Wildcats take pride in their defense

Though the weather helped both defenses Saturday, Northwestern’s unit took some pride in holding No. 2-ranked Michigan in check despite the offense turning the ball over five times in a 17-3 loss. “We let up too many points, but we played well,” said safety Brendan Smith, who led NU with 11 tackles and helped hold the Wolverines to four third-down conversions in 15 attempts. “We were getting the ball back to the offense, stopping them in critical situations.” . . . The Wildcats allowed 318 yards, their best showing since holding Eastern Michigan to 134 on Sept. 16. . . . Running back Tyrell Sutton and quarterback C.J. Bacher, who were banged up and on the sidelines at the end of Saturday’s game, are set to start at Iowa.