ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's game against No. 12 Penn State (ESPN, 4:30 p.m. ET).

OUT

• T Mike Boyle, back
• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• LB Bryce McNaul, leg

QUESTIONABLE

• CB Sherrick McManis, leg

Northwestern has more banged-up players than the injury report indicates, but Wildcats fans should be encouraged to see only one starter (McManis) possibly missing the game. Safeties Brendan Smith and Brian Peters both likely will play with clubs on their injured hands, but simply getting Smith back on the field after two games could be big for NU. McManis has been one of the Big Ten's better cornerbacks when healthy this season, so his status will loom large as the Wildcats try to slow down Penn State's talented wide receivers. But according to the report, Northwestern will have at least three-fourths of its starting secondary on the field, plus Peters, who basically serves as a fifth starter. Defensive end Corey Wootton, safety Brad Phillips, running back Stephen Simmons, tight end Drake Dunsmore and others are dealing with injuries but aren't listed.

It wouldn't surprise me if a few key contributors are game-time decisions, but this indicates that the Wildcats are slowly getting healthier.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's home game against Indiana (Big Ten Network, noon ET).

OUT

• OT Mike Boyle, back
• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• S Brendan Smith, hand
• LB Bryce McNaul, leg

QUESTIONABLE

• S Brad Phillips, shoulder

PROBABLE

• RB Jacob Schmidt, ankle
• RB Stephen Simmons, ankle

The Wildcats could be without both of their starting safeties against Indiana, which boasts a good wide receiving corps. Smith underwent surgery last week on his hand but is expected back at some point this season. Phillips would be a big loss because he makes a ton of plays (three forced fumbles, one interception, one fumble recovery). Brian Peters, considered a third starter at safety, will step into one of the spots. Redshirt freshmen Jared Carpenter and Hunter Bates, the son of former Dallas Cowboys star Bill Bates, would be the next men in line at safety. Given the ongoing struggles in the run game, it's important that Northwestern gets either Schmidt or Simmons, if not both, on the field Saturday. The good news here is no Corey Wootton on the report, though the defensive end has clearly been limited by an ankle injury the last few weeks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's game at Michigan State (ESPN2, noon ET).

OUT

• T Mike Boyle, back
• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• LB Ben Johnson, leg
• LB Bryce McNaul, leg
• S Brendan Smith, hand
• CB Justan Vaughn, leg

QUESTIONABLE

• DT Jack DiNardo, shoulder

Injuries to key defensive players have hurt Northwestern all season, and Smith is the latest to go down. The three-year starter injured his hand last week against Miami (Ohio) and did not return. He's not expected to sit out too much time, but his playmaking ability will be missed. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Brian Peters has done an excellent job as the third safety this season and will slide into the starting spot next to Brad Phillips. The losses of Johnson, Vaughn and McNaul thin the depth at linebacker and cornerback, but none of the players are starters. The good news on the report is the absence of starting defensive end Corey Wootton, who missed most of the Miami game with an ankle injury. Wootton, a preseason All-America candidate, is still looking for his first sack this season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has issued its official injury report for Saturday's game against Miami (Ohio).

OUT

• OT Mike Boyle, back
• RB Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• DT Jack DiNardo, shoulder
• LB Bryce McNaul, leg

DOUBTFUL

• CB Justan Vaughn, leg
• LB Ben Johnson, leg

The big news is a name that doesn't appear on the report, running back Stephen Simmons. The junior has missed the last three games with an ankle injury but is expected to return Saturday. He might be a little rusty, but Simmons provides a big boost for a rushing attack that ranks 10th in the Big Ten (121.8 yards per game). He performed very well in the first two games. Northwestern will be a little shorthanded at linebacker if both Johnson and McNaul can't go. Though Johnson lost his starting job to David Arnold, he brings some speed and play-making skills to the linebacker spot. Vaughn is back on the report after being removed last week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has released its injury report for Saturday's game at Purdue (Big Ten Network, noon ET).

OUT

• Offensive tackle Mike Boyle, back
• Running back Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• Running back Stephen Simmons, ankle
• Running back Scott Concannon, head
• Linebacker Bryce McNaul, leg

QUESTIONABLE

• Defensive tackle Jack DiNardo, shoulder

Simmons' continued absence really hurts a rushing attack that hasn't looked the same since he hurt his ankle in Week 2 against Eastern Michigan. True freshman running back Arby Fields has shown bursts of promise, but the coaching staff seems to be more comfortable with sophomore Jacob Schmidt. Cornerback Justan Vaughn is off the injury report, which bolsters the secondary, while getting DiNardo on the field could be big for a struggling defensive line. Linebacker has been another spot plagued by injuries, and McNaul has struggled to stay healthy for much of his career.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern has released its injury report for Saturday's game against Minnesota (Big Ten Network, noon ET).

OUT

• Offensive tackle Mike Boyle, back
• Running back Alex Daniel, ankle (out for season)
• Running back Stephen Simmons, ankle
• Cornerback Justan Vaughn, leg

Cornerback Sherrick McManis and middle linebacker Nate Williams are both off the injury report, which is excellent news for a Northwestern's defense that got shredded last week at Syracuse. McManis likely will be assigned to Minnesota star wide receiver Eric Decker on Saturday, while Williams should help a linebacking corps that didn't tackle well at all against the Orange.

Simmons' absence for the second straight week will sting, as Arby Fields and Jacob Schmidt likely will share most of the carries. The big question: Do the coaches really trust Fields, who has shown playmaking ability but makes some mistakes as well? Reserve running back Jeravin Matthews also is off the injury report, which adds more speed to the offense.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Northwestern offensive line coach Bret Ingalls looks at redshirt freshmen Al Netter and Ben Burkett and knows that they'll do big things down the road. Ingalls looks at true freshmen like Nick Adamle and Brian Mulroe and knows that the future of the Wildcats' line is in good hands.

The only problem is Northwestern can't wait around for those young offensive linemen to ripen. With a stockpile of senior skill players led by quarterback C.J. Bacher and running back Tyrell Sutton, the Wildcats need their front five to produce right away.

It might be sound unfair to say Northwestern's season hinges on the offensive line. Too bad. Northwestern's season hinges on the offensive line.

"They're ahead of maybe what I thought, and yet we've still got to play a game," Ingalls said of his group. "We're making some progress, but until we play somebody different, it's hard to know."

The Wildcats lose three starters up front, including mainstays Trevor Rees and Dylan Thiry. Bacher will receive snaps in the shotgun from a redshirt freshman (Burkett) and have his blind side protected by another redshirt freshman (Netter) and a guy who spent the last three seasons playing defense (Keegan Kennedy).

Throw in the fact that Northwestern has a new offensive coordinator (Mick McCall) and will often operate in the no-huddle, a strategy that produced stellar results in 2000 but with a veteran line leading the way. Is it a little daunting? No doubt. But Ingalls doesn't want his linemen over-thinking, which became a problem for a more seasoned unit at times last year.

"Regardless if we're beating our guy each time," he said, "we need to be able to come back, snap after snap and have some confidence, play fast and just let 'em go. If they let up because they don't have that confidence, they're probably in for a long day. So as long as they're playing hard, I'm going to feel good.

"The tempo is a lot faster, so they've got to be able to finish a play. Eye on the football, run to it, let's go."

Ingalls has some flexibility with the group but decided to leave returning starters Kurt Mattes and Joel Belding at right tackle and right guard, the positions they played last season. Netter nearly played last fall at tackle as a true freshman, and Kennedy won the starting spot at left guard after being low on the depth chart at defensive tackle.

"Just a hunger to want to play," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said of Kennedy, a senior. "He's earned that opportunity. He's just chomping at the bit, but he knows he has a lot to learn."

Lack of starting experience is an obvious concern, but depth might not be. Ingalls praised the preseason performances of junior tackles Desmond Taylor and Mike Boyle, and former walk-on Keegan Grant has pushed Belding for a starting position.

Though Ingalls likes what he has seen from the true freshmen, who headlined Northwestern's 2008 recruiting class, he hopes he doesn't need to play any of them.

"Certainly you want to five to glue together and go play," Ingalls said, "but right now, our depth might be better than it's been."