Hit the link below for our full Tuesday practice notebook...
Tuesday notebook: Tackling remains an issue for Blackshirts
***Safety Aaron Williams (neck), running back Jaylin Bradley (ankle), tight end Matt Snyder (undisclosed), and holder Zack Darlington (illness) did not practice on Tuesday.
***Safety Antonio Reed (knee) and right tackle David Knevel (foot/ankle) both fully practiced, and linebacker Luke Gifford (hip) suited up but was limited.
***Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco said if Northwestern’s Justin Jackson wasn’t the best running back NU will have faced this season, “he’s in the conversation.” Diaco said Northwestern was a veteran offense across the board, led by Jackson and three-year starting QB Clayton Thorson.
***Diaco said the tackling vs. Purdue was obviously an issue, though it was really only noticeably bad during a brief stretch late in the first quarter. Diaco said he counted nearly 50 yards after contact for the Boilermakers, which he called “unnecessary” yardage that shouldn’t have happened.
***Diaco said it’s hard to practice tackling a lot at this point in the season because the players are so banged up, but they still try to emphasize it as much as possible by training around actually tackling to the ground and focusing on the fundamentals of tackling.
***Diaco said the red zone defense needs to be better, as Purdue was a perfect 4-of-4 in the red zone with three touchdowns. Diaco said at the end of the season the goal for the defense is average around 3.5 points per opponent trips to the red zone, which he said would put NU “in the upper echelon” nationally.
***Cornerback Chris Jones was hard on himself on Twitter for his play vs. Purdue, but Diaco said Jones had nothing to be hard on himself about. Diaco said Jones has done a “fantastic” job since “miraculously” coming back off of his injury. Diaco said Jones was healthy but obviously still not 100-percent caught up with his fundamentals. Diaco said Jones was getting closer each week to getting back to his old self.
***Center Cole Conrad said it’s definitely been a difficult month for him personally after losing his starting job to injury and then getting it back due to an injury to Michael Decker. Conrad said he’s ready to make the most of his second chance the rest of the season.
***Linebackers coach Trent Bray said Ben Stille would play defensive end this week vs. Northwestern. Bray said Stille has been alternating between defensive end and linebacker depending on the matchup and where they need him the most.
***Cornerback Lamar Jackson led NU with eight tackles vs. Purdue, and while he got some praise for his performance, cornerbacks coach Donte Williams said that’s what Jackson was supposed to do every game. Williams noted that Jackson was still very inexperienced at corner, as he only played a total of 49 snaps at the position in college entering this season.
***Williams said when NU’s secondary was fully healthy they look like “a bunch of super-humans”. Unfortunately, the starting group they thought they would have all year has only played about one total quarter together. Williams praised a guy like Marquel Dismuke, a third-string safety who had to step up and play 48 snaps vs. Purdue.
***Right guard Matt Farniok said he’s never really labeled himself a guard or a tackle, as he just wants to play his best wherever he lines up. He said he missed some protections against Purdue that he has to fix, but overall said the offensive line was “a freckle away” from really getting going.
Tuesday notebook: Tackling remains an issue for Blackshirts
***Safety Aaron Williams (neck), running back Jaylin Bradley (ankle), tight end Matt Snyder (undisclosed), and holder Zack Darlington (illness) did not practice on Tuesday.
***Safety Antonio Reed (knee) and right tackle David Knevel (foot/ankle) both fully practiced, and linebacker Luke Gifford (hip) suited up but was limited.
***Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco said if Northwestern’s Justin Jackson wasn’t the best running back NU will have faced this season, “he’s in the conversation.” Diaco said Northwestern was a veteran offense across the board, led by Jackson and three-year starting QB Clayton Thorson.
***Diaco said the tackling vs. Purdue was obviously an issue, though it was really only noticeably bad during a brief stretch late in the first quarter. Diaco said he counted nearly 50 yards after contact for the Boilermakers, which he called “unnecessary” yardage that shouldn’t have happened.
***Diaco said it’s hard to practice tackling a lot at this point in the season because the players are so banged up, but they still try to emphasize it as much as possible by training around actually tackling to the ground and focusing on the fundamentals of tackling.
***Diaco said the red zone defense needs to be better, as Purdue was a perfect 4-of-4 in the red zone with three touchdowns. Diaco said at the end of the season the goal for the defense is average around 3.5 points per opponent trips to the red zone, which he said would put NU “in the upper echelon” nationally.
***Cornerback Chris Jones was hard on himself on Twitter for his play vs. Purdue, but Diaco said Jones had nothing to be hard on himself about. Diaco said Jones has done a “fantastic” job since “miraculously” coming back off of his injury. Diaco said Jones was healthy but obviously still not 100-percent caught up with his fundamentals. Diaco said Jones was getting closer each week to getting back to his old self.
***Center Cole Conrad said it’s definitely been a difficult month for him personally after losing his starting job to injury and then getting it back due to an injury to Michael Decker. Conrad said he’s ready to make the most of his second chance the rest of the season.
***Linebackers coach Trent Bray said Ben Stille would play defensive end this week vs. Northwestern. Bray said Stille has been alternating between defensive end and linebacker depending on the matchup and where they need him the most.
***Cornerback Lamar Jackson led NU with eight tackles vs. Purdue, and while he got some praise for his performance, cornerbacks coach Donte Williams said that’s what Jackson was supposed to do every game. Williams noted that Jackson was still very inexperienced at corner, as he only played a total of 49 snaps at the position in college entering this season.
***Williams said when NU’s secondary was fully healthy they look like “a bunch of super-humans”. Unfortunately, the starting group they thought they would have all year has only played about one total quarter together. Williams praised a guy like Marquel Dismuke, a third-string safety who had to step up and play 48 snaps vs. Purdue.
***Right guard Matt Farniok said he’s never really labeled himself a guard or a tackle, as he just wants to play his best wherever he lines up. He said he missed some protections against Purdue that he has to fix, but overall said the offensive line was “a freckle away” from really getting going.
Last edited:
