to keep the defense off the field and score enough points," Miami coach Shane Montgomery said.

"How much can Garrett Wolfe be shut down? I don't know. He's going to get some yards. They're going to get him the ball enough in that offense to make sure he gets his yards."
 
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Link

Wolfe gets night in spotlight

October 8, 2006
BY JIM O'DONNELL Staff Reporter
OXFORD, Ohio -- Buzz Aldrin visited the campus of Miami of Ohio last week to pass out a scholarship check for the advanced study of physics and electrical engineering. The Apollo 11 moonwalker should have hung around long enough to study the space circuitry behind Garrett Wolfe. Wolfe, the astral tynamo who remains in Heisman orbit for Northern Illinois, will lead the Huskies (3-2, 2-1) into their first Sunday night game against the winless RedHawks (0-5, 0-1). Miami is one of nine Division I-A teams that has yet to win this season.
The eyes of the ESPN college football nation will be upon Wolfe, who gained further national media loft after he beamed up for 353 yards rushing during NIU's 40-28 victory Sept. 30 at Ball State.
It was the 13th-highest single-game rushing total in Division I-A history and rocketed Wolfe past stars such as Marcus Allen, Barry Sanders and Ricky Williams for the highest five-game total to open a major-college season. Wolfe has 1,183 yards and counting.
''We quit measuring the kid and just watch what he's doing each week,'' said coach Joe Novak, whose Huskies have lifted themselves up off the Xbox after an 0-2 start with consecutive victories against Buffalo, Indiana State and Ball State. ''He's done it against every team we've played.''
The odds of Wolfe doing something good against Miami seem favorable. While his numbers appear to know few earthly bounds, Wolfe and his space sprockets will be facing a band of RedHawks who look disoriented in almost every meaningful aspect of the game.
Miami ranks 110th among 119 Division I-A teams in rushing offense (73.2 yards per game) and 104th against the run (182.2). The RedHawks feature crack receiver Ryne Robinson, one of the best in the Mid-American Conference with 30 catches for 490 yards. But starting quarterback Mike Kokal is questionable for the game tonight because of recurring headaches, coach Shane Montgomery said.
Kokal was a post-time scratch last weekend at Cincinnati. Redshirt freshman Dan Raudabaugh stepped in and failed to sustain much, going 21-for-47 as the RedHawks fell 24-10. Miami gained only 13 yards rushing in the second half and allowed the Bearcats 256 on the ground, including 125 in the first quarter.
''The team morale has still been really good, even though we have to learn how to win again,'' said Montgomery, who is in his second season as the RedHawks' coach. ''We have a small senior class and a lot of young people playing. We have a lot of work that needs to be done. But obviously, we're very disappointed at where we are.''
For NIU, the game looms as the second in a crucial three-game MAC road segment that concludes next Saturday at Western Michigan. And the Huskies have some nettlesome spots. No. 1 tight end Jake Nordin is gone for the season after breaking his left leg against Ball State. The secondary will be without Brad Pruitt (bruised lung), who'll join cornerback Alvah Hansbro (arm) among the missing. Safety Mark Reiter has been slowed by a sore back.
Novak, as always, voiced caution.
''Miami has played three BCS teams,'' he said. ''They got beat in overtime at Purdue [38-31], they got beat by Syracuse [34-14] and Northwestern [21-3] and they lost to a pretty good Cincinnati team. And, as I recall, Ball State was 1-6 when they came into DeKalb last fall and laid a whupping on us. Miami is better than people think. They're young, and records can be deceiving.''
 
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HeraldNews

Wolfe belongs in pack



October 8, 2006


He's a half-pint running back playing college football in a small, Midwest community that traces its rise from the cornfields to the invention of barbed wire. Those who want to dismiss Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe from the Heisman Trophy race often point to his 5-foot-7 frame. Or, they harp on the fact he runs wild against Huskie opponents from the Mid-American Conference. They consider the MAC inferior to the real power brokers of the BCS.

I say hold on. What Wolfe's detractors are missing is how much the landscape of college football has been altered. Scholarship limits have brought parity to the game, and cable television has worked to balance the scales of national exposure. While it generally is the true the haves still rule, the have-nots no longer lag as far behind.
Wolfe leads the nation in rushing heading into a 7 p.m. battle today vs. Miami (Ohio). The rare Sunday college football game sets up for him as a personal showcase event, to be beamed across the land by ESPN. Wolfe is on a pace to shatter Barry Sanders' all-time single-season rushing record. Still, some argue against giving Wolfe his props or refuse to consider him a legitimate Heisman candidate.
Who is he racking up all that yardage against? Well, let's see. Wolfe combined for a total of nearly 300 yards rushing and receiving against Ohio State in Northern's season-opener. The Buckeyes are the consensus No. 1 team in America. Wolfe shredded Michigan's defense for triple digits on the ground in a game at The Big House last year.
Coming out of West Chicago and Holy Cross, he was overlooked by college football's big boys because of his relative lack of size. He started his collegiate career at Northern mirrored way down on the depth chart, behind, among others, a fellow named Michael "The Burner" Turner. What has become increasingly more evident is Wolfe is every bit as talented as his more hyped counterparts. Wolfe is Mike Hart -- only faster. Wolfe is Adrian Peterson -- only more elusive.
Other mid-major stars have gained Heisman notoriety, the list running the gamut from Marshall Faulk to Randy Moss, Ben Roethlisberger to Alex Smith. None of them ever was lucky enough to win the coveted trophy.
Some maintain the Heisman never will be given to a mid-major guy. I say, why not?
The Heisman rarely is presented to the nation's top player. Rather, the Heisman is given to the top offensive player after voting that follows along the lines of a popularity contest. Michigan's Charles Woodson was the first defensive player to win the award. And he pulled off the feat only because he also dabbled as a wide receiver and excelled as a punt return specialist.
At the very least, Wolfe merits an invite to New York for the Dec. 9 presentation of the Heisman. Please don't mistake this plea as crying Wolfe.
Ron Kremer can be reached at [email protected]
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