Best NU Individual Defensive Performances since football was invented (1995)

[DkeCat]

A separate thread got me thinking - what do you think is the best individual defensive performance by an NU player in the "modern" era?

My vote would be Dean Lowry against Nebraska, 2015 (10 tackles, 6 TFLs, 5 pressures, 2 sacks, 1 batted ball).

Others (off the top of my head) for consideration
Kevin Bentley, ~1999 (20+ solo tackles vs Indiana)
Godwin Igwebuike, 2014 (3 INTs vs Wisky)
Ant Walker, 2015 (can't decide which was better - Stanford or Duke)
Collin Ellis, 2013 (two pick-6s vs Cal)

 

[NCPurplecat]

Ant Walker first game vs Penn State was a great introduction. D Pardon did the same in basketball vs Nebraska... mostly
offense and different sport but a where did this come from moment. The 2 pick 6 plays is a tough one to beat.

 

[SmellyCat]

Ant Walker first game vs Penn State was a great introduction. D Pardon did the same in basketball vs Nebraska... mostly
offense and different sport but a where did this come from moment. The 2 pick 6 plays is a tough one to beat.

My first thought was Walker's game as well. I feel like I'd never even heard of him before that day. Just a monster monster game.

Hudhaifa Ismaeli against Iowa in 1995 jumped into my mind too, but I might be confusing that one with another game.

 

[ricko654321]

A separate thread got me thinking - what do you think is the best individual defensive performance by an NU player in the "modern" era?

My vote would be Dean Lowry against Nebraska, 2015 (10 tackles, 6 TFLs, 5 pressures, 2 sacks, 1 batted ball).

Others (off the top of my head) for consideration
Kevin Bentley, ~1999 (20+ solo tackles vs Indiana)
Godwin Igwebuike, 2014 (3 INTs vs Wisky)
Ant Walker, 2015 (can't decide which was better - Stanford or Duke)
Collin Ellis, 2013 (two pick-6s vs Cal)

I don't know if any of these are the best ever, but some other nominations:
- JR Pace was everywhere in the Holiday Bowl (Utah)
- Deonte Gibson and/or the entire DL @Wisconsin in 2015 against Stave
- Quentin Williams with the early D TD vs Miss St in the Gator Bowl
- Sherrick McManis as a true freshman covering Ted Ginn Jr OSU (not the year we beat them, but the next time) - he did give up one long ish TD on a perfectly thrown fade route where he was right in his pocket, but otherwise almost shut him down, very impressive for a freshman thrust into covering the best WR in the conference and maybe the country

And yes the Godwin 3 INT game against Wisconsin and Anthony Walker PSU also come to mind. Colin Ellis has to win the best succession of 2 plays in 1 game / largest impact on the scoreboard, but I'm not sure if he wins the "best overall defensive game".

 

[Catreporter]

Walker's stifling of MCCaffrey vs. Stanford in 2015 stands out to me. How about Ifeadi's four sack game at Iowa?

 

[acedog]

JR Pace in the Holiday Bowl (Utah). Anthony Walker vs. Penn State. Both were all over the place.

 

[clarificationcat]

I don't know if any of these are the best ever, but some other nominations:
- JR Pace was everywhere in the Holiday Bowl (Utah)
- Deonte Gibson and/or the entire DL @Wisconsin in 2015 against Stave
- Quentin Williams with the early D TD vs Miss St in the Gator Bowl
- Sherrick McManis as a true freshman covering Ted Ginn Jr OSU (not the year we beat them, but the next time) - he did give up one long ish TD on a perfectly thrown fade route where he was right in his pocket, but otherwise almost shut him down, very impressive for a freshman thrust into covering the best WR in the conference and maybe the country

And yes the Godwin 3 INT game against Wisconsin and Anthony Walker PSU also come to mind. Colin Ellis has to win the best succession of 2 plays in 1 game / largest impact on the scoreboard, but I'm not sure if he wins the "best overall defensive game".

You can probably throw in Newsome's game against Purdue this year (or one of his other games from this year). He didn't have a lot of picks, obviously, but we haven't had many guys who literally shut down the other team's receivers.

 

[ricko654321]

You can probably throw in Newsome's game against Purdue this year (or one of his other games from this year). He didn't have a lot of picks, obviously, but we haven't had many guys who literally shut down the other team's receivers.

I thought about that but David Bell did end up compiling a decent number of short catches. That said they targeted him it felt like every other play so I imagine Newsome's efficiency stats against were still quite good. And they never beat him on anything deep. Newsome's overall body of work this year I think was more impressive than Sherrick's best year (both were good!), and that Purdue game was definitely a statement game, but I remember being more shocked and impressed by Sherrick that day ... perhaps it was partly a function of expectations not yet existing for him.

 

[DaCat]

Every game Pat Fitzgerald played in 1995-1996 seasons.

 

[NUCat320]

You never cheer for injuries (though, seriously, you don’t mind them), but Woot’s strip-sack / injury of Ricky Stanzi in a win over a top ten Iowa team was basically a game’s worth of effort in a single play.

Here’s the recap.

Northwestern vs. Iowa - Game Summary - November 7, 2009 - ESPN

Get a summary of the Northwestern Wildcats vs. Iowa Hawkeyes football game

www.espn.com

(Realistically, I had no recollection of Persa ever having played except on special teams prior to his debut against Vandy.)
(I also don’t believe that “Marshall Thomas”, who recovered Woot’s sack for a touchdown, is a real person. Apologies to the Thomas family.)

 

[willycat]

My first thought was Walker's game as well. I feel like I'd never even heard of him before that day. Just a monster monster game.

Hudhaifa Ismaeli against Iowa in 1995 jumped into my mind too, but I might be confusing that one with another game.

The overall best defensive NU player has to be Ismaeli. I especially liked McManis who was also very good DB and a heck of a nice guy. Oh and he could really draw!