This time last year, most Big Ten football coaches were scratching their heads and twiddling their thumbs trying to figure out how to crack Northwestern’s revamped spread offense.

But it looks like the code’s been cracked – for now, that is.

The Wildcats, who led the conference in both total offense and scoring last season, are currently seventh in both categories. And in both of its conference games this year, NU’s Damien Anderson has been held to fewer than 100 yards rushing.

“I think people have studied it more because so many (teams) are using it,” Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez said. “I think defenses are getting more comfortable lining up against people that spread you out all over the field.”

Coaches throughout the league are now looking to add speed to their defenses in an attempt to keep up with the fast-paced spread offense, which utilizes the entire width of the field.

“I think we are observing a little bit of a transformation talent-wise to an emphasis on better athletes going back on the defensive side of the ball,” said Purdue head coach Joe Tiller, a pioneer of the spread offense. “It looks to me like the talent pendulum has swung back to the defensive side of the ball.”

Pressuring the quarterback, as Nebraska did against NU in last year’s Alamo Bowl, is also a key to breaking the spread, Indiana head coach Cam Cameron said.

Attacking the quarterback will cause spread offenses to have to tighten up to provide more protection, Cameron added.

“The one answer is to be able to bring one more guy than they can block and hope you can hold up outside in man coverage,” Cameron said. “If you’re going to play zone defense, keep (the ball) in front of you and hit the receiver and see if the ball will come out.”

Despite the changes, defending the spread is challenging every Big Ten coaching staff.

“I don’t think the spread offense is easy to defend by any standpoint,” Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said. “It still comes down to, ‘Can you defeat the guy trying to block you, can you make the tackle on the guy with the ball and can you defend the guy they’re trying to throw to?'”

BROKEN BACKS: Michigan State got two bad breaks during practice last week – literally.

Freshman cornerback Jason Harmon broke his right ankle on Wednesday while senior cornerback DeMario Suggs suffered a broken left ankle on Thursday.

The two were pivotal members of the Spartans’ pass defense, which ranks second in the Big Ten.

Michigan State head coach Bobby Williams said he plans to move senior safety Duron Bryon to cornerback and give freshman cornerback Roderick Maples some playing time.

“Both (Harmon and Suggs) had been playing really well for us, allowing us to do some things,” Williams said. “It shocked our secondary a bit from a personnel standpoint, but we’ve had to make some moves to get ready for Saturday’s game.”

YOUNG BLOOMERS: Minnesota is second-to-last in the Big Ten in total defense – better than only Penn State. But don’t be too critical of the Golden Gophers just yet.

Minnesota’s defense, which has allowed 12 touchdowns in 2001 and allows 398.2 yards per game, returned just three starters from last season. There are also three freshmen and three sophomores in the lineup.

“If you look at young in the dictionary, you’re going to see a picture of our defense,” said Gophers head coach Glen Mason, who added that their inexperience is not an excuse for their shoddy play. “At the same time, we expect a lot out of them – you have to.”