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Northwestern has released its depth chart for next week's season opener at Boston College. Although Dan Persa's injury status remains up in the air, the senior is listed as the starting quarterback ahead of sophomore Kain Colter.

A few other notes:

• Mike Trumpy and Jacob Schmidt are listed as co-starters at running back. Wildcats coaches were calling Schmidt the No. 1 back in camp, although some saw it as a way to motivate Trumpy, clearly the team's top ball-carrier late in the 2010 season. Although both players will see time against Boston College, expect Trumpy to get more carries.
• True freshman wide receiver Christian Jones really impressed me at Wednesday's practice, and he appears to have been rewarded for a strong camp. Although Northwestern is very deep at receiver, the 6-3, 225-pound Jones is listed as a co-starter with Rashad Lawrence. Expect big things from Jones this fall.
• Redshirt freshman Brandon Vitabile has locked up the starting center spot, while Ben Burkett, who started the past three seasons at center, moves to right guard.
• The Wildcats linebacker situation seems fluid, but Ben Johnson, David Nwabuisi and Bryce McNaul enter Week 1 as the starters.
• Tyler Scott has moved ahead of Kevin Watt for a starting defensive end spot opposite All-Big Ten candidate Vince Browne.
• Jeff Budzien is listed as the starting place-kicker, although Steve Flaherty will handle kickoffs. Redshirt freshman Ibraheim Campbell joins return specialist Venric Mark on kickoff runbacks.

Northwestern

2010 overall record: 7-6

2010 conference record: 3-5 (T-7th)

Returning starters

Offense: 9; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

QB Dan Persa, WR Jeremy Ebert, LT Al Netter, C Ben Burkett, TE Drake Dunsmore, DE Vince Browne, CB Jordan Mabin, S Brian Peters, DT Jack DiNardo

Key losses

LB Quentin Davie, LB Nate Williams, DT Corbin Bryant, WR Sidney Stewart, G Keegan Grant, K Stefan Demos

2010 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Mike Trumpy* (530 yards)

Passing: Dan Persa* (2,581 yards)

Receiving: Jeremy Ebert* (953 yards)

Tackles: Brian Peters* (107)

Sacks: Vince Browne* (7)

Interceptions: Brian Peters* and Quentin Davie (3)

Spring answers

1. Trump(y) card: The run game has been Northwestern's biggest weakness during Pat Fitzgerald's tenure, but the staff feels it has a good No. 1 option in sophomore Mike Trumpy. After showing some good signs toward the end of the 2010 season, Trumpy continued to make strides this spring and ended up as the lone starter listed on the post-spring depth chart. Coordinator Mick McCall said Trumpy become a tougher and more complete back this spring. Northwestern needs him to be a consistent run threat in the fall.

2. Defensive depth emerges: Northwestern was a pretty bad defense toward the end of 2010, and depth played a large role in the unit's struggles. The team exited the spring feeling better about its depth and the athleticism it will have on the field this fall. Players like defensive end Tyler Scott, defensive tackle Niko Mafuli and safety Ibraheim Campbell put themselves in position to challenge projected starters in fall camp and log significant playing time this season.

3. Matthews corners market: Jeravin Matthews has been a bit of a journeyman for the Wildcats, a superb athlete without a position. But after starring on special teams in 2010, Matthews seems to have found his calling at cornerback. He quickly locked up the starting job opposite veteran Jordan Mabin. The 5-11, 175-pound Matthews looked more comfortable at the corner spot and gives the secondary a chance to be a strength for Northwestern this fall.

Fall questions

1. Backup quarterback: As Dan Persa continued his recovery from a ruptured Achilles', Northwestern's other quarterbacks took all the reps this spring in what Fitzgerald called a competition for the "No. 1" spot. Persa obviously will be the starter, but none of the other signal callers really separated himself as the backup. The Wildcats fell apart after Persa went down last November, so they'll need improvement from Kain Colter, Evan Watkins and Trevor Siemian before Sept. 3.

2. Linebacker: The spring featured plenty of competition, and it should only continue in August as Roderick Goodlow gets healthy and he and others push the projected starters. Seniors Bryce McNaul and Ben Johnson and junior David Nwabuisi enter the summer as the first-team linebackers, but there are quite a few sophomores and redshirt freshmen behind them. The coaches have tried to upgrade the athleticism at linebacker, a group that struggled for stretches last fall.

3. Kickin' it: Stefan Demos endured his ups and downs in Evanston, but he leaves as one of the more productive specialists in team history. Jeff Budzien and Steve Flaherty competed throughout the spring to replace Demos, and neither emerged as the clear-cut starter. Fitzgerald said the kicker race could continue up until game week. Special teams could finally be a strength for Northwestern in 2011, but it needs to be able to count on a kicker.

The spring superlatives series, which examines the strongest and weakest position groups for each Big Ten squad in spring ball, continues with Northwestern.

Strongest position: Wide receiver/tight end (superback)

• Top returnees: Jeremy Ebert (62 receptions, 952 yards, 8 TDs); Drake Dunsmore (40 receptions, 381 yards, 5 TDs); Demetrius Fields (25 receptions, 291 yards, 2 TDs); Charles Brown (16 receptions, 198 yards); Rashad Lawrence (12 receptions, 178 yards)
• Key losses: Sidney Stewart (40 receptions, 454 yards)
• The skinny: New receivers coach Dennis Springer inherits the deepest position group on the roster. Ebert, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, headlines the receivers along with Dunsmore, who can be more productive than he was in 2010. Both players will be featured a lot this fall. The big upside with the group comes from three rising sophomores -- Lawrence, Tony Jones and Venric Mark -- all of whom saw the field as true freshmen last fall. All three players possess big-play potential, which Northwestern needs as it struggles to stretch the field at times.

Weakest position: Linebacker

• Top returnees: Bryce McNaul (62 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble); David Nwabuisi (26 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble); Ben Johnson (21 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery)
• Key losses: Nate Williams (96 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, 1 forced fumble; Quentin Davie (71 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 6 quarterback hurries, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery)
• The skinny: A group pegged to be the strength of the defense struggled to meet expectations in 2010. Northwestern got steamrolled in losses to Illinois, Wisconsin and Texas Tech, and in the second halves of defeats against both Penn State and Michigan State. Two productive starters depart and there are questions about who can fill the gaps. McNaul boasts talent and leadership ability but has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. Northwestern needs more from both Nwabuisi and Johnson and a surprising surge from a guy like Roderick Goodlow this fall. The kicker spot also is a concern after the departure of four-year starter Stefan Demos.

I brought you some soda, but I couldn't find any straws, so you'll have to drink it like cats.

• Week 6 picks from yours truly (Big Ten only), College Football News (Big Ten only) and colleague Bruce Feldman (some Big Ten, some national).
• The Michigan-Michigan State showdown is an unlikely blockbuster matchup after what happened in 2009, Chris Dufresne writes in the Los Angeles Times. A look at how the in-state rivalry impacts recruiting from The Detroit News' Matt Charboneau. Check out how much one Detroit man is looking forward to the Michigan-MSU game.
• The Philadelphia Daily News' Bernard Fernandez looks at who's to blame for Penn State's clock-management woes at Iowa. Penn State called a players-only meeting Monday to determine where this season is headed, Cory Giger writes in The Altoona Mirror.
• An interesting look at how Bret Bielema's record compares to Barry Alvarez's final six seasons at Wisconsin, Dave Heller writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett is living in the present, Rob Oller writes in The Columbus Dispatch. More on the scrutinized Buckeyes run game from The Dispatch's Ken Gordon.
• Adam Weber has no regrets about choosing Minnesota instead of Wisconsin, Phil Miller writes in the Star Tribune. The Gophers will stick with two running backs at Wisconsin, Marcus Fuller writes in the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press.
• Speaking of no regrets, Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget has none after considering a transfer, Shannon Ryan writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Purdue quarterback Rob Henry isn't likely lose his poise in his first career start, Mike Carmin writes in The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier.
• After struggling to stop Denard Robinson, Indiana's defense faces a totally different test in Terrelle Pryor, Dustin Dopirak writes in The (Bloomington) Herald-Times (subscription required).
• A good look at one of the few bright spots on Michigan's defense from annarbor.com's Michael Rothstein.
• Northwestern linebacker Ben Johnson made the right choice at the end of the Minnesota game, a decision backed up by the 49ers disaster on Sunday, Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune.
• Despite his health setbacks, Iowa veteran D-coordinator Norm Parker is in it for the long haul, Pat Harty writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Things have wrapped up at TCF Bank Stadium, and here are my quick thoughts.


Northwestern 29, Minnesota 28: The Wildcats are extremely fortunate to be 5-0, but they'll take it and move on. You rarely survive three turnovers, especially two in the red zone, plus a missed extra point and 10 penalties, but Northwestern overcame all of that to reach the 5-0 mark. It shows that Northwestern has improved its talent level to survive errors, but this isn't a long-term formula for success. Pat Fitzgerald needs to clean things up in a hurry. I had a feeling Northwestern would need a takeaway to win, and linebacker Ben Johnson came up with it on fourth-and-11. Minnesota offensive coordinator Jeff Horton made a great call on fourth-and-3 as Adam Weber faked a handoff and then bootlegged for the first down. But Horton's subsequent run call made very little sense, and Northwestern's defense snuffed it out. You have to feel for Tim Brewster's crew, which pretty much had a game handed to them and still couldn't win it. The Gophers got great play from DeLeon Eskridge (20 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD) but really couldn't stop Dan Persa and the Northwestern offense aside from forcing takeaways. This would have been the game to turn the tide for Minnesota, and it didn't happen. Receiver Jeremy Ebert made the play of the day on a jump ball in the end zone, and NU finished with 490 yards of offense.

The good news from Northwestern's Week 1 injury report is that Arby Fields' name doesn't appear. The sophomore running back appears to be recovered from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for part of camp, and he'll play Saturday night at Vanderbilt.

The bad news is a few more names appear, including outside linebacker Bryce McNaul, a projected starter, who is out with a shoulder injury. McNaul has shown promise in practice but can't stay healthy, missing 13 games the last two seasons. Junior Ben Johnson, who started seven games last season, likely will replace McNaul.

Veteran offensive lineman Keegan Grant also will miss the opener because of an unspecified illness.

Here's the official rundown (player, injury, status):

• Safety David Arnold, foot, out
• Linebacker Roderick Goodlow, knee/ACL, out for season
• Guard Keegan Grant, illness, out
• Wide receiver Tony Jones, shoulder, out
• Linebacker Bryce McNaul, shoulder, out
• Linebacker Tim Riley, shoulder, out

It's time to take a look at the top five linebacker units in the Big Ten this fall.

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes boast two of the Big Ten's top 10 linebackers in Ross Homan and Brian Rolle, and they also have good depth. Homan might have been the league's most underrated defender in 2009 after tying for fourth in the league in interceptions (five) and finishing eighth in tackles (8.3 per game). Rolle makes up for his lack of size with speed and explosiveness. Ohio State's supporting cast includes Etienne Sabino, Andrew Sweat, Dorian Bell and others.

2. Michigan State: Back-to-back Big Ten preseason Defensive Player of the Year Greg Jones enters the season as the frontrunner to win the Butkus Award. But he's not alone on what should be a loaded linebacking corps. All-Big Ten candidate Eric Gordon has played a ton of football alongside Jones, and the coaches were pleased with Chris Norman this spring. Hopes are extremely high for true freshmen William Gholston, the Big Ten's top-rated recruit, and Max Bullough. It's clear to see why the Spartans are moving closer to the 3-4.

3. Wisconsin: Health remains a concern, as Mike Taylor's knee problems will linger and Chris Borland comes off of shoulder surgery, but Wisconsin has plenty of talent here. Borland is a rare, do-everything player who won Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2009. Taylor likely would have contended for the same award if not for a torn ACL against Iowa. The Badgers also bring back Culmer St. Jean and Blake Sorensen.

4. Northwestern: As a College Football Hall of Fame linebacker, Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald loves the look of this group. Senior Quentin Davie is a bona fide NFL prospect who has consistently reached the offensive backfield throughout his career. Middle linebacker Nate Williams enters his third year as the starter, and the coaches have solid options in Bryce McNaul, Ben Johnson and David Nwabuisi. Fitzgerald says this is the most linebacker depth Northwestern has had in his tenure.

5 (tie). Iowa and Penn State: These teams combine to lose five All-Big Ten 'backers from 2009, including first-team selections Pat Angerer (Iowa) and Navorro Bowman (Penn State). But both have historically reloaded at linebacker, and this year should be no different. Iowa's Jeremiha Hunter returns for his third year as a starter, and Jeff Tarpinian and Tyler Nielsen are primed for bigger roles. Troy Johnson and Bruce Davis are two other names to watch, and hopes are high for freshman James Morris. Penn State loses all three starters, but Nate Stupar and Bani Gbadyu have played a lot of football. Michael Mauti's return from an ACL injury and Penn State's strong recruiting at linebacker also elevate hope for the group.

Next up: Secondary

More rankings ...

• Defensive line

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Head coach Pat Fitzgerald and the Northwestern Wildcats held their preseason media day Wednesday, and I was on hand for it. I'll have some blog posts and video interviews in the coming days, but first, some notes.

• Fitzgerald confirmed that the team will practice Aug. 23 at Naval Station Great Lakes, the U.S. Navy's headquarters for training. Details are coming, but check out my post earlier this summer for more about the event. Great Lakes used to be a powerhouse in college football, and there are a ton of football connections there. The team will leave its off-site training camp in Kenosha, Wis., and practice at Great Lakes before returning to Evanston the night of the 23rd. "Hopefully, a great tradition is going to be started," Fitzgerald said.
• I'll have more on All-Big Ten kicker Stefan Demos in the coming days, but his workload will be lighter this fall as Brandon Williams has emerged as a solid option at punter. Demos, who has battled hip problems, handled field goals, kickoffs and punting last season and also punted in 2007 and 2008. Although his rugby style worked at times, all involved are pleased to see Williams emerge. "Nobody wants me out there punting any more, that's for sure," Demos said. "Including me. ... I'm sure [Fitzgerald] is tired of being called the worst special-teams coach ever because he doesn't have a punter."
• Speaking of special teams, true freshman Venric Mark already is marking his mark on punt returns. Although safety Hunter Bates, cornerback Jordan Mabin, wide receiver Charles Brown and another freshman, receiver Tony Jones, are also in the mix, I'd be surprised if Mark wasn't the starter. Stephen Simmons and Jacob Schmidt will continue to handle kickoff returns, Fitzgerald said.
• Northwestern is much healthier now than it was a year ago and has been able to practice at a good clip. The team's slow start to 2009 could be attributed in part to being limited in preseason camp. "This will be my fifth year [as head coach], and this is the best-conditioned team we've had," Fitzgerald said. "We've pushed the tempo. We go six-minute periods, and we went in such a quick tempo, we finished with two and a half minutes left in our second set of team [drills]. That's going at it, especially with where the weather was at. ... It puts us in a position maybe to be a little more accelerated than we've been in the past." Fitzgerald added that the team's speed has been upgraded through recruiting.
• The secondary loses three multiyear starters but has two spots locked up with cornerback Jordan Mabin and safety Brian Peters. Justan Vaughn, Demetrius Dugar and Mike Bolden will compete at the other corner spot, while Jared Carpenter and David Arnold are the candidates to line up next to Peters. Other position battles include outside linebacker (Bryce McNaul and Ben Johnson), right tackle (Patrick Ward and Neal Deiters) and offensive guard, where Doug Bartels, Keenan Grant and Brian Mulroe are competing for two starting spots.
• The recent heat and humidity in northern Illinois is helping Northwestern prepare for nonconference road games in balmy Nashville (at Vanderbilt) and Houston (at Rice). Fitzgerald also said the team uses a service for potential hot-weather games that allows players to "plug in" to an air-conditioning unit on the sideline that provides cool air underneath their shoulder pads. Northwestern used the service for its game inside the Carrier Dome at Syracuse last September and at the Outback Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 1.

For years, Northwestern linebacker Quentin Davie felt like a contestant on a popular British game show that briefly gained popularity in the United States.

You know, the show with the smarmy host.

"Since my freshman year, it's always been, we were the weakest group," Davie said. "And on paper, we were the weakest group. All around, nobody really recognized us or gave us credit."

That will change in 2010.

Northwestern's linebackers are unquestionably the strength of a defense that has stabilized during the past two seasons under coordinator Mike Hankwitz. The Wildcats finished fifth in the Big Ten in total defense in both 2008 and 2009, which doesn't sound great but marks a significant improvement from the struggles under previous coordinators Greg Colby and Jerry Brown.

This year's unit must replace three multiyear starters in the secondary, including All-Big Ten selections Sherrick McManis and Brendan Smith. Also gone is defensive end Corey Wootton, a fourth-round pick in last month's NFL draft.

The linebackers, meanwhile, return just about everyone. Davie is back after a quietly productive junior season in which he recorded 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries, an interception and four passes defended. He's joined by middle linebacker Nate Williams, who trailed on Davie in tackles last year with 86 tackles to go along with two interceptions, a forced fumble, seven tackles for loss and six passes defended.

"We're the guys that everybody looks up to now," Davie said. "We have two of the most productive players in the linebacker room, so that's a good thing, and that's just natural leadership. The linebackers are supposed to lead the defense, and we do."

Ben Johnson and David Arnold split the starts at the third linebacker spot in 2009, but Northwestern's depth at the position allowed the coaches to move Arnold to safety, a much bigger concern. Johnson, meanwhile, is being pushed by Bryce McNaul for the top job.

Reserves Roderick Goodlow, David Nwabuisi, Damien Proby and Tim Riley also provide insurance.

"It's as deep as we've had in a number of years," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "We were fortunate to redshirt Proby and Riley, and we played Roderick [as a true freshman]. That's a really talented young group, and you couple that with Williams and Ben Johnson and Q. Davie and Bryce McNaul, those guys have played a lot of football.

"It's time for them to take the next step."

Early in his head-coaching career, Fitzgerald talked openly about Northwestern going toward a 3-4 alignment. That plan has been scrapped despite the depth at linebacker, as the Wildcats will remain in a 4-3 set.

Davie, the team's top NFL prospect for 2011, missed part of spring practice with a foot injury but returned for the spring game and looked sharp. After going through a significant physical transformation before the 2009 season, Davie spent the winter and spring working on his speed and explosiveness, focusing mainly on his legs.

The senior hopes to be the strongest link for arguably the Wildcats' strongest group in 2010.

"It feels good to be fast and big at the same time," said Davie, who checks in at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. "I always want to be the best, and being the best means hopefully playing in the NFL. I'm focusing right now on college, to be the best here, where I'm at, and that will take me where I need to go."

Northwestern didn't unveil a defined depth chart entering spring practice, but now that the spring session is complete, head coach Pat Fitzgerald has issued an updated two-deep. As expected, junior Dan Persa is listed as the team's starting quarterback, with redshirt freshman Evan Watkins as his backup.

A few nuggets of note:

• Sophomore Arby Fields is listed as the starting running back ahead of junior Jacob Schmidt. Fields, the team's leading rusher last year, had a good spring but missed all the spring scrimmages because he was playing baseball. I'd be somewhat surprised if he doesn't start the opener Sept. 4 at Vanderbilt.
• The Wildcats lose their top two wideouts from 2009, and they list Jeremy Ebert, Sidney Stewart and Demetrius Fields as the projected starters coming out of the spring. Ebert figures to be the No. 1 target, though NU needs to develop more depth.
• All five starters return on the offensive line, but sophomore Patrick Ward, who didn't start last year, is listed as the top right tackle. Also, Brian Mulroe appears as the starting left guard ahead of Keenan Grant, while Doug Bartels and Neal Dieters are listed as co-starters at right guard. Translation: there will be ongoing competition at both guard spots.
• Linebackers Quentin Davie and Nate Williams are set as starters, and Ben Johnson and Bryce McNaul are listed as co-starters in the third spot. McNaul had a nice spring and Johnson started early last season and brings some good athleticism, so this will be an interesting position battle to watch.
• Northwestern moved starting linebacker David Arnold to safety to fill a need there, but Jared Carpenter is listed ahead of Arnold on the depth chart. Another good battle brewing there opposite Brian Peters.
• Starting placekicker Stefan Demos is listed as a co-starter at punter with Brandon Williams. Northwestern really would be best served if Williams can win that job and lighten the load on Demos.
• Jordan Mabin and Hunter Bates are the two options at punt returner, a weak spot for NU in recent years. Incoming freshman Venric Mark also could compete here.

The superlatives series marches on with Northwestern, which comes off of consecutive bowl appearances for the second time in team history. The Wildcats once again lose a productive starting quarterback in Mike Kafka, and also must replace three starters in the secondary and two solid receivers. But they look good on both lines and at linebacker.

Here are the spots to watch during spring practice, which begins March 29.

Strongest position: Linebacker

• Key returnees: Quentin Davie (90 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 6 quarterback hurries); Nate Williams (86 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 6 passes defended); David Arnold (34 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble); Ben Johnson (28 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery).

• Key losses: None

• The skinny: The easy pick here would be offensive line, as Northwestern returns all five starters up front. But until that group shows a better ability to run block, I'll hold off on giving high praise. Davie, much like Ohio State's Ross Homan and Brian Rolle, was overshadowed last year in the Big Ten by guys like Greg Jones, Pat Angerer and Navorro Bowman. But he has been very productive for several years now and will be on the NFL radar as a senior. Williams did some nice things in his first year as the starter, and both Arnold and Johnson bring a lot of athleticism to the table. Northwestern is both experienced and deep here.

Weakest position: Running back

• Key returnees: Arby Fields (82 attempts, 302 rushing yards, 5 TDs); Scott Concannon (68 attempts, 241 rushing yards, 2 TDs); Stephen Simmons (59 carries, 233 rushing yards, 2 TDs); Jacob Schmidt (64 carries, 217 rushing yards, 1 TD).

• Key losses: Kafka played quarterback but led the team in both rushing attempts (150) and rushing touchdowns (8), while finishing second in rushing yards (295).

• The skinny: Everyone returns from 2009 and several new players join the mix, but until someone emerges as a Big Ten-caliber feature back, this group raises some red flags. The committee thing just isn't going to work. Simmons looked good before sustaining an ankle injury in Week 2, and both Fields and Concannon showed promise at times. But Northwestern needs to restore its tradition of producing 1,000-yard rushers, especially with a new starting quarterback taking over this fall. The offensive line boasts ton of experience and should do a better job of creating gaps. Another potential weak spot is safety, where Northwestern loses multi-year starters Brad Phillips and Brendan Smith.

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's home contest against No. 16 Wisconsin (Big Ten Network, 3:30 p.m. ET).

OUT

• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• WR Charles Brown, shoulder
• S Brendan Smith, thumb

Despite Smith's continued absence from the starting lineup, this is the healthiest Northwestern has been since the opening weeks of the season. Linebacker Ben Johnson and guard Desmond Taylor, both of whom have started games this season, are off the injury report after missing the last few games. Smith told me Wednesday that he expects to play in Northwestern's bowl game, which is good news for the playmaking senior. Brian Peters once again gets the start in Smith's spot alongside Brad Phillips. Taylor is listed as the backup right guard on this week's depth chart, while Johnson could see some time at linebacker as Northwestern tries to bring down Wisconsin star running back John Clay.

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's game at Illinois (ESPN Classic, noon ET).

OUT

• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• LB Ben Johnson, leg
• S Brendan Smith, thumb
• G Desmond Taylor, shoulder

These are the same four names as last week, which in a sense is good news for a team that has dealt with injuries all season. Backup quarterback Dan Persa doesn't appear on the report despite leaving last week's game against Iowa with an injury to his throwing hand that appeared serious at first. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald said Persa has progressed well this week, and Northwestern might not need him as much since starter Mike Kafka is now two weeks removed from a hamstring injury. Smith's absence hurts in the secondary as Northwestern faces a talented group of Illinois wide receivers, led by Arrelious Benn. The Wildcats need safeties Brad Phillips and Brian Peters to be healthy and effective. The offensive line held up decently last week despite Taylor's absence.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's game at No. 4 Iowa (ESPN, noon ET).

OUT

• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• LB Ben Johnson, leg
• S Brendan Smith, thumb
• OL Desmond Taylor, shoulder

The big news is here no Mike Kafka. The Wildcats starting quarterback doesn't appear on the report despite leaving last week's loss to Penn State with a pulled left hamstring. Kafka didn't practice a ton this week, but the Big Ten passing leader is expected to give it a go against the Hawkeyes. Both Kafka and head coach Pat Fitzgerald said Monday that Kafka will play. Still, I'd expect backup quarterback Dan Persa to get a decent amount of snaps on Saturday. Kafka's mobility likely will be limited, and Persa can spark the option attack. The other notable absence from the report is cornerback Sherrick McManis, who has battled leg problems. Northwestern will need McManis, its top cover man, against Iowa's talented wide receivers. Smith will be missed in the secondary, and Brian Peters will get the start opposite Brad Phillips. Taylor appeared as a co-starter at right guard on this week's depth chart, but Doug Bartels will get the start.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's game at Michigan State (ESPN2, noon ET).

OUT

• T Mike Boyle, back
• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• LB Ben Johnson, leg
• LB Bryce McNaul, leg
• S Brendan Smith, hand
• CB Justan Vaughn, leg

QUESTIONABLE

• DT Jack DiNardo, shoulder

Injuries to key defensive players have hurt Northwestern all season, and Smith is the latest to go down. The three-year starter injured his hand last week against Miami (Ohio) and did not return. He's not expected to sit out too much time, but his playmaking ability will be missed. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Brian Peters has done an excellent job as the third safety this season and will slide into the starting spot next to Brad Phillips. The losses of Johnson, Vaughn and McNaul thin the depth at linebacker and cornerback, but none of the players are starters. The good news on the report is the absence of starting defensive end Corey Wootton, who missed most of the Miami game with an ankle injury. Wootton, a preseason All-America candidate, is still looking for his first sack this season.