Jeremy Ebert puts name with Northwestern’s best
By Tina Akouris takouris@suntimes.com November 12, 2011 11:54PM
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Updated: December 14, 2011 8:36AM
Receiver Jeremy Ebert etched his name in the record books twice during Northwestern’s 28-6 victory over Rice on Saturday.
Ebert’s two touchdowns gave him 10 for the season, ranking him second on NU’s list for touchdown catches in a single season behind Dwayne Bates’ 12 in 1996.
And Ebert’s 208 yards were the third-best single-game performance in Wildcats history. Ebert is tied with Jon Harvey’s outing against Michigan in 1982.
One of Ebert’s touchdowns, a 90-yard pass from quarterback Dan Persa in the first quarter, was the second-longest pass play from scrimmage in NU history. The longest is a 94-yard pass from Mitch Anderson to Jim Lash against Michigan State in 1972.
The 90-yarder surpassed Ebert’s 81-yard touchdown grab from Kain Colter at Nebraska last week.
“I haven’t been able to do something like that since high school,” Ebert said. “It’s a pretty surreal feeling to be out there and just see green grass in front of you. At Nebraska, I was looking at the big screen while I was running. But in this game, I didn’t really have that. I was hoping I was fast enough.”
All-time best
The Wildcats’ victory makes this senior class the winningest five-year class with 35 victories. The classes of 2009 and 2010 each won 34 games.
“It’s special, and we’re real proud of it,” said Persa, a fifth-year senior. “But at the same time we understand we still have a pretty good opportunity to finish the season the right way [at a bowl game], and we’re more focused on that than being the all-time leaders in wins.”
