Northwestern University Athletics
The Skip Report: Owning The Room
11/10/2017 3:29:00 PM | Football
By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
PLAYING PROF: Back in 2015, the year defensive end Joe Gaziano joined the 'Cats, one of those who spoon fed him the D line playbook was the redshirt-sophomore defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster. "It was our job to teach them (the newbies) exactly what they needed to know and in turn that helped us study everything," Lancaster, now a senior, remembered this week. "So in mentoring them, it's really teaching ourselves how to be better players. Now he's a mentor to the guys younger than him. It's a tradition in the D line room. As soon as a guy younger than you comes in, it's your responsibility to get them caught up, and you're learning yourself on the way."
"My first year I expected to play going into the Stanford game, and Dean (Lowry) and Deonte (Gibson) and the older guys, including Lanny, did a great job of getting me prepared for that," Gaziano now said, detailing his transformation over the last two-plus year. "Thankfully I got a redshirt year. I took that year to get as strong as possible in the weight room. Credit to Coach Hoot (Jay Hooten) and his (football performance) staff for developing— I was just a gangly kid coming in as a freshman. I put on some size, put on some strength. Last year was a big step for me, first year playing. C.J. (Robbins) was another great leader for me. He taught me a lot of great technique I can use in pass rush. Ifeadi (Odenigbo) was great, helping me work my hands. Then this year, taking on my role as a starter was a huge jump for me. But I think I was ready to take it on, and just kinda took it and ran with it."
THE REAL PROF: Marty Long is the position coach of these 'Cats and, earlier this season, he extolled this group as the closest he has had in his decade in Evanston. "I think coach has done a great job recruiting guys that fit our culture," Gaziano said when asked about that observation, and then he explicated its practical value.
"The way we play reflects that (closeness) because of the trust we have on the field," he said here. "That's very important. Also (I know I'm) playing with guys that I know are gonna bring a fight to the battle, they're not gonna give up when we need them the most, they're gonna step up to the plate and make plays when we need them."
"Honestly," echoed Lancaster, "this is the closest-knit group because we made it so. So I can look at (D end) Sam Miller, he's a freshman, but he's been hanging out with us, he's been with us. We're close as a family, and I trust him on the field, and he trusts me. It really helps, on and off the field."
THE VIEW FROM THE TOP: Long's line has excelled through much of this season and is the major reason the 'Cats boast the Big Ten's fourth-best rushing defense, ceding an average of just 117.3 yards-per-game. "I think that group has worked really hard. (But) it's not unique to this group of guys," Pat Fitzgerald said of them. "I think Marty has created a culture in that room. I think it starts in recruiting. We're looking for really unselfish, team first guys that want to play defensive line here. Marty's a great technical teacher. He's a phenomenal attitude teacher. Like our program, there's an expectation that there's a commitment to each other, that there's a brotherhood that's created between each position group, and then within the team.
"To see the leadership from guys like Tyler and Jordan (Thompson, the other D tackle), and then to see the production from a lot of first-time players, some maybe a little bit older, the group collectively is playing I think very consistent fundamental football. That starts with the way they practice. I think we have complete buy in and ownership within the room. Those guys own that room. Marty's done a great job. But those guys have done a really terrific job."
THE VIEW FROM BEHIND: A big job of the offensive line, most know, is to keep its quarterback clean. Similarly, but less known, is this: a big job of the D line is to keep its linebackers clean so they can run free and collect runners. Its efficiency at that this season is the reason the middle linebacker Paddy Fisher leads the 'Cats in tackles, and that backers Nate Hall and Brett Walsh are numbers three and four on that list. "The reason why my name is on the stadium twice is an unbelievable defensive line, it wasn't because of me," Fitzgerald will add when asked the advantages of playing behind a good one. There's nobody that has more appreciation for defensive linemen than me, and all of the guys who have played D line here, during my time here, even as a linebacker coach, understand my affinity for them."
QUICKLY NOTED: Gaziano's six solo sacks are best in the Big Ten. . . . The 'Cats have scored touchdowns on 27 of their 36 (75 percent) red zone visits while holding opponents to 19 on 35 (54 percent). "Offensively, for the most part, taking care of the ball and being able to run it somewhat efficiently," Fitzgerald said when asked about those numbers. "Defensively, I think our guys are just executing well. It seems like we've tackled well.". . . On Saturday night the 'Cats host Purdue, who are 4-5 overall and 2-4 in conference. In league play it has topped Minnesota and Illinois while falling at Wisconsin, at Rutgers and at home to Michigan and Nebraska. . . . In their win over the Illini last Saturday the Boilers lost starting quarterback David Blough, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the game. He will be replaced Saturday by 6-foot-4 sophomore Elijah Sindelar, who started four games earlier this year. "I'm not nervous. I'm not worried," he said this week. "I've been in the position before. Let's just go play football.". . . In its last two games, against Illinois and Nebraska, the Boilers' run defense has been salty, surrendering a total of just 120 yards. . . . Jeff Brohm, the Boiler coach, is in his first season at the school after spending the previous three guiding Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers averaged 44.6 points-per-game under him and won the Conference USA title in '15 and '16. . . . Saturday is Veterans Day and the 'Cats honorary captain that night will be Tom Hruby, the former Navy SEAL who played with them from 2014-16.
AND FINALLY: Joe Gaziano, on his nickname: "I get called a lot of names. Gaz. People pronounce my last name wrong too. Actually there was one clip from the Big Ten where someone pronounced my name wrong. I don't know who it was. But they put an R in there and ended it with an I, something like that, so people have been giving me a hard time, saying that anything that is Italian is my last name. So they're calling me, 'Joe Fettuccine Alfredo' or 'Joe Grazostappi' and stuff like that. I get called a lot of names, but I answer to a lot of them."
