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Northwestern has announced its complete schedules for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, which includes one change to the 2015 nonconference slate.

The Wildcats will play home-and-home series with Stanford and Duke in both seasons. A scheduled 2015 game against Army has been replaced with a home date against Eastern Illinois. Northwestern will also play Ball State in 2015 and Western Michigan and Illinois State as part of the 2016 nonconference schedule.

While Army likely would have been a more interesting game than Eastern Illinois, the Wildcats appear to have a sound strategy in their nonconference scheduling. They're playing one really good BCS opponent (even though there might not be such a thing as BCS in 2015) in Stanford, another major-conference foe but a winnable game in Duke and then two games against lower-level competition.

This year's schedule, which opens with Syracuse, Vanderbilt and Boston College in successive weeks, is probably a bit too ambitious. Sure, none of those teams is an elite-caliber opponent, but all are major-conference teams that will provide difficult games. Since Northwestern has been hovering around the 6-6 or 7-5 mark the past two years, it makes little sense to build so many obstacles in the pre-conference portion of the schedule. And by 2015, seven wins may be the requirement to reach a bowl game.

Here are the complete 2015 and 2016 schedules for the Wildcats:

2015

Sept. 5 vs. Stanford
Sept. 12 vs. Eastern Illinois
Sept. 19 at Duke
Sept. 26 vs. Ball State
Oct. 3 at Iowa
Oct. 10 vs. Minnesota
Oct. 17 at Nebraska
Oct. 24 Open Date
Oct. 31 vs. Purdue
Nov. 7 at Indiana
Nov. 14 vs. Michigan
Nov. 21 vs. Michigan State
Nov. 28 at Illinois

2016
Sept. 3 vs. Western Michigan
Sept. 10 vs. Illinois State
Sept. 17 vs. Duke
Sept. 24 at Stanford
Oct. 1 vs. Nebraska
Oct. 8 at Purdue
Oct. 15 at Michigan
Oct. 22 vs. Iowa
Oct. 29 at Minnesota
Nov. 5 Open Date
Nov. 12 vs. Indiana
Nov. 19 at Michigan State
Nov. 26 vs. Illinois

The Big Ten released its conference football schedules for the 2015 and 2016 seasons on Monday. Here’s a look at the Northwestern Wildcats' and Illinois Fighting Illini's schedules for both seasons.

Northwestern

2015
Oct. 3: at Iowa
Oct. 10: Minnesota
Oct. 17: at Nebraska
Oct. 31: Purdue
Nov. 7: at Indiana
Nov. 14: Michigan
Nov. 21: Michigan State
Nov. 28: at Illinois

2016
Oct. 1: Nebraska
Oct. 8: at Purdue
Oct. 15: at Michigan
Oct. 22: Iowa
Oct. 29: at Minnesota
Nov. 12: Indiana
Nov. 19:at Michigan State
Nov. 26: Illinois

Illinois

2015
Oct. 3: at Penn State
Oct. 10: at Indiana
Oct. 17: Wisconsin
Oct. 24: Michigan
Oct. 31: at Iowa
Nov. 14: Ohio State
Nov. 21: at Purdue
Nov. 28: Northwestern

2016
Oct. 1: Penn State
Oct. 8: Indiana
Oct. 15: at Wisconsin
Oct. 22: at Ohio State
Oct. 29: Iowa
Nov. 5: at Michigan
Nov. 19: Purdue
Nov. 26: at Northwestern

During the course of spring practice, Big Ten bloggers Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett visited 11 of the 12 league schools, getting an up-close look at the players and coaches who will shape the 2012 season.

Now it's time for them to share their thoughts on what they saw and learned this spring, and you can follow along as they exchange emails. Check out the Leaders Division exchange here. They now turn their focus to the Legends Division.

Adam Rittenberg: Let's take a look at what I believe to be the stronger division in 2012. You spent a lot of time in the Mitten State last month, and while you didn't gorge yourself like you did in America's Dairyland, you got the money quote of spring ball from Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, who said, "We're laying in the weeds. We've beat Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?" How spicy is the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry getting, and how good do you think these two teams will be this season after visiting both campuses?

Brian Bennett: Oh, there was some serious gorging going on at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor and Sparty's in East Lansing. Good thing there's only one spring practice session per year.

Anyway, I went into the spring thinking Michigan and Michigan State were the two strongest teams in the league, and I didn't see anything to change my opinion. While the Wolverines are more focused on Ohio State and even Alabama, they know they have to end their losing streak against Michigan State. And the Spartans take serious pride in that four-game run while bristling at all the offseason accolades thrown toward Brady Hoke's team. Oct. 20 can't come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned.

If the two teams played right now, I'd definitely take Michigan State. Dantonio has done a terrific job of developing depth on both lines and all over the defense. There's not a deeper team in the Big Ten, and the Spartans' physical play has given Michigan fits. The Wolverines still need to figure some things out in the trenches, especially on the defensive line, but that's one area where Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison excel. I believe these two teams will be neck and neck all year for the Legends title.

Of course, there's another team lurking in the division, and that's Nebraska. You went to Lincoln this spring, and it sounded like the Cornhuskers are feeling mighty ambitious this season. Do they have the necessary tools to back up their lofty goals?

Adam Rittenberg: It was interesting to see a team openly discuss the national title, Brian, especially in a league like the Big Ten. Huskers safety P.J. Smith even went so far as to say a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl championship would be "kind of disappointing." That's bold. Nebraska would have to skip a step or two to reach that point, but I can see where the confidence stems from. There's a greater comfort level between players and coaches in Lincoln, and also between the coaches and what they face in the Big Ten. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck was candid about the difficulty of preparing for so many new opponents, particularly since Nebraska's offensive and defensive systems are a little different from what we see in the rest of the league.

Quarterback Taylor Martinez received good marks from the coaches, and his focus on footwork could translate into a more consistent passing attack. Beck certainly wants to be a bit more balanced, and Nebraska returns pretty much everyone at wide receiver and tight end. We often hear the cliche that it's all about the quarterback, but it holds true with Nebraska. If Martinez actually makes strides as a passer -- he'll be operating in the same offense as the starter for the first time in his high school or college career -- the Huskers will put up points this fall. But after watching Martinez last season, it's fair to have some doubts about No. 3.

The defense expects to exploit a schematic advantage we heard a lot about last season but didn't see much on Saturdays. I like coordinator John Papuchis, and Bo Pelini made two good staff additions in D-line coach Rick Kaczenski and secondary coach Terry Joseph. They're all about details and accountability, and they believe they'll be able to replace star power with greater depth in certain areas. Nebraska also should be strong in special teams. Do the Huskers have a unit better than Michigan State's defense? Not right now. But Nebraska could end up being the division's most complete team by season's end.

Getting back to Michigan State and Michigan. Both teams lose tremendous leaders from 2011 (Kirk Cousins, Mike Martin, Jerel Worthy, Joel Foreman, David Molk, Ryan Van Bergen). Who do you see filling those roles this year?

Brian Bennett: That's a good question, and one that will have to be answered this summer. For Michigan State, Andrew Maxwell impressed me as a guy who can lead in a similar way as Cousins did; he'll just have to play well at quarterback and battle through adversity. The Spartans have some seniors on defense who can lead, like Anthony Rashad White and Johnny Adams, but they also have some highly respected juniors in Max Bullough and William Gholston.

But they are replacing some very valuable leaders, just as Michigan is doing. Denard Robinson has worked on becoming more vocal and sounded like a different guy in interviews this spring. There's no question he has the respect of his teammates. Craig Roh and Jordan Kovacs seem like natural leaders on defense, and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan says he wants to take on that role as well. But leadership can't be forced, and it remains to be seen if either team can find such strong captains as guys like Cousins and Martin were.

Speaking of question marks, I feel like Iowa and Northwestern are two of the bigger mystery teams in the league. Both have talent and potentially potent offenses, but they'll also need some players on defense to rise up out of the shadows. What did you take out of your visits to Iowa City and Evanston this spring?

Adam Rittenberg: Let's start off with Iowa, which underwent some major changes this spring with a new offensive coordinator (Greg Davis), a position coach promoted to defensive coordinator (Phil Parker) and several more assistants shuffling, arriving or being promoted. The players seemed to embrace the changes, and coach Kirk Ferentz basically said the team needed a fresh start even though he didn't want to lose his previous coordinators. There's a lot of excitement about Davis' offense, which will be more up-tempo than what we've seen in the past from Iowa. Quarterback James Vandenberg really seems to get it, but will he have enough weapons around him to execute? The running back curse struck again this spring with Jordan Canzeri's ACL injury. Iowa needs young and/or unproven players to step up there, and wide receiver isn't a deep group. It'll be a big summer for Keenan Davis.

The feeling I had coming out of Evanston is that Northwestern will be a younger team but potentially a better one. The Wildcats say goodbye to an accomplished senior class that featured some outstanding players like quarterback Dan Persa. But was it the most talented group? I don't think so. Northwestern has improved its recruiting efforts in recent years, and the team could begin seeing the benefits this year. There are a lot of new faces at spots like defensive back and defensive line. I was impressed with cornerback Nick VanHoose and end Deonte Gibson. The wide receiving corps should be one of the Big Ten's best, even if Kyle Prater isn't eligible until 2013. The Wildcats might not have many familiar names at receiver, but they boast incredible depth there. This team still has question marks -- secondary, pass rush, running back, quarterback -- but the talent level is getting a bit better.

Neither of us made it up to Minneapolis this spring, but we both talked with Gophers players and coaches. What was your sense of the second spring under coach Jerry Kill?

Brian Bennett: We swear it's nothing personal, Gophers fans. Both of us would have enjoyed a trip to the Twin Cities, but the schedule just didn't work out.

Anyway, I did sense more confidence from the Minnesota players and coaches we interviewed. That's not surprising, given that it's the second year for Kill's staff and more familiarity almost always brings a better comfort level. MarQueis Gray really started to come on late last season and appears to have made strides as a passer. He could be one of the league's top playmakers this year. Overall, the Gophers look to have a little more talent this year, thanks to some junior college imports, youngsters who got experience last year and Troy Stoudermire coming back at cornerback. The defense should have more speed, though it remains undersized. The big question for me is who will emerge as weapons alongside Gray, especially at receiver.

But I think that, with a manageable nonconference schedule, Minnesota has a chance to win five or more games this year and it will be much more competitive in Big Ten play than it was early last season. The Legends Division looks more balanced top to bottom than the Leaders and should be fun to follow all year.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge announced Monday that Northwestern will host Maryland on Nov. 27, and Illinois will host Georgia Tech on Nov. 28.

Northwestern is 6-7 and has won its last four games in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Wildcats never have faced Maryland in the conference challenge.

Illinois also is 6-7 and has won its last three games in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. It has never played Georgia Tech in the challenge.

Northwestern went 19-14 overall and reached its fourth consecutive NIT last season. The Wildcats return four starters and five of their top seven players. Northwestern also will add Louisville transfer Jared Swopshire and TCU transfer Nikola Cerina, who will both be eligible next season, and redshirt freshman Tre Demps, who sat out last season with an injury.

Illinois went 17-15 overall and was not invited to a postseason tournament. The Illini fired coach Bruce Weber following the season, and he was replaced by John Groce, who coached Ohio to the Sweet 16 last season. Illinois will return all but two players from last year’s team and add Coastal Carolina transfer Sam McLaurin, who will be eligible next season.

Minooka junior offensive lineman Blake King committed to Northwestern on Tuesday.

King, who is 6-5 and 270 pounds, received an offer from Northwestern earlier in the week. He also had offers from Toledo and Western Michigan.

“Blake King is a great character kid that is truly driven to get better in everything he does in the classroom, weight room and on the football field,” said Bert Kooi, who retired as Minooka’s coach after last season. “The sky is the limit with this kid. I guarantee you we will hear a lot more about Blake King.”

Northwestern now has two Class of 2013 commitments. King joins Maine South quarterback Matt Alviti in the recruiting class.

The Big Ten has released its complete prime-time schedule for the 2012 season, with 14 total games under the lights this fall. That includes six games on the ABC/ESPN family of networks and eight on the Big Ten Network.

Here you go, night owls (all kickoffs listed in ET):

Aug. 31

Boise State at Michigan State, 8 p.m., ESPN

Sept. 1

Indiana State at Indiana, 8 p.m., Big Ten Network

Sept. 8

Vanderbilt at Northwestern, 8 p.m., BTN

Sept. 15

Notre Dame at Michigan State, 8 p.m., ABC
Utah State at Wisconsin, 8 p.m., BTN
Ball State at Indiana, 8 p.m., BTN

Sept. 22

Syracuse at Minnesota, 8 p.m., BTN
Louisiana Tech at Illinois, 8 p.m., BTN

Sept. 29

Wisconsin at Nebraska, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2

Oct. 6

Nebraska at Ohio State, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2

Oct. 13


Ohio State at Indiana, 8 p.m., BTN

Oct. 20
Penn State at Iowa, 8 p.m., BTN

Oct. 27

Ohio State at Penn State, 6 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Michigan at Nebraska, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2

Thoughts:

• Every Big Ten team except Purdue will have at least one night game this season. The Boilermakers have to be a little disappointed after getting to a bowl game last year and bringing back a talented roster. Nebraska and Ohio State will each play three league games under the lights.
• If you were planning on going to a Halloween party on Oct. 27, better make sure you have access to a TV -- or TVs. Not only will the Ohio State-Penn State and Michigan-Nebraska games be on in prime time, that's also the same day Wisconsin and Michigan State meet up at Camp Randall Stadium. It's a little hard to believe that game, which is a rematch of two epic duels from last season, won't be in prime time. But the two chosen for night slots are also big and feature four enormous fan bases. Wisconsin-Michigan State likely will get the 3:30 p.m. ET time slot in what is shaping up to be the biggest day of the season in the Big Ten.
• Ohio State will play three of its four October games at night, including Nebraska's visit to the Horseshoe. It's no surprise, given the Buckeyes' following and the presence of Urban Meyer. Even without the ability to play in the postseason, the Buckeyes figure to be an attractive team for TV ratings purposes this year. The atmosphere in Columbus when Big Red comes to town should be absolutely electric.
• Speaking of Nebraska, three of the Huskers' biggest games of the season will all be in prime time. Bo Pelini's team will get a chance to atone for blowout losses to Wisconsin and Michigan under the lights at Memorial Stadium. That place got crazy for last year's huge comeback win against Ohio State at night and should be similarly fired up for the Badgers and Wolverines.
• Penn State will have back-to-back prime-time games, and neither will be easy. The Nittany Lions must travel to Kinnick Stadium, which is usually a great atmosphere at night. It's the third time in four years those two teams have played at night. Penn State will also play the following week after dark versus Ohio State, which should provide an advantage for the Nittany Lions. There was no night game at Beaver Stadium last year, which didn't sit too well with the Penn State faithful. They've got a perfect white-out opportunity with Meyer and the Buckeyes coming to State College.
• Adam and I had Michigan State No. 1 in our pre-spring power rankings and may very well keep the Spartans there through the summer. But Michigan State will not get any prime-time exposure during conference season. The night games against Boise State (on a Friday) and Notre Dame were no-brainers, and with both at home the Spartans will need good showings to impress the rest of the country.
• Northwestern had three straight night games last season but gets only one all season this year, in the academic bowl against Vanderbilt. Assuming both student bodies aren't studying, that could be a fun game.
• Wisconsin won't get the benefit of playing at Camp Randall at night this year, except against Utah State. And the Badgers didn't figure to need much help in that game.
• The night kickoff could also help Minnesota in an interesting nonconference game against Syracuse. The Gophers had only one night game a year ago and lost in embarrassing fashion to North Dakota State.
• Indiana gets three prime-time exposure opportunities, all of them at home. Perhaps that can improve the game-day environment in Bloomington, though Ohio State often has almost as many fans as the Hoosiers when it comes to Memorial Stadium.
• Michigan's first-ever night game last season against Notre Dame was a smashing success, but the Wolverines will not go under the lights again this year in the Big House, as had been reported. But they will get their share of high-profile prime-time matchups, having to play Notre Dame and Nebraska on the road at night. The opener against Alabama in Arlington, Texas, is also expected to be a night kickoff. The schedule offers few breaks for Brady Hoke's team in 2012.
• Overall, I think it's a very strong prime-time schedule. I count five weeks with at least one really appetizing matchup, with the potential for much more. I'm already planning on not sleeping the night of Oct. 27.

What are your thoughts on the prime-time schedule?

Our Big Ten spring game recaps roll on with Northwestern's spring exhibition, which took place Saturday at Ryan Field.

Check out recaps here and here and here. Here's the full stat sheet from the scrimmage.

Star of the game: Redshirt freshman defensive end Deonte Gibson capped a strong spring with 2.5 tackles for loss, including two "sacks."

How it went down: Rather than split into teams, Northwestern's offense went against the defense and the defense prevailed 47-43, thanks to a modified scoring system.

Northwestern's defense has struggled for the past season and a half, but the unit stepped up Saturday, recording six sacks and eight tackles for loss. The line had a big performance as four players contributed sacks, and defensive tackle Chance Carter returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown, which earned the defense 17 points.

"It should be a pick-17 every time -- especially for a defensive tackle," Carter joked.

The defense recorded two takeaways and limited third-down conversions (6 of 18) -- a major problem last season.

"That side of the ball ... was very grateful for the negative comments about them," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "They've used that as fuel. As they said at the start of the spring, 'We deserve it. We didn't play very well last year at times.' What are you going to do about it? How are you going to respond? That's something we value here and they've taken that external motivation a little bit to really band together."

While the defensive line surged, the offensive line struggled to protect the pocket or generate a rushing attack. Top quarterback Kain Colter completed 7 of 12 passes for only 56 yards and took five sacks, and the unit finished with just 47 net rush yards on 36 carries. The running back spot looks wide open entering the summer, as Mike Trumpy returns from knee surgery and two freshmen enter the mix.

Fitzgerald didn't seem too concerned with Colter's performance, saying, "Maybe today's snapshot might not be his best practice of the spring, but he's done a really good job throughout." Backup Trevor Siemian appeared to help his cause, completing 8 of 14 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Redshirt freshman receiver Cam Dickerson ended a nice spring with three receptions for 61 yards.

Fitzgerald had the position coaches, rather than the coordinators, call plays during the scrimmage, calling it a professional growth opportunity. The team got some good news off the field as decorated quarterback recruit Matt Alviti verbally committed after the scrimmage.

Northwestern had several young defenders emerge this spring and should feel better about the defense entering the summer. Running back and offensive line are areas that need improvement, and Colter still has some strides to make as he becomes a full-time starting quarterback in the Big Ten.

We're getting you set for each of this weekend's seven Big Ten spring games with a short preview of every one.

Let's take a look at Northwestern's Spring Exhibition:

When: 1 p.m. ET, Saturday

Where: Ryan Field

Admission: Free

TV: The game will be streamed live on the Big Ten Digital Network and BTN2Go. The game will air on the Big Ten Network on Sunday at 9 p.m.

Weather forecast: A 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 70.

What to watch for: Defense, defense, defense. As in, will there be any?

You can't read too much into a defense's performance in a spring game, since it is going up against the same offense it has faced for weeks and knows the plays and opposing players. Still, Northwestern's defense last year, especially against the pass, was pretty crummy and has been a major focus in the 2012 offseason. So it's fair to hope for some signs of life and defensive playmakers in the spring game.

On offense, the passing game requires close examination. We know quarterback Kain Colter can run the ball, but can he throw it accurately and on time? The receiving corps loses Jeremy Ebert, but could be deeper overall, and USC transfer Kyle Prater can show off his stuff before a crowd before he finds out whether or not he can do it for real on Saturdays this fall.

The Wildcats have only 11 total starters back, so look for a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball. The spring game could give an indication of how optimistic Northwestern fans should be for their future.

Northwestern wide receiver Christian Jones discusses spring ball and the team's depth at wideout for the 2012 season.

Former Louisville forward Jared Swopshire will transfer to Northwestern, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Read the entire story.

One of the great gifts football provides is seeing really big men do things their bodies aren't meant to do.

The Fat Guy Touchdown, for instance. Or the Almost Fat Guy Touchdown, courtesy of the New England Patriots' Dan Connolly.

Northwestern added a new layer to the hilarity at the end of a recent spring practice. The Wildcats had their offensive and defensive linemen participate in a JUGS machine challenge, which required them to catch the ball like punt and kickoff returners.

Warning: Don't watch the following video if eating, drinking or handling sharp objects.

One of the first clips shows starting center Brandon Vitabile, who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, stumbling badly in an attempt. Defensive linemen like C.J. Robbins (6-5, 275) didn't fare much better.

The competition comes down to defensive end Tyler Scott (6-4, 265) and guard Brian Mulroe (6-4, 295), who actually made catches in the prelims. After a prolonged sudden-death period that features some catches and flops, Scott, who displays decent form, emerges as the victor when he beats Mulroe for a jump ball.

Venric Mark, the team's top return man, shouldn't have to worry about losing his job.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Pat Fitzgerald doesn't deny the hard evidence, but he also feels there's more to Northwestern's case.

Yes, the Wildcats have seen their wins total drop in each of the past three seasons, from nine in 2008 to eight in 2009 to seven in 2010 to six last fall. After back-to-back 5-3 marks in Big Ten play in 2008 and 2009, Northwestern has seen its league record flip in each of the past two seasons.

It doesn't take a mathematics major at Northwestern to see where things are going and ask the question: Has the program lost momentum?

"You can nitpick everything you want, but there has never been more positive momentum in the history of our program," Fitzgerald told ESPN.com. "If you're going to choose one thing to make it be whether or not you have momentum, that's unrealistic. But we've got to win football games and we've got to finish games better than we did a year ago.

"The program's definitely getting better. You can analyze that one area of wins and losses, which obviously I understand is critically important, but the difference between one or two games is not very much. We could have easily had six wins when we won nine. There's such a fine line."

It's Fitzgerald's job to look at the entire picture, and he notes some of Northwestern's recent accomplishments: four consecutive bowl appearances for the first time in program history; the winningest departing senior class in the program's history; a team GPA of 3.14; a 2012 recruiting class rated by many as the best in Fitzgerald's tenure. The school is also working on a facilities plan that could be a game-changer for the football program, which lags behind most of its Big Ten brethren.

Still, college football is a bottom-line business, and if Northwestern can't reverse the won-loss trend, its bowl appearances streak will end this season.

"Have we achieved our goals? Absolutely not," Fitzgerald said. "Are we hungry to do that? Absolutely. Are we working diligently to tweak the areas we need to improve? Absolutely."

Northwestern will try to make upgrades with a younger roster -- only 11 total starters return on offense and defense -- but quite possibly a more talented one. The team must fill several gaps, none more significant than Dan Persa's at quarterback, and hopes to do so by having what it believes to be stronger recruiting classes begin to pay dividends.

It's no secret the defense needs help after backsliding sharply in the past year and a half. Since a 6-2 start in 2010, Northwestern has surrendered 30 points or more 11 times. Last fall, the defense couldn't get off of the field (114th nationally in third-down defense at 50 percent conversions), fell victim to explosion plays and generated barely any pressure (106th in sacks, 104th in tackles for loss).

"You've got to make 'em earn everything," defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz said. "If they make great throws and great catches, you can live with those things. But we had some situations last year where we busted a coverage because of communication or we didn't have anybody back there. They didn't have to make the perfect throw or the perfect catch.

"We can execute better, no question."

The challenge is to improve communication and execution with a group heavy on youth. Although Northwestern returns all three starting linebackers, it will use young players in all three sections of the defense, including redshirt freshman cornerback Nick VanHoose, sophomore linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo and redshirt freshman defensive end Deonte Gibson.

Consider that Ibraheim Campbell, a redshirt sophomore safety who led the team with 100 tackles in 2011, is viewed as the clear leader of the secondary.

Communication has been a focal point this spring, as players are taking extra measures to ensure they're on the same page.

"When I yell out a call to the D-line, the only way I know they got it is if they tap their hip," linebacker David Nwabuisi said. "We started forgetting about little stuff like that [in 2011]. Now when I make a call, if the D-lineman doesn't tap his hip, I keep on yelling at him until he does. Same thing with DBs to linebackers."

Communication shouldn't be an issue for Kain Colter, who started three games at quarterback in place of the injured Persa last season and evolved into arguably the Big Ten's most versatile offensive weapon (654 rush yards, 673 pass yards, 466 receiving yards, 18 total touchdowns). Colter is the best athlete to call signals at Northwestern since the team implemented the spread offense in 2000, but to maintain the program's recent run of top-shelf quarterbacks, he needs to become a more polished passer.

The junior emphasized velocity and arm strength during the winter -- he tore the labrum and the biceps in his throwing arm as a high school senior -- and expects to execute the high-percentage passes that drive the Wildcats' offense this fall. He'll have plenty of weapons as Northwestern boasts most likely its deepest receiving corps ever, even if USC transfer Kyle Prater can't play right away.

"My timing's getting a lot better, my arm strength's a lot better," Colter said. "I feel like I can make all the throws on the field. That hasn't been a problem this spring."

Northwestern loses four-year starters on both sides of the ball, an NCAA record holder in Persa, two-time All-Big Ten honoree Jeremy Ebert and Drake Dunsmore, the inaugural winner of the Kwalick-Clark Award as the Big Ten's top tight end. Fitzgerald likened the personnel turnover to a shift change at a factory and acknowledges the team dynamic is different.

Given the declining wins total, though, some new blood might not be a bad thing, and the coaches feel the team's overall talent level is on the uptick.

"There's better talent than people think," offensive coordinator Mick McCall said. "The cupboard's not bare. We've got guys who can play football. They just haven't had the experience yet.

"It's just their time. Let's go play."

The quarterback hurry is one of the more misleading statistics in football. It seems to be subjectively recorded and varies widely from team to team.

But Northwestern can take something away from the category known as QBH. According to statistics recorded by each Big Ten team, Northwestern finished third in the league (behind Michigan State and Nebraska) with 24 hurries in 2011. According to the official Big Ten statistics, the Wildcats ranked dead last in sacks with 17.

Translation: pressuring the quarterback isn't horseshoes.

"We left a lot of sacks out there last year," Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz told ESPN.com. "We had a lot of missed tackles. And we got hurt on some quarterback scrambles where we got pressure and he was able to find a crease."

Tyler Scott takes Hankwitz's words to heart. Scott, a junior defensive end, showed snippets of promise last fall, displaying good speed and recording 31 tackles, an interception, two pass breakups, a team-high three fumbles recovered and, yes, two quarterback hurries.

But he only recorded one sack, two shy of the team lead. Only two Big Ten teams, Northwestern and Minnesota, didn't have a player ranked among the Big Ten's top 20 in either sacks or tackles for loss in 2011.

Not surprisingly, spring practice has been all about the pass rush for the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Scott.

"Many times I was not getting to the quarterback or not squeezing the pocket," he said. "I've started to make some improvements in that. My problem was I was going up the field too much and not attacking the man. So I'm trying to focus on attacking a spot every time and being more active with my hands."

Run defense became the peak priority for Northwestern after the 2010 season, when it surrendered 185 rush yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. While the defense made slight improvements there -- 177.3 ypg, 4.5 ypc -- the pass rush suffered for the second consecutive year.

After recording 30 sacks in 2009, the Wildcats have just 33 combined in the past two seasons. Twenty teams had more than 33 sacks in 2011 alone. The lack of pressure particularly hurt Northwestern on third down, as opponents converted exactly half of their attempts (90 of 180) against the Wildcats, the highest percentage in the Big Ten and the seventh-highest percentage nationally.

Northwestern had been decent to good on third down in Hankwitz's first three years as coordinator -- ranking 28th, 23rd and 42nd nationally -- but the bottom fell out last fall.

"We were aware of it, but we didn't have that mentality to say, 'Yeah, we're getting off the field,'" Scott said. "It was just another down."

The mentality should change during the offseason, and Hankwitz is evaluating what he can do schematically, including whether he rushed only three linemen too often on third down. But the easiest solution is to have an effective pass-rusher or two emerge.

Scott seems to be the obvious choice.

"Tyler Scott to me is on the cusp of being a breakout guy nationally," coach Pat Fitzgerald said following last Saturday's scrimmage. "He's got some special qualities."

Scott wants one of those qualities to be putting quarterbacks on the ground this fall.

Adam Rittenberg talks with the versatile Wildcat about playing quarterback full-time in the spring, and the outlook for the offense.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Ever since Northwestern captured a share of the 2000 Big Ten title thanks to several dramatic come-from-behind victories, the program has been known as the "Cardiac Cats."

Close and chaotic games became the norm for Northwestern, and the program built its rep on winning many of them. In fact, Northwestern is 30-11 in its past 41 games decided by seven points or fewer, and 20-10 in coach Pat Fitzgerald's tenure as coach. Players and coaches welcome the "Cardiac Cats" label and seem to expect white-knuckle games every time they take the field.

Perhaps until now.

"Our fans love 'Cardiac Cats,' but I'm good with not being the 'Cardiac Cats' any more," senior linebacker David Nwabuisi told ESPN.com.

The alternative? "Just step on teams' throats every game," Nwabuisi said.

As good as the Wildcats have been at winning close games, they've repeatedly struggled to put away opponents, even in their best seasons. While they've been on the wrong end of lopsided contests, they've rarely delivered beat-downs, despite being in position to do so. Of Northwestern's 19 Big Ten wins between 2007-11, just four came by more than seven points.

Clutch play might be a hallmark of Northwestern's program. Killer instinct certainly is not. That's what Nwabuisi wants to see change.

"To a point, it's OK to be comfortable being the 'Cardiac Cats.' That means we're composed in those situations," Nwabuisi said. "We're used to being here. But that's something that was happening when we were improving as a program. We were working on being in the game at that point. But our standards are rising every year. We know we're talented now. When we're better than a team, we've got to show everyone else we're better.

"It's not good enough to just be in the game. We should be killing this team right now. It's not good enough to be down one touchdown against this team. We should be ahead two touchdowns."

Like other Northwestern players in the past 12 years, Nwabuisi acknowledges that the team is most comfortable in tightly contested games and those that require dramatic comebacks. But holding leads and playing complete games has been a problem as of late.

Northwestern blew double-digit leads in losses to Michigan State and Penn State in 2010. Last season, the Wildcats blew halftime leads against Illinois, Michigan and Penn State, dropping all three contests. And this is the program that ended up on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in FBS history, squandering a 38-3 lead against Michigan State in 2006 and going on to lose 41-38.

While Northwestern is usually good for one significant upset per season -- last year's win at Nebraska, for example -- the team also has a letdown against a seemingly inferior team, like last year's 21-14 setback at Army, which finished the season 3-9.

"A lot of those games, we let slip away," Nwabuisi said. "We're disappointed in the last couple years."

During Northwestern's five-game losing streak in 2011, Fitzgerald discussed how the "law of averages" might be catching up to his team. Some considered Northwestern extremely fortunate in 2009, when it won eight games, six by seven points or fewer.

Last year, the script flipped, as Northwestern was just 2-4 in games decided by 10 points or fewer.

"We're definitely playing with fire," Nwabuisi said.

Asked about Nwabuisi's comments, Fitzgerald smiled and said, "I just want to win."

"Trust me, I'd much rather be eating hotdogs and hanging out in the fourth quarter," he continued. "It just doesn't seem to go that way at times."

Fitzgerald said the nature of college football, particularly within the Big Ten, calls for a lot of close games. He'd rather have a team comfortable with being under pressure, but he also knows why Northwestern couldn't hold leads or close out games in 2011.

"Offensively, turning the ball over," he said. "Defensively, giving up explosive plays. And then the kicking game not being consistent enough when it mattered. Other years, we had been. Those things fell the right way. A ball that got tipped and picked last year, we caught it for a touchdown maybe the year before."

Like his coach, Nwabuisi wants to win any way possible. But he feels the program can win in more convincing fashion.

"We've got to get that mentality," he said, "to put teams out of their misery."