IOWA CITY, Iowa – Players could sense it this week at practice. On Saturday, Northwestern fans saw it firsthand.
Corey Wootton is back.
On a second-and-10 from Iowa’s 6-yard line early in the second quarter, Wootton rushed practically untouched into the Hawkeyes’ backfield. That’s where the senior defensive end met Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who was rolling out right after faking a handoff. Wootton pounced on Stanzi, bringing him down and forcing a fumble in the process.
“There was a tight end wing and I was outside,” Wootton said. “The wing blocked me and went out for a pass, and then I just came off the edge. I guess they didn’t expect me to be there.”
Senior defensive tackle Marshall Thomas recovered the loose ball in the end zone, putting the Wildcats on the board for the first time.
Wootton’s second sack of the season proved to be the turning point in the game, and may end up being a turning point in the season. NU rallied to top No. 4 Iowa 17-10 after the momentum-changing play.
“Not only getting the sack and causing the fumble, but getting a touchdown,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “That play was critical from a momentum standpoint.”
Last week, Iowa ran the same play against Indiana, and it resulted in a 92-yard touchdown pass. This week, NU was ready.
“It was a play that we expected from watching film, in that formation where they were on the field, we were expecting a boot,” Wootton said. “I came off the edge and saw him coming around and got him down. I was lucky enough to get the ball out.”
In the process of bringing down Stanzi, Wootton fell on the Iowa signal caller’s right ankle. Stanzi left the game with a high ankle sprain and did not return.
Then the defense buckled down, limiting Iowa to 121 yards the rest of the game. More importantly, the Cats held the Hawkeyes off the scoreboard.
“They made it tough on us,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “They made it hard for us to make plays. They forced turnovers, didn’t give us anything easy for the most part. That’s good defense.”
Wootton, who finished fourth in the conference with 10 sacks last year, has been plagued by injuries for most of this season. The 2008 First Team All Big Ten selection tore his right ACL in the Alamo Bowl. He had surgery in January and was limited for most of spring and summer practices.
Even though Wootton’s status was uncertain coming into the season, he was named a Playboy All-American, and many projected him as a first-day NFL draft pick.
Things didn’t get any easier for Wootton when he suffered a high ankle sprain against Purdue, setting him back for the next few weeks.
“I was feeling pretty good up until I had that high ankle sprain,” Wootton said. “That kind of backtracked me a little bit, but I’m starting to get more in the rhythm of things and it’s great because it’s the end of the season when we need it most.”
This was the first week Wootton fully participated in every practice session, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The team noticed a difference.
“Throughout the week in practice he came off the edge, and it was a glimpse of last year,” linebacker Quentin Davie said. “Everyone was saying, ‘Corey’s back, Corey’s back.’ He definitely came back today.”
Wootton has made strides physically this year, but overcoming the mental aspect of reconstructive surgery has been a struggle.
“I’m starting to feel more comfortable out there,” he said. “I’m still getting over the mental aspect of it. It’s just going to take time. The more I practice and the more I get ready for the games, it’s going to help me.”
Fitzgerald, who knows how it feels to return from surgery because he broke his leg at the end of his junior season, never lost faith in Wootton.
“He’s stayed the course, he’s battled, he’s persevered,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a credit to him, and it’s because he’s from a great family. He’s been that way his whole career, and I couldn’t be more proud of the young man.”[email protected]
