Wherever you choose to pin blame for Northwestern’s back-to-back losses against Penn State and Wisconsin, don’t choose the defense.
In both matchups, the Wildcats have held their top-ten opponents under its season averages for points and yards. Penn State and Wisconsin scoring over 30 points is more of a reflection of the Wildcat offense’s inability to stay on the field as opposed to the defense’s ability to make stops. It’s safe to say Northwestern’s defense has put the team in a position to win both games.
Linebackers Paddy Fisher and Nate Hall have been instrumental to the relative success of the defense, combining for 28 tackles over the past two weeks.