#99 Nathan Bazata Season 2015-16

Hawk Item – – One of five seniors named to 2017 Leadership Group . . . one of seven juniors named to 2016 Leadership Group.

2017 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for fourth year . . . Coaches Appreciation Award, defense . . . Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . preseason fourth team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2017 – – Started all 13 games . . . Recorded 51 tackles, with 22 solo stops and 29 assists . . . also had 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, with one safety and one pass break-up . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-3 win over Wyoming as defense allowed just 233 yards total offense . . . recorded one assisted tackle vs. Wyoming, which was a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State, recording two solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-14 win over North Texas, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . started at defensive tackle in 21-19 loss to #4 Penn State . . . five tackles vs. Penn State, including three solo stops and two assists . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-10 loss at Michigan State . . . career best eight tackles at MSU, including two solo stops and six assists . . . also included one sack, one shared tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . started at defensive tackle in 45-16 win over Illinois, recording one solo tackle . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-10 OT loss at Northwestern . . . six tackles at Northwestern, including career-best four solo stops and two assists . . . also had career-bests in sacks (two) and tackles for loss (1.5), and a QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-10 win over Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . started at defensive tackle in 55-24 win over #3 Ohio State . . . recorded four tackles vs. Ohio State, including two solo stops and two assists . . . started at defensive tackle in 38-14 loss at #6 Wisconsin . . . four solo tackles and one assist at Wisconsin, including one tackle for loss . . . four solo stops matched career best . . . started at defensive tackle in 24-15 loss to Purdue . . . three total tackles vs. Purdue, including one solo stops and two assists . . . solo stop was QB sack in the endzone for first career safety . . . started at defensive tackle in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . recorded three tackle at Nebraska, including two solo stops and one assist . . . recorded tackle for loss of five yards on fake field goam attempt . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in second half . . . career-best nine assisted tackles vs. Boston College.

2016 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten for third year . . . honorable mention All-Big Ten by Big Ten media . . . 2016 – – Played in all 13 games, with 10 starts . . . recorded 11 solo stops and 28 assists, including three tackles for loss and two sacks, along with three pass break-ups . . . started at defensive tackle in 45-21 win over Miami . . . recorded career-high six tackles vs. Miami, including two solo tackles and four assists, along with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 42-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 291 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo stops and three assists vs. ISU, along with career-best two pass break-ups . . . started at defensive tackle in 23-21 loss to North Dakota State . . . matched career-best with six tackles vs. NDSU, including one solo stops and five assists, along with one sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 14-7 win at Rutgers, recording one solo tackle and two assists as defense allowed just one touchdown . . . started at defensive tackle in 38-31 loss to Northwestern, recording two assisted tackles . . . started at defensive tackle in 14-7 win at Minnesota as defense allowed just 102 net rushing yards and 268 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo stop and two assists at Minnesota, including one QB sack . . . started at defensive tackle in 49-35 win at Purdue, recording one solo tackle as defense allowed just 47 net rushing yards . . . started at defensive tackle in 17-9 loss to #10 Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle and two assists . . . saw limited action in 41-14 loss at #12 Penn State due to injury . . . recorded two assisted tackles at PSU after being injured in previous game . . . saw action in 14-13 win over #2 Michigan as defense allowed just 201 yards total offense . . . recorded one assisted tackle while seeing limited action due to previous injury . . . saw action in 28-0 win at Illinois . . . recorded three assisted tackles at Illinois, including a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 40-10 win over #15 Nebraska, recording one solo tackle and two assists as defense allowed just 90 net rushing yards and 217 yards total offense . . . started at defensive tackle in 30-2 Outback Bowl loss to #17 Florida, recording two solo tackles and a pass break-up.

2015 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2015 – – Started at defensive tackle in all 14 games . . . recorded 42 tackles, with five tackles for loss and three QB sacks . . . also had one blocked field goal and one recovered fumble . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-14 opening win over Illinois State for first career start . . . recorded career-best three solo tackles, including one tackle for loss vs. Illinois State, along with recording a blocked field goal . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-17 win at Iowa State, as defense allowed no points and just 66 yards total offense in the second half . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists at ISU, including one tackle for loss, and one QB pressure . . . started at defensive tackle in 27-24 win over Pitt as defense allowed 55 net rushing yards and 282 yards total offense . . . recorded three assists vs. Pitt . . . started at defensive tackle in 62-16 win over North Texas . . . recorded two solo tackles and two assists vs. North Texas, along with first fumble recovery of career . . . started at defensive tackle in 10-6 win at Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle and one assist as defense allowed no touchdowns and just 320 yards total offense . . . started at defensive tackle in 29-20 win over Illinois . . . recorded two solo tackles and two assists vs. Illinois, including one QB sack, as defense allowed just 46 net rushing yards . . . started at defensive tackle in 40-10 win at Northwestern, recording three assisted tackles as defense allowed just 51 net rushing yards and 198 yards total offense . . . started at defensive tackle in 31-15 win over Maryland . . . one solo tackle and three assists vs. Maryland, including one QB sack and a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 35-27 win at Indiana, recording two solo tackles and one assist . . . started at defensive tackle in 40-35 win over Minnesota, recording two assisted tackles . . . started at defensive tackle in 40-20 win over Purdue, recording two assisted tackles . . . started at defensive tackle in 28-20 win at Nebraska . . . recorded one solo tackle and two assists at Nebraska, with one tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . started at defensive tackle in 16-13 loss to Michigan State . . . recorded three tackles vs. MSU, including two solo tackles and one assist, with one sack and a shared tackle for loss . . . started at defensive tackle in 45-16 Rose bowl loss to Stanford . . . matched career-best with three solo tackles vs. Stanford.

2014 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2014 – – Saw action in nine games, recording four solo tackles, including a shared tackle for loss . . . saw first action of career in 31-23 win over Northern Iowa, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 24-10 win at Purdue, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 156 yards total offense . . . saw action in 38-31 loss at Maryland, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 48-7 win over Northwestern, but had no statistics as defense allowed just 180 yards total offense . . . saw action in 51-14 loss at Minnesota, but had no statistics . . . saw action in 30-14 win at Illinois as defense allowed just 88 net rushing yards and 235 yards total offense . . . recorded a shared tackle for loss at Illinois for first career tackle . . . saw action in 26-24 loss to No. 14 Wisconsin, recording two assisted tackles . . . saw action in 37-34 overtime loss to Nebraska, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 45-28 TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee, but had no statistics.

2013 Honors – – Team Leader Award, Defense . . . 2013 – – Redshirted.

High school honors – – Nominated for Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior . . . named Division I Player of the Year by Huskerland Prep Reports . . . earned first team all-state and all-district honors as a senior, being named honorary captain . . . two-time first team all-state . . . Career – – Four-year letterman as defensive lineman and team captain as a senior as prep team posted 47-3 record in four seasons . . . helped prep team win state championships as a freshman and sophomore, while placing as runner-up as a junior and reaching quarterfinals as a senior . . . recorded 45 tackles as a senior, including nine QB sacks and 11 tackles for loss, with one touchdown on a recovered fumble . . . collected 91 tackles as a junior, with 24 tackles for loss and nine QB sacks, along with a safety . . . had 118 tackles as a sophomore, with 10 tackles for loss, four QB sacks and one safety . . . 71 tackles, including five tackles for loss and two QB sacks as a freshman . . . also four-year wrestling letterman and earned three letters in track, throwing both shot and discus.

Personal – – Born 7/15/94 . . . open major . . . parents are Laurie and Dan Bazata . . . member of prep Honor Roll . . . high school coach was Mike Speirs.