By Abe Rakov

The Daily Northwestern

Fumbling at the one-yard line while trying to get an insurance touchdown – like what happened this weekend – is one of the ways to get coach Randy Walker angry.

Walker said not turning the ball over and forcing turnovers are two keys his team has been focusing on this season. After finishing last season 40th in the nation in turnover margin, Northwestern has improved to 17th this season.

“We holler at them,” Walker joked was the reason for the turnaround. “Most turnovers that you have as an offense are a result of bad choices.”

The Wildcats have fumbled the ball eight times this year, four times as many times as they did all of last year. But senior quarterback Brett Basanez has brought his interception total down to one.

“Well-coached quarterbacks that make good choices don’t throw it to the wrong color,” Walker said. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have an interception now and then.”

Junior cornerback Marquice Cole has had a major impact on NU’s ability to force turnovers this season, as he leads the team with three interceptions. The Cats have nine interceptions as a whole, already one more than last season’s total.

Cole said causing turnovers is a matter of taking advantage of situations.

“The big thing about forcing turnovers as a defense is just taking your responsibility and being where you’re supposed to be,” he said. “You finish by taking that risk, going for it, and not being afraid to mess up, not being afraid to miss a tackle or interception or something like that.”

‘bring it on’

Freshman running back Tyrell Sutton was held to career lows in carries and yards in NU’s win against Purdue this weekend.

After the game, NU coach Randy Walker said he limited Sutton’s carries because he did not want to wear his freshman back down.

“I don’t care if he was a senior and weighed 230 pounds,” Walker said. “I don’t have a number, but I know that if we sense he’s a little tired, or like against Purdue he got rung up a little bit.

“We’re not going to go give a kid 40-some, 50-some carries or touches and then not have him go for two weeks.”

Sutton’s workload has been lightened in practice the last two weeks, and although he said he is a little beat up, he can run as much as needed.

“Maybe he’s speaking from personal experience, he was a running back taking 30 to 40 carries a game and it takes a toll on the body,” Sutton said. “So I guess he’s looking out for me, but at the same time I think, ‘Bring it on.'”

Although Sutton has averaged about the same amount of carries in the Wildcats’ wins and losses, he averages more than 60 more yards on the ground in NU wins.

On a break

Senior linebacker Tim McGarigle didn’t practice Wednesday, recovering from soreness after the game against Purdue.

McGarigle was in practice, but stayed on the sidelines or in the endzone while watching his teammates.

“It’s just preventative,” Walker said. “He’s really doing well. He was sore after the game, but no more than you’d expect.”

McGarigle was not available for comment because he was in an orange jersey, which signifies a player that can’t participate.

“He says he’s doing a lot better, he’s getting there,” Walker said. “He’ll be there Saturday, we need him to show up there. He’ll be better this Saturday than he was last Saturday.”

Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected].