Ten Questions: 2. Will the Cats be able to stop the run?
Second of 10 questions we are asking that will determine Northwestern's 2023 season.
Northwestern’s defense had a host of problems during Jim O’Neil’s two-year stretch as defensive coordinator. But foremost among them was the inability to stop the run.
Last season, the Wildcats finished 110th in the nation against the run, allowing 191.3 yards per game. Sadly, that was an improvement over 2021, when they ranked 119th and surrendered 213.9 yards per game. The Wildcats allowed 4.62 yards per carry (108th) and 24 total TDs (115th) in 2022.
None of those of numbers are acceptable for a program that counted its run defense not just as a strength, but as a foundational pillar of its play style.
Although there was minimal improvement, teams still ran roughshod over Northwestern in 2022. The low point was a November game at Minnesota, when the Gophers ran for 302 yards and four touchdowns on 58 carries in a 31-3 stomping.
The good news is that O’Neil is gone and new defensive coordinator David Braun has been brought in to resurrect the Wildcat defense. The bad news is that, particularly at defensive tackle, he doesn’t have very much to work with.
Looking at Northwestern’s personnel, they should be pretty strong in the back seven against the run. Safeties Coco Azema and Jeremiah Lewis are experienced veterans who can come up and make tackles. The Wildcats also return all three starting linebackers from last season, including leading tackler Bryce Gallagher. While Gallagher, Xander Mueller and Greyson Metz had issues playing in space and dropping back in coverage, all three are capable run-stuffers.
The issue issues will be up front, where new defensive line coach Christian Smith inherited a a cupboard that, if not bare, is certainly sparse. Not only did the Wildcats struggle last season, they also lost a total of seven defensive tackles: four to graduation and three to the transfer portal.
It was so bad that Northwestern had just two scholarship defensive tackles going through spring ball – Najee Story, a proven commodity and possibly an emerging star, and Brendan Flakes, who played in just two games. They were joined by two walkons who played more than coaches would have preferred last year: Carmine Bastone appeared in six games, PJ Spencer in four.
| Yds/Game | Nat'l Rank | Yds/Carry | Nat'l Rank | Rush TDs | Nat'l Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
191.3 |
110th |
4.62 |
108th |
24 |
115th |
Fortunately, the Wildcats got some help from the transfer portal this spring. They landed Matthew Lawson from Fresno State and Reginald Pearson from Bethune-Cookman to help plug the middle. Both are more rotational players than difference makers, but it's all hands on deck and any kind of depth should help.
Northwestern worked the portal, and they also have some help coming in from their Class of 2023 with three-star defensive tackles Tyler Gant and Dylan Roberts. Roberts in particular, a workout warrior who boasts a 480-pound bench press that will make him one of the strongest players on the team, may have the size and strength to step in and play right away. But both of them may have to, ready or not.
The defensive end position is in better shape, with returning starter Sean McLaughlin on one side and the promising Aidan Hubbard on the other. The Wildcats also have Jaylen Pate, Anto Saka and transfer portal pickup Richie Hagarty, plus four-star incoming freshman Michael Kilbane, to add depth.
Looking solely at last year’s performance and the depth chart, there is plenty of reason for concern whether Northwestern will be any better against the run this season. But the wild cards, and the reasons for optimism, are Braun and Smith, the new coaches from North Dakota State and South Dakota State, respectively.
Braun has said that his system will be more like Mike Hankwitz’s than O’Neil’s. Under Hankwitz, the front seven was focused on the run game, with a cover-4 zone behind it guarding against the big play. This spring, Gallagher said that Braun’s system is easy to learn.
In theory, that could mean that Northwestern’s defensive line will be able to cut it loose and play fast. It should be less read-and-react and more attacking. That’s the hope anyway.
We think the Wildcats’ run defense will be better in 2023. How much better is really the question. Let’s be honest. After the last two years, there’s really nowhere to go but up.