D-line steps it up with 6 sacks vs. Iowa
Northwestern defensive line coach Eric Washington calls sacking the quarterback "a violent act."
Before Saturday, the same phrase could be applied to the Wildcats' defensive front -- without the violent part.
Despite returning six players with starting experience, NU had produced only 9 sacks -- just 6 from linemen -- in the first nine games. It tied for the sixth lowest total among FBS teams. The Wildcats ranked 107th nationally in tackles for loss (4.9 per game), getting only 21½ from the linemen.
But after weeks of near misses, NU's front four finally lived up to preseason expectations, collecting a 6-pack of sacks against Iowa. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the Hawkeyes had 6 sacks of their own in a 28-17 win.
Junior defensive tackle John Gill, NU's most consistent linemen this season, picked up 2 sacks in the loss, dragging down quarterback Jake Christensen with one hand in the second quarter.
"You've got to give it all your effort, and that's what we did today," said Gill, who leads the team with 4 sacks. "We got a lot."
The 6 sacks were NU's most since getting 6 at Duke on Sept. 20, 2003.
What looked to be the game's most significant sack came early in the fourth quarter, when senior end David Ngene mauled Christensen, forcing a fumble that Marshall Thomas recovered. NU couldn't covert the play into points, but Ngene finished with a career-high 2 sacks.
"He's struggled through injuries and he's kept working hard his whole career," Gill said of Ngene. "I'm happy that he's making plays 'cause he deserves it."
Getting cornered: As Sherrick McManis walked toward NU's locker room, a man standing on Randy Walker Terrace shouted an expletive-laden insult toward the browbeaten cornerback.
The remark was deplorable on several levels, and McManis had endured enough abuse during the game. He got beat for several big pass plays, including a 20-yard touchdown just before halftime and a 53-yard strike that set up Iowa's go-ahead score.
McManis also received a 15-yard roughing-the-punter penalty that continued an Iowa drive in the second quarter and was flagged for pass interference on third-and-goal in the fourth. He showed flashes of his freshman-year brilliance with 8 tackles (2 for loss), a sack and a pass breakup, but the mistakes were glaring.
"We'll look at it fundamentally and technically and see where we can help him," coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "He's been a very productive player, made a lot of plays today. … I love the way he plays. He's just got to keep getting better."
Inches to go: Backup running back Omar Conteh missed the game with a sprained ankle sustained last week at Purdue. Pat Fitzgerald is hopeful the junior can return next week. … NU superback and Buffalo Grove High school product Mark Woodsum caught his first career touchdown pass, a 2-yarder in the first quarter.