Matt Anderson and Colby Clark try to shrug it off, but they know it comes down to them. Certainly, the two aren’t solely to blame for every hole Michigan State’s T.J. Duckett found on Sept. 29. And don’t hold them accountable for every yard Jonathan Wells gained Saturday at Ohio State.
Anderson and Clark, both defensive tackles, know they aren’t responsible for every running back who sprints into the Wildcats’ secondary, nor for every botched pass rush that gives a quarterback too much time to think. While they are far from flawless, they know the sum of all the smaller faults can subtract from their performance on the line.
It’s a big burden for two first-time starters to shoulder, particularly when they are the youngest members of NU’s defensive squad. And don’t look too closely at their experience — Anderson’s and Clark’s contributions to last year’s team added up to one assisted tackle in the Cats’ 38-5 rout of Duke.
Clark, a redshirt freshman, has been given more playing time because of a reoccurring back injury to Pete Konopka. Anderson was brought in after senior Pete Chapman was lost for the season with a blood clot in his right leg.
The fact that their position is plagued by injury doesn’t worry Anderson and Clark — busted body parts are just another part of the job.
“We kid each other, like we’re going to have old knees as soon as we get out of college football,” Clark said. “But we don’t even have time to worry about injuries or nagging pains.”
Coach Randy Walker and defensive line coach Jack Glowik might think differently. After placing ninth in total defense in the Big Ten last year (and 10th in rushing), the Cats knew their linemen needed work — and losing two starters to injury did little to improve their confidence.
But the injuries to Chapman and Konopka haven’t kept them away from the team. Konopka still goes to team meetings and Chapman attends practices with his injured leg wrapped.
“They’re in more of a teaching role now,” Anderson said.
Both coaches were thrilled with the line’s performance against Michigan State — Clark had two sacks — but the Ohio State totals left them uneasy about the rest of the season.
The Buckeyes rushed for 287 yards against NU, and the Cats let Wells move past the line of scrimmage every time he touched the ball.
With Anderson and Clark backed by freshman Thomas Derricks and sophomore Ben Kennedy — equally young players who have also seen a lot of time this season — NU appears to be short on long-term solutions. Walker has also put freshmen Dan Pohlman and John Pickens in the mix.
While this season might leave Anderson and Clark battered and bruised, Walker has confidence that it will only make them stronger.
Well, at least he hopes so.
Anderson and Clark will be the only returning starters to the Cats’ defensive line next season. Walker knows he will need them to bring more than skill to the squad — NU will be short on leadership, too.
“I think they’re making the kind of progress we like to see,” Walker said. “Those guys, even though they’re very, very young, have gotten a lot of snaps under them.”
Question is, is that progress enough? Walker knows the Cats are sitting out 10 freshmen listed as linebackers or defensive linemen.
“We’re not ready to nominate (Anderson and Clark) for All-American teams, but they’re playing very solid,” Walker said. “I think they’re going to have a great finish and a great second half.”
Sounds good to Anderson and Clark — each knows that their spot isn’t set in stone, especially when Walker speaks with optimism about the freshmen who are redshirting this season.
After wins at UNLV and Duke, the tackles got a rude awakening from the faster and stronger offensive lines of the Big Ten.
Anderson (6-foot-3, 281 pounds) and Clark (6-foot-2, 272 pounds) went helmet-to-helmet against lines with an average size of 6-foot-4, 305 pounds (Ohio State) and 6-foot-5, 302 pounds (Michigan State).
“It was like hitting a brick wall,” Clark said. “We couldn’t throw them around like we’d been able to.”
Said Anderson: “Every play you learn something new. Every play is a new experience — you just get a better feel for the game.”
Walker said trials-by-fire like these are enough for the linemen to shake the “inexperienced” label.
“At some point you quit using that tag ‘young player,'” Walker said. “After you’ve got so many plays in you, you’re ready to advance beyond being a rookie.”
Walker knows it sounds hokey, but he likens the performance of younger players to the drama of the stage.
“What I’ve always been amazed at were guys who we haven’t even thought about yet,” he said, “but when the lights get put on them, they step up in a big way.”
