Disruptive defensive end Corey Wotton was awarded Monday night for his breakout season.

The junior from Rutherford, N.J. totaled nine sacks, 15 tackles for loss, one blocked kick and a forced fumble on the season to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors, as chosen by the conference’s coaches. Continue reading »

After experiencing mixed success against running quarterbacks, Northwestern’s defense faced one of its biggest challenges of the season Saturday in mobile Illinois quarterback Juice Williams. The Illini signal-caller burned the Wildcats last season, racking up 357 total yards and three touchdowns.

This year, Corey Wootton and the Cats’ defense made sure Williams was kept under wraps — and out of the end zone.

The junior defensive end added to his team-leading sack total, leading a ferocious pass rush that kept the Illini offense on its heels and spurred the Cats to a 27-10 victory.

“I can’t say enough about the improvement our defense has made,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “We play pretty well together, as a team, on defense.”

The defense, which implemented coordinator Mike Hankwitz’s attacking style all season, employed a disciplined game plan to contain Williams.

Leading the charge was Wootton, who has emerged as a leading candidate for all-Big Ten by striking fear into opposing quarterbacks all season. Despite facing double teams throughout the game, the junior repeatedly got into the backfield, recording three tackles and a half sack.

While Wootton kept multiple players busy, senior Kevin Mims attacked Williams from his blind side. In his final game at Ryan Field, Mims terrorized the Illini offense, forcing a key fourth-quarter fumble and finishing with seven tackles and two and a half sacks.

“He is playing the best football of his career right now,” Fitzgerald said.

When Williams or running back Daniel Dufrene got past NU’s front four, linebackers Prince Kwateng and Nate Williams were there to bring them down. The duo finished with 21 tackles, helping limit the Illini offense to just two plays of more than 20 yards.

“The preparation behind the scenes, what you don’t see, it really paid off for them today,” junior safety Brendan Smith said of the linebackers.

Despite the desire to cheat up on the mobile Williams, the defensive backs stayed with their men and limited Illinois’ ability to throw down the field. The Cats’ lone interception of the day came when junior cornerback Sherrick McManis outjumped wideout Will Judson to corral a deep ball.

KEY TAKEAWAYS, BIG PAYOFF
Mims’ forced fumble was one of two turnovers caused by the defense, and it ended Illinois’ last chance at a comeback. While the Cats scored only three points off turnovers, they seized the momentum back with each takeaway.

Fitzgerald said he discussed turnovers before the game with his counterpart on the Illini sideline.

“It’s critical that you take care of the football, because everyone is so evenly matched in this league,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s what (Illinois coach) Ron (Zook) and I were talking about before the game.”

Both coaches had dealt with turnover woes this season. NU came into the game with 24 giveaways, two less than Illinois’ 26.

Fitzgerald had ample reason to stress taking care of the ball to his team. With the win, the Cats improved to 7-0 this year when they win or tie the turnover battle.

TAKING IT TO THE HOUSE… ALMOST
Smith’s 52-yard punt return in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career and the team’s longest of the season. After the game, the junior said he was one move away from a touchdown.

“I was looking to cut back, and I just wanted to set up one more block to see what we could do,” he said. “But I’m not greedy.”

The play set up wide receiver Eric Peterman’s 18-yard touchdown reception that all but sealed the victory.

And in a game that was a nail-biter entering the four quarter, Smith’s return proved to be the game-changing play.

“It was huge,” senior quarterback C.J. Bachér said. “At that point, nobody really had the momentum, and that punt return really seized it for us.”

GAME NOTES
With the win, the Cats improved to 9-3. It was their first nine-win season since 1996 and only the fifth in school history… Both polls moved NU up after the win. The Associated Press poll ranked the Cats 24th, while the USA/Coaches’ Poll ranked them 20th, one spot ahead of Michigan State… The team will learn its bowl fate on Dec. 7. Smith, who came to the postgame press conference sporting a handlebar mustache, said he would have some creative facial hair for the bowl game. “It’s gonna be something nice,” he said.

james-simpson@northwestern.edu

It was a point of emphasis in NU’s field position game all season: breaking a big punt return.

With just over ten minutes left in the game, that play arrived thanks to Brendan Smith. The junior free safety made a series of moves, scampering 51 yards down the right sideline for NU’s longest return of the season. Entering the game, the Wildcats were averaging 6.7 yards per punt return.

Three plays later, C.J. Bachér found a wide open Eric Peterman from 18 yards out for a touchdown. With a Stephen Simmons two-point conversion, NU made a one-possession game into two possessions very quickly.

Three minutes later, the costly Illinois turnover finally came. The defense won its battle with Juice Williams, as Kevin Mims stripped the Illinois quarterback just shy of midfield. The ball was recovered by sophomore Quentin Davie.

With less than seven minutes left in this one, it is clear that NU’s offense and defense put together its most complete performance of the season. Coupled with sound play in the return game and a dominant first half, it appears the Wildcats will win nine games in a season for only the fourth time in school history.

It seemed like the perfect situation for Northwestern. Ohio State facing third-and-long. The Ryan Field crowd rocking. The Wildcats’ defensive line champing at the bit.

In fact, the Buckeyes had the Cats right where they wanted them.

Stopping Ohio State on third down proved to be too much for NU to handle. Time and time again, coach Pat Fitzgerald’s squad stuffed the Buckeyes’ offense on first and second downs. But almost every time, quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his offense were able to move the chains.

“Our inability to get off the field on third down really cost us,” Fitzgerald said.

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Mike Kafka was back to his running ways again. In the first half, Ohio State could do little to stop him.

The junior quarterback started his second straight game in place of injured starter C.J. Bachér, who was out with a strained right hamstring. While Kafka was unable to run with the same effectiveness he had against Minnesota, he led the Wildcats (7-3, 3-3 Big Ten) in rushing with 83 yards and scored Northwestern’s only touchdown of the day.

“He played good,” running back Stephen Simmons said of Kafka.

For the second straight week, the junior signal-caller led the offense down the field for a touchdown on NU’s opening drive. While the Buckeyes (8-2, 5-1) repeatedly stacked the line of scrimmage, Kafka ran around and through Ohio State’s talented linebacker corps.

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MINNEAPOLIS — On Wednesday, junior safety and punt returner Brendan Smith said: “In the last seconds, I want the ball in my hands to try to make a play. I’m going to make a play.”

On Saturday, senior cornerback David Oredugba told Smith before Northwestern’s game at No. 20 Minnesota:

“You know, I have a feeling you’re going to have a pick-six.”

These guys must be psychic.

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MINNEAPOLIS – Junior defensive end Corey Wootton said he knew Saturday’s game would come down to which team’s defense played better.

Northwestern won the battle.

The Wildcats’ defense allowed 10 points — and none in the second half — to a team that was averaging a little more than 28 points per game. The other seven points came on an interception return for a touchdown by Minnesota defensive back Traye Simmons.

“We’ve proven this year that we can be the rock to our team,” said Wootton, who had one sack.

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MINNEAPOLIS — All season, Northwestern players and coaches alike have preached two things. Force turnovers. Make big plays.

Safety Brendan Smith did both to secure the Wildcats’ biggest victory of the season.

With 12 seconds left in regulation and the game tied at 17, Smith picked off a tipped pass from Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown, propelling NU to a dramatic 24-17 road victory.
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald opted to defer the opening kickoff. From that point on, his players deferred opportunities to Indiana.

The Wildcats (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten) played not to lose, and the Hoosiers played to end their five-game losing streak, topping NU on Homecoming, 21-19.

“We didn’t come out and execute,” junior safety Brendan Smith said. “It almost looked like they wanted it more, which should never happen… We beat ourselves.”
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Finding the end zone has been a futile task for Tyrell Sutton in recent weeks. The senior tailback had five rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown in the Wildcats’ first three games but has been shut out since.
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