It used to be quite a feat to shut out Oklahoma and its vaunted wishbone attack.
But these aren’t the Sooners of J.C. Watts, Jack Mildren or Billy Sims.
So when someone asked Northwestern defensive end Keith Lozowski if he was happy with Saturday’s 24-0 victory, Lozowski replied: “I can answer that with one word: No.”
Lozowski’s third-quarter interception deep in Wildcats territory saved the shutout and, perhaps, the game.
And the Wildcats needed help from Oklahoma placekicker Jeremy Alexander, who missed field-goal attempts of 36 and 42 yards.
Playing in front of an embarrassingly sparse crowd of 36,804 on a sparkling afternoon in Soldier Field, the defense seemed as vulnerable as it had in the Citrus Bowl loss to Tennessee. The Sooners piled up 111 yards in the first quarter, bedeviling Northwestern with a no-huddle attack.
“We were giving up way too many big plays and drives,” Lozowski said. “We didn’t have near enough three-and-outs.”
Northwestern might have been in trouble if it had been facing a more potent offense, but Oklahoma is a one-dimensional team whose playbook mostly consists of tailback De’Mond Parker left, De’Mond Parker right and screen pass to De’Mond Parker.
The Sooners have been shut out three times in their last 14 games, and they treated scoring opportunities as if they were toxic.
But give the Wildcats credit for coming up with big plays when they needed them, in a way that evoked memories of the defenses in 1995 and 1996. The Wildcats gave up 351 yards–more than the NU offense mustered–but still hung that goose egg. Three interceptions and a fumble recovery gave NU a 4-1 edge in turnovers, possibly the most important statistic.
“You’re happy with a shutout, but you always feel you can improve,” said co-defensive coordinator Jerry Brown.
The biggest play was Lozowski’s juggling interception on the Sooners’ first thrust in the second half.
Northwestern was nursing a precarious 6-0 lead. But sparked by a 44-yard pass to Parker–who else?–the Sooners had driven 71 yards, to the Northwestern 4.
On third and goal, Sooners quarterback Justin Fuente dropped back and scanned the end zone. Seeing no one open, Fuente spun to his right and fired to Parker in the flat.
Lozowski had made a tactical mistake by bumping Parker instead of rushing the quarterback. But it left Lozowski in perfect position to deflect Fuente’s pass with his left hand and gather it with his right.
“He probably thought he could trick a dumb defensive lineman,” Lozowski said.
Lozowski returned the ball 13 yards before he was piled under. “I used to be a fullback (at Fremd High School), but that goal line was a long way away,” said Lozowski, a free spirit who wears his hair in a spiky blond cut. “Guys were giving me grief on the sidelines.”
Northwestern coach Gary Barnett called the pickoff “a turning point. That was a major play in the game.”
