Wildcat fans should have no worries about going to the concession stands during a football game and missing a 14-point swing.
New defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz is looking to patch up a secondary that was vulnerable to the big play in 2007.
“I think he’s trying to make us a more physical defense overall,” sophomore cornerback Justan Vaughn said. “I think the overall concept of the defense is more reaction than thinking, which gives us the opportunity to make big plays.”
Hankwitz’s challenge is to revive a unit that had trouble containing opposing offenses. Northwestern’s secondary forced only nine interceptions, last in the Big Ten, and yielded a passer rating of 141.4, second to last in the conference.
Hankwitz comes to NU after leading a Wisconsin defense that ranked first in the country in pass efficiency defense. Last year, four teams scored 10 or fewer points against the Badgers, and only three teams scored more than 20 points. The Cats allowed 20 points or more in 10 of their 12 games.
The Ryan Field faithful may see fewer high-scoring games, as the Cats welcome a Hankwitz-run defense that is much more confident.
“I like what I’ve seen thus far,” Hankwitz said. “I believe we can be much better than we were a year ago, but it’s too early to say what we’re capable of doing. I have confidence that we can be better, and I think our players have that confidence as well.”
While the Cats remain confident they can improve this spring, they will do so without the help of junior cornerback Sherrick McManis, who has been sidelined due to injury. But with the emergence of youth and depth in the secondary, it looks like the Cats will not take a step back.
“This spring we have depth and great competition going, so I’m excited about that,” Hankwitz said. “We’ve changed some things, so we’re going through a learning curve, but I like what I’m seeing thus far.
“We would like to have McManis but we can’t do anything about it. We just got to get him up to speed as fast we can by next fall.”
The depth behind McManis is no longer a concern for the Cats. Senior cornerback David Oredugba has brought leadership and experience to a group with three redshirt freshmen and Vaughn.
The competition for playing time has begun this spring, and the decision can only get tougher for coach Pat Fitzgerald as the season approaches.
“The total group has made great strides this spring,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m encouraged as to where they’re at collectively. They’ve been working in the film room and have spent the extra time to become a student of the game; that’s your football character.”
The cornerback position is not the only facet of the secondary that exhibits depth and youth. Both safety positions have experienced starters in junior Brad Phillips and senior Brendan Smith.
The versatile Smith is considered a potential playmaker by the coaches, though he is coming off a shoulder injury that sidelined him for eight games last year.
Smith said he knows he must put his past injury aside and play solid football this spring because of the Cats’ depth at safety.
“You’ll always feel pressure,” Smith said. “It’s Big Ten football. You have scholarship players above you and below you and you cannot look back; you just got to keep moving forward.”
An experienced secondary, with young talent waiting in the wings, can give Hankwitz and the Cats a chance to contain Big Ten foes, teams they once could not stop.
“It’s certainly an advantage,” Hankwitz said in regards to coaching in the conference the past two seasons. “It’s not like you’re coming in cold not knowing exactly what you are going to see. But then again, the Big Ten is changing a little. But I do feel better for having been through the Big Ten for a couple years.”
