Northwestern Loses WR Christian Jones and RB Venric Mark
Northwestern loses WR Christian Jones to a season-ending knee injury and RB Venric Mark is transferring. Rough day.
Northwestern announces that Venric Mark is transferring and Christian Jones is out for the season. http://t.co/aRuOCAeyYx
— Eye on College FBall (@EyeOnCFB) August 13, 2014August 13th, 2014 at 7:57 PM ^
Fairly certain this hasn't been posted.
August 13th, 2014 at 7:57 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 7:57 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
Mark transferring seems odd. Wasn't he one of their best players last year?
August 13th, 2014 at 8:09 PM ^
There were articles not even a week ago about how he had been suspended for two games, but in interviews, he gave no indication that this was in the cards. He actually said that he was hurt by it but dealing with and even, in the Chicago Sun-Times report, expected the Wildcats to be 2-0 by the time he returned, in his words. This is definitely an interesting twist, if this story is related to what is now happening.
August 14th, 2014 at 1:17 AM ^
he somehow came to Ann Arbor. Them losing Mark is huge. A huge part of their game planning and offense has just been eliminated losing the both. Mark is easily a top 5 scoring threat in the conference.
August 13th, 2014 at 7:59 PM ^
NU went to bat for that guy to get him his 6th year of eligibility, then seems contrite and remorseful for whatever he did to get suspended, and now this?!
Interesting turn of events, assuredly more details to come.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^
Maybe he didn't pay his union dues.
August 13th, 2014 at 9:15 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
Ryan Stiles. I met Greg Proops (on WLIIA and also the voice of Bob the Builder) at a tiny cafe late one night in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. Cool guy.
August 13th, 2014 at 11:36 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
nt.
So much odd in this thread.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:51 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^
(and was too lazy to edit out the nt).
On the [] off chance that wasn't snark, it means "no text." I absolutely should have taken it out.
Edit: it's a carry over habit from forums where you have to click to expand a person's reply. But I still use it because posts require a body, usually, and some times what needs to be said only requires five or so words.
August 13th, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^
"notta thing"
August 13th, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^
Wow. That game just got easier. I don't know much about Christian Jones - is he any good? Was he going to play?
August 13th, 2014 at 8:15 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 8:21 PM ^
Ah, OK. I knew I recognized the name, but I wasnt' sure if that was from watching him play against us or from recruiting or what. I remember now. Boy, that offense sure took a hit in one day. I think we can move that game into the "very likely win" category now.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:34 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 8:09 PM ^
team thingy that is going on on the front page??
August 13th, 2014 at 8:09 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
Losing Mark is a huge deal for them.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
Yesterday there was an article in The Chicago Tribune that included a brief interview with Venric Mark in which he said he expected to be back playing for Northwestern after the first two games of the season. LINK
August 13th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^
They be f***ed...
Chicago native Mr. T has updated his prediction for NW's season:
August 13th, 2014 at 8:18 PM ^
Most shocking transfer of all time?
August 13th, 2014 at 8:32 PM ^
There are better ones than even Dupree, I imagine.
But maybe not.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:20 PM ^
Anyone know if he graduated? i.e. Is he eligible for a grad transfer without sitting a year?
August 13th, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
If he hasn't, there's a problem. This fall will be his sixth year in college, right? Unless he's that one guy in my fraternity, I bet he has a degree by now.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
Per article online from The Chicago Tribune. LINK
August 13th, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^
See: http://www.nusports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/venric_mark_649046.html
His redshirt for last year must be a medical redshirt allowing him to use a regular redshirt this year while he gets NW degree and then transfers to play as a grad.
That's as close as I can come to making sense of it.
EDIT: It's also possible he is going to play at a lower level school and then finish his final class at Northwestern later.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^
A related article said he has one class left, which he intends to finish. So, my guess is he sits out the season, then transfers after the semester.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:21 PM ^
there's a little more to this story. Maybe a lot more
August 13th, 2014 at 8:26 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 8:28 PM ^
Really odd timing for this.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 8:41 PM ^
pretty sure Mark did not play in last year's game.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:47 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
August 14th, 2014 at 12:33 AM ^
And Northwestern scored 9 points in regulation, offense was anemic and the backup averaged 3.8/carry. Makes that game easier. Northwestern went from 17th in rushing with Mark in 2012 to 70th in 2013 without Mark for most of the year.
August 13th, 2014 at 9:17 PM ^
I don't think we are in any position to say our team should "roll" another team right now.
Case in point: Akron and UConn 2013.
August 13th, 2014 at 9:31 PM ^
the last few years.
I'd really like to see us throttle them this year, though.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:35 PM ^
It is a war of attrition in the big 10 right now
August 13th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
Mark is a hell of a player when he is healthy, which isn't often in B1G play.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:47 PM ^
Not to make light of Mark's situation, but without Colter and Mark, the burden of defending the NW offense is significantly decreased. Travis Siemiann is really underrated as both a passser and runner, but he alone without another playmaker around him is far less dangerous...obviously, but nonetheless.
August 13th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^
August 13th, 2014 at 9:54 PM ^
Siemian is trying so hard to be underrated this year that he even changed his name to Travis.
August 14th, 2014 at 7:40 AM ^
I seem to remember him as 'Trevor'.