Northwestern Wildcats vs Nebraska Cornhuskers: Breaking down Northwestern’s defense
The Nebraska Cornhuskers face a Northwestern Wildcats team coming off of a two game losing streak. The Wildcats started the season with five straight wins, and their defense was one of the best in the country. However, their tenacity dipped over the last two weeks, causing the Wildcats to lose back to back games by a wide margin.
Overall, the Wildcats are giving up 16.1 points per game this season. However, opponents outscored Northwestern 78-10 over the last two games. They’ve been hit with an early onslaught, and haven’t been able to recover. Will they have what it takes to match up with an inconsistent Nebraska offense?
So far, Northwestern has been stingy in the passing game. Opponents have completed 55 percent of their passes against the Wildcats. In addition, Northwestern only gives up 146 yards per game through the air. Although the Huskers lead the Big Ten with 15 passing touchdowns, the Wildcats only give up .3 touchdown passes per game.
Read More: Breaking down the Northwestern offense
If the Huskers try to rely on the passing game, Northwestern will be able to defend the pass with relative ease. However, they might be susceptible to the running game. Teams have averaged 4.2 yards per carry against Northwestern in 2015. While the number is fairly good, they only give up 154 yards per game. During the Wildcats’ five game winning streak, opponents were unable to run consistently. Therefore, Northwestern would love to get an early lead against the Huskers.
Defensively, the Wildcats have 14 sacks on the year. Defensive lineman Deonte Gibson leads the Wildcats with a career high, five sacks. He’s part of the unit that sets the tone for the linebackers to do their job. If Northwestern can get pressure with the front four, the linebackers will be free to roam and cause havoc. However, if Nebraska can control the game in the trenches, the Wildcats will have to react to what the Huskers are doing offensively.
Anthony Walker is the most active linebacker in a strong unit. He leads the team with 54 tackles, including eight stops for loss. Given the chance, Walker will take the ball away as well. He already has two forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries this season.
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Currently, the Wildcats’ defense has nine forced turnovers, and Matthew Harris is the team leader with three interceptions. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Harris has been ruled out with a head injury. Still, they have other play makers in the defensive backfield.
If the Wildcats lose, they are out of the running for the Big Ten West title. Despite losing their first two conference games, the Huskers still have a chance to earn the Big Ten West title, but they have to win the rest of their contests. If they don’t defeat the Wildcats, the Huskers could be on the brink of missing a bowl game.
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There’s no question, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will have to go through Northwestern’s defense to get the victory. Whether they play consistently enough remains to be seen.