NU defense rues lack of turnovers
It was a sparse crowd Saturday at Ryan Field, then a tough crowd in the Northwestern locker room.
The Wildcats defense posted its first shutout since Aug. 24, 1997 against Oklahoma.
Something to be proud of, right?
Except there was as much talk after the game about the defense not forcing a turnover or recording a sack.
"I think our defense feels very excited that we pitched a shutout, but through that excitement I think they are very hungry to get back to practice," said Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. "Not causing any turnovers, not getting to the quarterback at all. They are hungry to get back to practice and improve on that."
Sophomore cornerback Sherrick McManis led Northwestern with 10 tackles, including 2 for a loss. Senior middle linebacker Adam Kadela had 8 tackles.
"We pride ourselves on taking the ball away and giving it back to our offense," Kadela said. "Unfortunately we didn't do that. We let them move the ball too much, in my opinion."
Junior tackle John Gill is part of a deep defensive line that enabled NU to rotate players all game. Combined with an offense that controlled the ball for 22 minutes, 47 seconds in the second half, the Wildcats stayed fresh.
Gill also chimed in about the lack of big plays.
"We didn't get the production we wanted," Gill said. "We really want to pick that up."
O-line steps up: Northwestern shuffled its offensive line, moving starting guard Adam Crum to center. Crum replaced captain Trevor Rees, who served a one-game suspension for reckless driving.
Desmond Taylor took Crum's spot at left guard. Keegan Grant, Alex Rucks and Kurt Mattes also drew praise from Pat Fitzgerald.
The patchwork line had its moments Saturday. Quarterback C.J. Bacher had time to throw most of the afternoon but was sacked three times.
"I'm real proud of how they played," Fitzgerald said. "I like the attitude they are playing with."
Junior Tyrell Sutton, whose 2,474 yards ranked second only to Michigan's Mike Hart among returning rushers in the Big Ten, finished with 108 yards on 24 carries.
Sutton moved into fifth place among Northwestern's all-time rushing leaders. He passed Noah Herron, now a member of the Green Bay Packers. Damien Anderson tops the charts at 4,485.
"We have a lot of depth at every position," Sutton said of the offensive line. "They did very well."
Instant impact: Several players made their starting debuts for the Wildcats, including linebacker Prince Kwateng (5 tackles).
"He had a great spring, great camp," senior middle linebacker Adam Kadela said. "He made some plays today."
With starting strong safety Brendan Smith still nursing a shoulder, sophomore Brad Phillips filled in. The 6-foot-4 Phillips had 4 tackles and 2 pass breakups.