Northwestern's Mark still fumes over Hyde tackle

CHICAGO -- Northwestern running back Venric Mark burst up the middle and then shifted to the left sideline against Iowa, seemingly on his way to a 99-yard touchdown run last fall.

But out of nowhere Hawkeyes cornerback Micah Hyde ran down Mark at the Iowa 27 for a 72-yard carry. Mark, a second-team all-Big Ten selection last year, has yet to live down that moment.

"I caught more from my mother than (teammates and coaches)," Mark said. "But at the end of the day it was a great play. They teased me a little bit. But I was kind of more down on myself than anything coach said."

Mark said he fumed on the sidelines when he left the field for a quick breather.

"I was really mad," he recalled. "I was like, 'Run the ball.' They're like, 'You're not tired?' I was like, 'Just run the ball.' I was like really upset. (Coach Pat Fitzgerald) was trying to tell me, 'Hey you just ran for however many yards.' I was like, 'I don't care about that.' Stuff like that marinates in me."

Afterward Fitzgerald praised Hyde saying, "I think he made some money today running Venric down." Hyde ultimately was named the Big Ten's top defensive back and Green Bay selected him in the fifth round. But that's of no consolation to Mark, who rushed for 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.

"Yeah, it motivates me," Mark said. "It hurts a little bit. It's something that's unacceptable in my book. That's something that will not happen ever again while I play college football. Not taking anything away from him, he's a great player. He's in the NFL now. He deserves to be there."

From a team standpoint, Mark was pleased with the drive's outcome. Seven plays, 99 yards, all on the ground. Quarterback Kain Colter's 2-yard plunge put the Wildcats ahead 14-3 en route to a 28-17 win. Northwestern dominated offensively, dashing and grinding 349 rushing yards on 49 attempts. Mark finished with 162 yards on 16 carries.

"That was a great game," Mark said. "We came out victorious, and we look forward to playing them again."