EVANSTON, Ill. — In a Pat Fitzgerald era that has always taken a conservative, defensive-minded approach, it was the defense that ultimately failed the Northwestern Wildcats last night.
Perhaps it was the fact that it was their first game under new defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil. Or maybe tackling just wasn’t practiced enough in the days leading up to Northwestern’s matchup with the Spartans. Whatever the reasoning may be, the fact of the matter remains that the Wildcats’ defense, one so often praised for its “bend, don’t break” style of play under former defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, played sloppy.