Northwestern had its hands full with Wisconsin’s senior running back Tawee Walker, but it’s in for another massive challenge on Saturday.
The Wildcats will take on Iowa in Kinnick Stadium, and the Hawkeyes boast a premier rusher in their backfield.
Junior running back Kaleb Johnson has emerged as one of the nation’s top runners this season. Johnson’s 1,035 rushing yards rank second in the nation behind Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and first in the Big Ten. He has also amassed a Big Ten best of 13 rushing touchdowns.
Last Saturday, Johnson broke free for a 75-yard rushing touchdown in Iowa’s 32-20 loss to Michigan State — his longest run of the season.
The running back poses a serious threat to any team he faces off against, but the ’Cats are confident in their ability to stay strong on defense.
“Everyone just does their job in our defense,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Najee Story said. “There are no selfish players. If we’re in our gap, the defense works. (Defensive coordinator) Tim McGarigle has called great defense the whole year.”
NU’s rushing defense ranks 17th in the nation, and the ’Cats currently allow just 103.4 rushing yards per game. Until its matchup against Wisconsin, NU had not allowed a 100-yard rusher.
On Saturday, however, Walker rushed for 126 yards against the ’Cats. NU also allowed a season-high 199 rushing yards, 68 of which game in the fourth quarter.
“I think they just kind of wore us out a little bit at the end,” redshirt junior defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard said. “They were running the ball pretty much the entire second half.”
For Story, defensive miscues allowed Walker to capitalize off his opportunities in Martin Stadium.
“We did a bad job tackling,” Story said. “There was one big run that they had that caught us in a bad defense, but, other than that, we just need to tackle better.”
Walker and Wisconsin’s run game found holes in the defense. However, Hubbard said he’s proud of the way the defense held up.
Hubbard added that the defense’s performance plays into a “bend, don’t break” mentality.
“We didn’t give up points (in the fourth quarter), which we pride ourselves in,” Hubbard said. “We’re not too worried about how many yards we’re giving up as long as we’re keeping points off the board.”
Despite the difficult week defensively, the Wildcat defensive linemen said they are going to stick to what they have been doing best.
If the ’Cats want to limit the ability of Johnson and the Iowa rush offense, Story said they need to focus on the basics.
“This week in particular, footwork is going to be a big deal just because of the offense that Iowa runs,” he said.
NU is certainly aware of the danger Johnson presents on the ground, but Hubbard said his position group’s general approach doesn’t change on a game-by-game basis.
According to Hubbard, the ’Cats must simply play their brand of smash-mouth, defensive football.
“It just comes down to being us and not getting caught up in the opponent, trusting what we do,” Hubbard said. “We’ll be able to do what we do and come out with a win.”
Hubbard has tallied a co-team-high three and a half tackles for loss and a team-high three sacks. The defensive lineman’s ability to disrupt opposing backfields can play a big role in how the defense fares against the Hawkeyes.
He said a large component of his success — especially following a breakout redshirt sophomore campaign in 2023 — hinges on remaining present in the moment.
“Staying focused and taking it day by day. That’s what I’ve been doing up to this point,” Hubbard said. “Continuing to do that will be what factors into this weekend.”
In a hostile environment where NU will once again be double-digit underdogs, the defense will bet on itself and its preparation — regardless of the star power across the line of scrimmage.
“If we just run our defense and are in our gaps, (with) the plays that coach McGarigle calls, you’re going to be perfectly fine,” Story said. “If we tackle well, wrap up, run our feet, we’re going to be in a good spot come Saturday night.”
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