#34 Nate Meier Season 2012-13

Hawk Item – – Moved from linebacker to defensive end for 2013 spring practice . . . one of seven true freshmen to see action in 2012 . . . one of 13 seniors named to 2015 Leadership Group.

2015 Honors – – Team Hustle Award, defense . . . third team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media, and Phil Steele . . . named to Hendricks Award midseason Watch List . . . 2015 – – Started final 27 games of career at defensive end . . . ranked fourth on the team with 76 tackles, including 31 solo stops and 45 assists . . . led team with 10.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks, while collecting one forced and one recovered fumble . . . started at defensive end in 31-14 win over Illinois State as defense allowed 35 net rushing yards and 231 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles vs. Illinois State, with one solo stop and five assists . . . also collected two tackles for loss, one QB sack and two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 31-17 win at Iowa State as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . led team with seven tackles at ISU, including five solo stops and two assists, with one QB sack, first career forced fumble and two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 27-24 win over Pitt as defense allowed just 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . recorded six tackles vs. Pitt, including three solo stops and three assists, along with two QB sacks and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 62-16 win over North Texas . . . recorded six tackles vs. North Texas, including two solo stops and four assists, along with one QB sack and one pass break-up . . . started at defensive end in 10-6 win at Wisconsin as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . recorded five assisted tackles at Wisconsin, including a shared tackle for loss . . . recovered a fumble in the second quarter that led to field goal and 10-3 advantage . . . started at defensive end in 29-20 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . recorded five tackles vs. Illinois, including two solo stops and three assists, along with one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 40-10 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . recorded seven tackles at Northwestern, including four solo stops and three assists . . . also had one QB sack and a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 31-15 win over Maryland . . . four solo tackles and three assists vs. Maryland, with two tackles for loss, one QB sack and two QB pressures . . . started at defensive end in 35-27 win at Indiana, recording three solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive end in 40-35 win over Minnesota . . . recorded two solo tackles and four assists vs. Minnesota, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 40-20 win over Purdue . . . recorded nine tackles vs. Purdue, including two solo stops and seven assists . . . started at defensive end in 28-20 win at Nebraska, recording three assited tackles, including one tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 16-13 loss to Michigan State, recording one solo tackle and two assists . . . started at defensive end in 45-16 Rose Bowl loss to Stanford, recording two solo tackles.

2014 – – Started all 13 games . . . recorded 57 tackles, including 18 solo stops and 39 assists . . . collected six tackles for loss and two sacks . . . started at defensive end in 31-23 win over Northern Iowa in first career start, recording one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 17-13 win over Ball State as defense allowed just two field goals and 219 yards total offense . . . recorded career-high six tackles vs. BSU, including one solo tackle and five assists . . . started at defensive end in 20-17 loss to Iowa State . . . recorded one solo tackle and four assists vs. ISU, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 24-20 win at Pittsburgh as defense allowed just three points in the second half . . . recorded two solo tackles and three assists at Pitt, along with one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 24-10 win at Purdue as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . matched career-high with six tackles at Purdue, including three solo tackles and three assists, including 1.5 QB sacks . . . started at defensive end in 45-29 win over Indiana . . . recorded career-bests in tackles (10), solo stops (4) and assists (6) vs. Indiana . . . started at defensive end in 38-31 loss at Maryland . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists at Maryland, including a shared QB sack . . . started at defensive end in 48-7 win over Northwestern as defense allowed just 180 yards total offense . . . recorded five tackles vs. Northwestern, including one solo stop and four assists, along with one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in loss at Minnesota, recording two assisted tackles . . . saw action in 30-14 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 88 net rushing yards and 235 yards total offense . . . recorded seven tackles at Illinois, including two solo tackles and five assists . . . also had a shared tackle for loss and a QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in 26-24 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin . . . recorded two assisted tackles vs. Wisconsin, including one tackle for loss . . . started at defensive end in 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska . . . recorded three tackles vs. Nebraska, including one solo tackle and two assists, along with one tackle for loss and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive end in TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee, recording two solo tackles and one assist.

2013 – – Saw action in all 13 games, recording three solo tackles and two assists, including one QB sack and one QB pressure . . . saw limited action in 30-27 opening loss to Northern Illinois, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 28-14 win over Missouri State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 197 yards total offense . . . saw action in 27-21 win at Iowa State, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 59-3 win over Western Michigan, recording one QB pressure as defense allowed just 209 yards total offense . . . saw action in 23-7 win at Minnesota, recording one solo tackle, a QB sack, as defense allowed just 165 yards total offense and 30 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 26-14 loss to Michigan State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 34-24 loss at Ohio State, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 17-10 OT win over Northwestern, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 28-9 loss to Wisconsin, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 38-14 win at Purdue, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 53 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 24-21 win over Michigan, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 60 net rushing yards and 158 yards total offense . . . saw action in 38-17 win at Nebraska, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 89 net rushing yards . . . saw action in 21-14 Outback Bowl loss to LSU, but had no statistics.

2012 – – Saw only action of the season in 32-31 loss to Central Michigan, recording one solo tackle on special teams.

High school honors – – Named eight-man Player of the Year as a senior . . . first team all-state running back as a junior and senior, and captain of all-state team as a senior . . . first team all-district as defensive lineman for four years and all-district running back last two seasons . . . Career – – Led team to state title as a senior and to semifinals as a junior . . . team captain as a senior . . . rushed 176 times for 2,494 yards and 57 touchdowns as a senior . . . scored 61 total touchdowns in final season . . . also collected 112 tackles on defense, including 34 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and two interceptions . . . rushed 189 times for 1,674 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior, while recording 126 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries . . . gained 590 yards on 123 carries as a sophomore, while scoring eight touchdowns . . . also collected 115 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, as a sophomore . . . recorded 119 tackles as a freshman, including eight tackles for loss.

Personal – – Born 7/18/94 . . . pre-business major . . . parents are Pixie and Rod Meier . . . high school coach was Jeremy Christiansen.