Northwestern University Athletics
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Fisher, Hartage Lead Six 'Cats with All-Big Ten Defensive Honors
11/27/2018 5:33:00 PM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. — Six Northwestern defensive players were honored with All-Big Ten selections on Tuesday, headlined by sophomore linebacker Paddy Fisher and Montre Hartage each receiving first team honors.
Fisher was voted to first-team by the coaches and the second-team by the media, while Hartage earned first-team honors from the media and third-team honors from coaches.
Along with Fisher and Hartage, junior defensive end Joe Gaziano was selected to the second team by the coaches and third team by the media. Sophomore linebacker Blake Gallagher was voted to the third team by the media and earned an honorable mention selection from the coaches. Senior linebacker Nate Hall and sophomore defensive back JR Pace were each voted honorable mention by both the coaches and media.
Fisher earned All-Big Ten honors for the second-straight season after finishing second on the team and 12th in the conference with 92 total tackles. He also led the team with three forced fumbles, tied for second-most among all Big Ten players. The Katy, Texas, native finished with at least 10 tackles in three games this season and now has 205 tackles over last two seasons, the second-most among all Big Ten players.
After being voted honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2016, Hartage elevated his play in his senior season, finishing the year with 47 total tackles (37 solo) and ranking 16th in the country and third in the Big Ten with 1.4 passes defended per game. Against Wisconsin this season, the senior captain registered a career-high four pass breakups, the most by an NU player since at least 2000.
Gaziano earned All-Big Ten honors for the second-consecutive season after leading the Wildcats' defense with 6.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss. Over the last two seasons, his 15 sacks are tied for the second-most in the Big Ten during that span. The Scituate, Massachusetts, native also forced fumbles in back-to-back games on the road against Iowa and Minnesota, becoming the first Northwestern player to accomplish that feat since he did so last season versus Illinois and Kentucky.
Gallagher had a breakout campaign in his sophomore season, leading the team with 112 total tackles. He has made 10-plus tackles in six contests this season, tied for the second-best mark in the Big Ten and enters this week's Big Ten Championship game second in the league with 9.3 tackles per game. The Raynham, Massachusetts, native has notched a career-high 13 total tackles and two tackles-for-loss in two separate games this season vs. Duke and Illinois.
Coming off a torn ACL injury suffered late last season, Hall battled back to be on the field for the Wildcats' season opener at Purdue and posted a season-high 10 tackles (seven solo) along with an interception to help lead the Wildcats to a 31-27 win. The Toledo, Ohio, native finished the year with 46 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Against Minnesota on November 17, Hall recorded two interceptions in the first quarter, becoming the first NU linebacker with two interceptions in a game since 2013. This marks his second-straight season being voted to the honorable mention team.
Pace burst onto the scene this season and cemented himself as a staple in the Wildcats' secondary, starting all 12 of the Wildcats regular season games and finishing tied for the team lead with three interceptions on the season. He posted a career-high 11 tackles, including seven solo, vs. Michigan and recorded his first-career multi-interception game vs. Nebraska on October 13.
The All-Big Ten offensive selections will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 28
Northwestern ended the regular season winning seven of its last eight games to finish 8-1 in conference play, secure a Big Ten West division title and clinch a berth in the 2018 Big Ten Championship versus No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 1.
Fisher was voted to first-team by the coaches and the second-team by the media, while Hartage earned first-team honors from the media and third-team honors from coaches.
Along with Fisher and Hartage, junior defensive end Joe Gaziano was selected to the second team by the coaches and third team by the media. Sophomore linebacker Blake Gallagher was voted to the third team by the media and earned an honorable mention selection from the coaches. Senior linebacker Nate Hall and sophomore defensive back JR Pace were each voted honorable mention by both the coaches and media.
Fisher earned All-Big Ten honors for the second-straight season after finishing second on the team and 12th in the conference with 92 total tackles. He also led the team with three forced fumbles, tied for second-most among all Big Ten players. The Katy, Texas, native finished with at least 10 tackles in three games this season and now has 205 tackles over last two seasons, the second-most among all Big Ten players.
After being voted honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2016, Hartage elevated his play in his senior season, finishing the year with 47 total tackles (37 solo) and ranking 16th in the country and third in the Big Ten with 1.4 passes defended per game. Against Wisconsin this season, the senior captain registered a career-high four pass breakups, the most by an NU player since at least 2000.
Gaziano earned All-Big Ten honors for the second-consecutive season after leading the Wildcats' defense with 6.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss. Over the last two seasons, his 15 sacks are tied for the second-most in the Big Ten during that span. The Scituate, Massachusetts, native also forced fumbles in back-to-back games on the road against Iowa and Minnesota, becoming the first Northwestern player to accomplish that feat since he did so last season versus Illinois and Kentucky.
Gallagher had a breakout campaign in his sophomore season, leading the team with 112 total tackles. He has made 10-plus tackles in six contests this season, tied for the second-best mark in the Big Ten and enters this week's Big Ten Championship game second in the league with 9.3 tackles per game. The Raynham, Massachusetts, native has notched a career-high 13 total tackles and two tackles-for-loss in two separate games this season vs. Duke and Illinois.
Coming off a torn ACL injury suffered late last season, Hall battled back to be on the field for the Wildcats' season opener at Purdue and posted a season-high 10 tackles (seven solo) along with an interception to help lead the Wildcats to a 31-27 win. The Toledo, Ohio, native finished the year with 46 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Against Minnesota on November 17, Hall recorded two interceptions in the first quarter, becoming the first NU linebacker with two interceptions in a game since 2013. This marks his second-straight season being voted to the honorable mention team.
Pace burst onto the scene this season and cemented himself as a staple in the Wildcats' secondary, starting all 12 of the Wildcats regular season games and finishing tied for the team lead with three interceptions on the season. He posted a career-high 11 tackles, including seven solo, vs. Michigan and recorded his first-career multi-interception game vs. Nebraska on October 13.
The All-Big Ten offensive selections will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 28
Northwestern ended the regular season winning seven of its last eight games to finish 8-1 in conference play, secure a Big Ten West division title and clinch a berth in the 2018 Big Ten Championship versus No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 1.
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