B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

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  • BDawg35
    MVP
    • Apr 2003
    • 2319

    #166
    Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

    Originally posted by redsox907
    What do the individual ratings look like for the QBs? I've had guys that were higher rated, but only because they had high awareness. They were actually rated lower than the two QBs below them in all of the accuracy metrics.

    But I'd say worse case scenario, go with the RSFR with the wheels and just go '04 Vick on em
    I will have to check next time I log in. I used to track that stuff better, but I'm so far behind in posting my games vs. playing them (I'm posting early 2026, but playing late in 2027 right now) that I've left out a lot of details I usually use.

    Comment

    • BDawg35
      MVP
      • Apr 2003
      • 2319

      #167
      2026 SEASON - GAME 4




      Rutgers’ Kaj Sanders grabs an interception he took to the house.


      Rutgers linebacker Sam Pilof grabs one of five interceptions thrown by Ryan Boe.


      Rutgers’ Famah Toure caught two touchdown passes.


      Northwestern’s Timi Oke heads to the end zone with an interception.


      Northwestern’s Josh Fussell scores the final meaningless touchdown of the game.


      Northwestern defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth sacks Rutgers quarterback Ajani Sheppard.


      Northwestern linebacker Callen Campbell forces a fumble by Rutgers quarterback Ajani Sheppard.

      IT’S NOT YOU …
      Coach B-Dawg takes the blame as Boe
      throws 5 more picks in loss to Rutgers


      EVANSTON, Ill. — Ryan Boe outdid even himself and, as a result, Northwestern lost a game it had no business losing.

      After throwing three interceptions in three of his previous four starts, Boe served up five picks during a 40-28 loss to Rutgers on Sept. 26, 2026.

      One of those interceptions was returned 59 yards for a touchdown by Kaj Sanders in the fourth quarter. The first was thrown on Northwestern’s first play from scrimmage just 10 seconds into the contest.

      So, for those of you keeping score at home, Boe has now thrown 14 interceptions and five pick-sixes in his last five starts. He’s thrown only four touchdown passes in that same span.

      But Boe isn’t going to lose his starting job any time soon, because B-Dawg is taking the same approach as an old former girlfriend of yours may have taken while lying straight to your face.

      “It’s not you, it’s me,” B-Dawg said. “I’m the one at the sticks. I’m the one making the bad decisions. I’m the one who lacks the stick skillz to maneuver the ball away from danger. I need to be better. I have one of the higher-rated redshirt sophomore quarterbacks in the country. If I can’t get my stuff together with him by the time he graduates, I may as well retire.”

      There was no way Northwestern (2-2) should have lost this game, but interceptions have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

      It was a defensive battle in the first half, with Rutgers (2-2) tying the score 7-7 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ajani Sheppard to Famah Toure with 11 seconds left in the second quarter.

      It was Northwestern that was the beneficiary of an interception midway through the third quarter when Timi Oke picked off a pass that caromed off a Rutgers lineman and returned it 32 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

      It was a bit of redemption for Oke, who dropped a bomb with one second left in the first half while playing receiver.

      But the Wildcats began gifting turnovers to the Scarlet Knights. A fumble by Kush set up a field goal and an interception early in the fourth quarter set up a go-ahead touchdown.

      Rutgers scored 20 straight points to take a 27-14 lead with 5:01 left in the game.

      Northwestern had hope following a 15-yard touchdown pass from Boe to running back Caleb Komolafe with 2:27 left in the game, but Ja’Shon Benjamin ran 67 yards up the middle against a blitz with 1:50 remaining and Sanders had his pick-six with 1:15 left to put the game out of reach.

      Third-string quarterback Forrest Edmond got some playing time at the end and threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to cornerback/wide receiver Josh Fussell with 43 seconds left.

      “We couldn’t establish the run,” B-Dawg said. “Our longest run all day was nine yards. That forced us to throw and … well, that never goes well for us. Our reliable drag routes weren’t working today. It’s almost as if the CPU scouted us.”





      NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
      Anthony Birsa 5 pancakes, 0 sacks; Idrys Cotton 4-0; Jordan Knox 4-0; Shawn Boyett 2-0; Jaelen Camarda 2-0; Jaylen Love 1-0; Camp Magee 1-0; Kyle Baity 1-0.

      Comment

      • BDawg35
        MVP
        • Apr 2003
        • 2319

        #168
        2026 SEASON - GAME 5




        Northwestern running back Jakori McFarland gallops into the end zone with the winning touchdown.


        Northwestern linebacker Brendan McIntosh sacks Minnesota quarterback Dylan Wittke.


        Northwestern linebacker Matthew Smith picks off a pass.


        Northwestern freshman running back Nazir Kush celebrates a touchdown.


        Northwestern cornerback Josh Fussell scoops up a fumble.


        Minnesota receiver Kristen Hoskins eludes Josh Fussell on an 88-yard touchdown catch.

        GOPHERS GROUNDED
        Wildcats run 52 times to eat clock
        in ‘boring’ 34-24 win at Minnesota


        MINNEAPOLIS — If you’re looking to be entertained, find another football team to root for.

        Northwestern coach B-Dawg doesn’t care if his team is boring at times. We’ve seen what happens when he tries to open things up — and it rarely ends well.

        B-Dawg got back to his roots and ground out a 34-24 victory over Minnesota on Oct. 3, 2026, improving the Wildcats’ record to 3-2 following a loss to Rutgers in a pick-fest.

        Three different Northwestern running backs had double-digit carries, as the team ran 52 times for 183 yards and scored all four of its touchdowns on runs of seven yards or less. The Wildcats had the ball for 30 minutes and 26 seconds, compared to only 13:34 for the Golden Gophers.

        Freshman Nazir Kush continues to be in and out of the lineup because of injuries and fatigue, but he was still able to get 20 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. His frequent trips to the sideline allowed Caleb Komolafe to have 17 carries for 69 yards and third-stringer Jakori McFarland to have the biggest game of all with 11 carries for 48 yards and three touchdowns.

        Quarterback Ryan Boe did throw the ball 43 times, somehow managing to not throw an interception after serving up 14 picks in his previous five starts. B-Dawg kept the passes simple, with no pass going longer than 19 yards and none making it into the end zone.

        “We needed to rebuild Ryan’s confidence today,” B-Dawg said. “We kept the throws safe and tried as much as possible to move the ball on the ground. I’m not super thrilled to average only 3.5 yards per carry when we run that often. It was kind of painful to watch at times, but I’ll never apologize for a dub.”

        While the statistics were nearly identical for the teams, the big difference was that Minnesota coughed up the ball three times, while Northwestern played turnover-free. Amazing what can happen when you don’t hand out the ball like candy, eh?

        Minnesota had a more dynamic attack engineered by quarterback Dylan Wittke, who was 23-for-38 for 324 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. His biggest play was an 88-yarder to Kristen Hoskins to get Minnesota within 13-10.

        Wittke connected on two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, giving Minnesota a 24-20 lead with 4:53 left in the game on a 3-yard pass to Geoff Chism.

        Northwestern responded with a 14-play, 60-yard drive that included a 14-yard catch by Carson Grove on third-and-11. McFarland ran up the middle out of a spread formation and battled his way in from seven yards out for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:10 left.

        A 13-yard sack on third-and-nine left Minnesota facing fourth-and-22 on its next possession. Wittke inexplicably just threw a short check-down toward the sideline with 1:20 left to give Northwestern the ball at its own 22.

        Four plays later, McFarland was in the end zone for the third time to seal the victory.





        NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
        Jordan Knox 7 pancakes, 0 sacks; Anthony Birsa 6-0; Jaelen Camarda 5-0; Idrys Cotton 4-0; Julius Hazel 4-0; Simon Silva 3-0; Kyle Baity 3-0; Shawn Boyett 2-0; Camp Magee 2-0.

        Comment

        • redsox907
          MVP
          • Aug 2024
          • 1963

          #169
          Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

          Nice bounce back after the pickfest. It might not be flashy, but a W is a W. Keep pounding the rock imo

          Comment

          • BDawg35
            MVP
            • Apr 2003
            • 2319

            #170
            Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

            Originally posted by redsox907
            Nice bounce back after the pickfest. It might not be flashy, but a W is a W. Keep pounding the rock imo
            I would love to be flashy, but it gets me in trouble every time. Stuff I could do in NCAA 2014 is a disaster in this game. Hopefully I figure things out, but the game's been out for a while now.

            Comment

            • BDawg35
              MVP
              • Apr 2003
              • 2319

              #171
              2026 SEASON - GAME 6




              MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles is sacked by Northwestern linebacker Callen Campbell.


              MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles is sacked by Northwestern defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth.


              Northwestern defensive tackle Zack Cobb forces MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles to fumble before halftime.


              Nazir Kush runs for Northwestern’s only touchdown late in the first half.


              MSU’s Nick Marsh is in the clear with a 66-yard touchdown catch.


              Northwestern’s Josh Fussell had eight catches for 101 yards.

              4TH-AND-DONE
              Northwestern keeps failing on fourth,
              burned by big plays in loss at MSU


              EAST LANSING, Mich. — When your football team goes 2-for-8 on fourth down, you figure the third-down conversion rate is also pretty bad to be in the position to go into Dan Campbell mode that often.

              And you’d be correct.

              Not only did six Northwestern drives die on failed fourth-down attempts, but the Wildcats were a paltry 2-for-15 on third down during a 29-10 loss to Michigan State on Oct. 10, 2026.

              Michigan State wasn’t much better, going 3-for-11 on third down without attempting a fourth-down play, but two big plays by the Spartans were the difference and had the Wildcats in desperation mode most of the second half.

              Aidan Chiles, now an 86 OVR senior, threw touchdown passes of 57 yards to Antonio Gates (who didn’t get the memo he was transferring) and 66 yards to Nick Marsh (who will transfer out of East Lansing if he knows what’s good for him) to give the Spartans a 20-10 lead with 5:21 left in the third quarter.

              Northwestern (3-3) simply couldn’t convert on fourth downs to get back in the game.

              “It’s depressing to be midway through my third season and still not having plays we can rely upon (a.k.a. money plays) in big situations,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “I am truly the worst College Football 25 player out there.”

              B-Dawg actually played this game three days after Michigan State lost to Michigan in real life on Oct. 26. The end of the first half had eerie similarities to the way in which the Spartans gave Michigan new life in what became a 24-17 Wolverine victory.

              In that game, Michigan was utterly inept, but only trailed 7-0 before scoring nine points in the final 29 seconds of the first half, aided by a fumble by Chiles.

              In this game, all 10 of Northwestern’s points were scored in the final 52 seconds of the first half. After a 1-yard touchdown run by Nazir Kush with 52 seconds left in the half, a fumble by Chiles gifted Northwestern a 22-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.

              “Settling for a field goal when we were that close really hurt us,” B-Dawg said. “The second half may have played out entirely different had we been up 14-13 instead of down 13-10.”

              Kush ran for 94 yards on 23 carries, but 48 of those yards came on one carry. Josh Fussell caught eight passes for 101 yards, but also had three drops.

              Ryan Boe went a second straight game without throwing an interception, but it was also his second straight game without throwing a touchdown pass, plus he was below 50% at 20-for-46 for 206 yards.





              NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
              Jordan Knox 6 pancakes, 1 sack; Idrys Cotton 4-0; Camp Magee 4-0; Shawn Boyett 2-0; Anthony Birsa 1-0; Simon Silva 1-0; Josh Fussell 1-0.

              Comment

              • djp73
                Coach Porter Davis
                • Jun 2009
                • 8504

                #172
                Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

                That 52 run game is exactly how I would have played it after five picks
                ---

                Comment

                • RyanLeaf16
                  MVP
                  • Dec 2007
                  • 1003

                  #173
                  Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

                  Caught up! Went 3-2 in that stretch of games. Not terrible for the turnover issues. Best advice I can provide to "clean it up" is to pick really simple passes that have a quick "safe" route that you like. I would say just go with one read and take off, but I don't think Boe is built for that. That might be more suited for your RSFr.

                  I would think about throwing on 1st down more to get ahead of the sticks and then try and pick up the first down running on 2nd and 3rd - again, only if you are ahead of the sticks after first down.

                  Wear and tear is a b!tch in this game. I would use your entire stable if you can. It might seem like a pain to do, but I rotate backs every series. Just go into the depth chart and rotate the guys I want playing. Sometimes I give my best back 2 drives before cycling him out too, but something to think about utilizing with that wear and tear, it likely has an issue with some of those 4th down conversion chances.

                  Comment

                  • BDawg35
                    MVP
                    • Apr 2003
                    • 2319

                    #174
                    Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

                    Originally posted by djp73
                    That 52 run game is exactly how I would have played it after five picks
                    It would have been more but I couldn’t stay on schedule with a lot of my runs and had to pass.

                    Originally posted by RyanLeaf16
                    Caught up! Went 3-2 in that stretch of games. Not terrible for the turnover issues. Best advice I can provide to "clean it up" is to pick really simple passes that have a quick "safe" route that you like. I would say just go with one read and take off, but I don't think Boe is built for that. That might be more suited for your RSFr.

                    I would think about throwing on 1st down more to get ahead of the sticks and then try and pick up the first down running on 2nd and 3rd - again, only if you are ahead of the sticks after first down.

                    Wear and tear is a b!tch in this game. I would use your entire stable if you can. It might seem like a pain to do, but I rotate backs every series. Just go into the depth chart and rotate the guys I want playing. Sometimes I give my best back 2 drives before cycling him out too, but something to think about utilizing with that wear and tear, it likely has an issue with some of those 4th down conversion chances.
                    I run drag routes maybe 80% of the time. I’ve still had a few picked off, but not as many as when I throw deep or down the middle.


                    It looks like one way to mix backs is to have someone under third down back in your depth chart. I’ve noticed that player is sometimes different than my starter. I’ll have to play with it.

                    Comment

                    • cookies00
                      Rookie
                      • Jun 2024
                      • 83

                      #175
                      Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

                      Manually controlling Boe, how do you like him? Aside from the poor reads and picks.

                      Seems like Kush is going to be a guy who may set some dynasty records in here.

                      Comment

                      • redsox907
                        MVP
                        • Aug 2024
                        • 1963

                        #176
                        Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

                        For rotating backs I try and have my starter and the 3rd down RB be separate players, so you get more of a rotation on the field.

                        I've got two RBs that are starter caliber right now so what I do is have my #1 RB as the starter and the #1 on 3rd down, with the 2nd as the power. Then after the 1st/2nd Q depending on how the game goes I switch the starters so my #2 is listed as the starter so he'll start getting carries, but my true #1 still gets on the field when he needs a breather and whenever the receiving RB would be on the field. In my playbook there is quite a few running plays that call for the 3rd down RB so he still gets 10+ carries in the 2nd half.

                        I also do this with my best receiver and the slot WR role. It moves your #1 around the field more while getting some other guys on the DC involved. If your #1 is also listed as the slot WR, anytime the slot WR is in on the play he'll move over to there and the WRs all move up one (#2 @ #1, #3 @ #2, etc.)

                        Comment

                        • BDawg35
                          MVP
                          • Apr 2003
                          • 2319

                          #177
                          Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

                          Originally posted by cookies00
                          Manually controlling Boe, how do you like him? Aside from the poor reads and picks.

                          Seems like Kush is going to be a guy who may set some dynasty records in here.
                          Boe is 89 OVR, which I never expected to have in the third year of this dynasty. That 10-point jump from his first to second year was amazing. He seems to be able to put the ball where I intend it to go, but I often make bad reads and don't see trouble lurking. The picks are on me - nobody else. I wonder what would happen if I used a 70 OVR quarterback. Would it be worse?

                          Originally posted by redsox907
                          For rotating backs I try and have my starter and the 3rd down RB be separate players, so you get more of a rotation on the field.

                          I've got two RBs that are starter caliber right now so what I do is have my #1 RB as the starter and the #1 on 3rd down, with the 2nd as the power. Then after the 1st/2nd Q depending on how the game goes I switch the starters so my #2 is listed as the starter so he'll start getting carries, but my true #1 still gets on the field when he needs a breather and whenever the receiving RB would be on the field. In my playbook there is quite a few running plays that call for the 3rd down RB so he still gets 10+ carries in the 2nd half.

                          I also do this with my best receiver and the slot WR role. It moves your #1 around the field more while getting some other guys on the DC involved. If your #1 is also listed as the slot WR, anytime the slot WR is in on the play he'll move over to there and the WRs all move up one (#2 @ #1, #3 @ #2, etc.)
                          Yeah, I need to do a better job of mixing my backs because it seems like very game my running back is a severe injury risk. I need my backs to be healthy, because I have to get at least 20 carries a game out of my main back and closer to 30 total if I'm going to win consistently.

                          I'm still learning the differences in this game from NCAA '14.

                          Comment

                          • BDawg35
                            MVP
                            • Apr 2003
                            • 2319

                            #178
                            2026 SEASON - GAME 7




                            Northwestern tight end Camp Magee scores on the first of his two touchdown catches.


                            Northwestern cornerback Josh Fussell returns an interception for a touchdown.


                            Northwestern running back Nazir Kush pulls the ol’ okie-doke as he crosses the goal line.


                            Northwestern receiver Jaylen Love grabs a touchdown catch.


                            Northwestern safety Tito Williams picks off a pass.


                            Northwestern defensive end Izaiah Bush scoops up a fumble.


                            Northwestern receiver Carson Grove hauls in a 38-yard catch to set up a touchdown.

                            END ZONE RARITIES
                            Tight end scores two touchdowns,
                            Northwestern rolls past Hoosiers


                            BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — When Thomas Gordon caught a 20-yard pass for the first touchdown in this dynasty against The U (Ohio) to open the 2024 season, it appeared the tight end would have a prominent role in B-Dawg’s offense.

                            But in the 31 games that followed, tight ends caught only four touchdown passes, including a big fast zero in the first six games of the 2026 season.

                            So, no wonder more than a few eyebrows were raised when tight end Camp Magee found himself in the end zone twice during a 42-14 rout of Indiana on Oct. 17, 2026.

                            Magee caught touchdown passes of 13 and 12 yards from Ryan Boe for the second and third touchdown catches of his career. He had a huge 12-yard touchdown catch in a 13-9 victory over Oregon last season when B-Dawg came out smelling like a rose after hitting the wrong receiver button.

                            “We are still looking for our Ryan Jamison,” said B-Dawg, referring to the tight end he coached at Vanderbilt who caught 344 passes for 4,147 yards and 45 touchdowns in NCAA ’14. “If you remember, my first touchdown at Vanderbilt was also to a tight end, but then we didn’t feel comfortable enough with the guys we had to make that a featured part of our offense. I love when I have a tight end with whom I can exploit mismatches. These guys are better off as blockers, but some things opened up for Camp today. He may never catch another touchdown pass the rest of his career, but things aligned perfectly for him today.”

                            Magee caught his first touchdown running a drag route from a pistol formation B-Dawg rarely uses, but with which he found success hitting Carson Grove (six catches, 89 yards) down the left sideline. The other was a classic tight end touchdown pass down the seam against a blitz.

                            It was the first time B-Dawg has thrown to touchdowns to a tight end in the same game.

                            Indiana (1-5) wasn’t a threat against Northwestern (4-3), which was looking to bounce back from a loss at Michigan State.

                            Magee’s first touchdown catch gave the Wildcats a 28-0 lead with 6:07 left in the second quarter. The only sign of hope for the Hoosiers came when, of course, Ryan Boe served up a pick-six on second-and-goal from the 12-yard line. Jamari Sharpe took the gift 92 yards for a touchdown with 1:41 left in the first half.

                            “I got cute with an out route, which is always a bad decision deep in enemy territory when the defense doesn’t have to worry about defending much field,” B-Dawg said.

                            The Wildcats got back near the Indiana goal line late in the half, but B-Dawg didn’t account for as much time running off the clock while he was in a hurry-up offense. The clock was down to four seconds on the snap and the pass was incomplete to end the half.

                            The Hoosiers couldn’t take advantage of the momentum they gained late in the first half. Northwestern built its lead to 42-7 on Magee’s 12-yard catch and a 42-yard pick-six by speedy cornerback Josh Fussell in the third quarter.

                            The Indiana offense didn’t score until Tayven Jackson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Matt Rozeboom with 1:13 left in the game. The Hoosiers had only 190 yards of total offense.





                            NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
                            Jordan Knox 13 pancakes, 0 sacks; Anthony Birsa 3-0; Idrys Cotton 3-0; Simon Silva 2-0; Tobias Lamm 2-0; Shawn Boyett 1-0; Brandon Henderson 1-0; Taylor Jackson 1-0; Hunter Schilens 1-0.

                            Comment

                            • BDawg35
                              MVP
                              • Apr 2003
                              • 2319

                              #179
                              CLASS OF 2027 RECRUITING UPDATE








                              Will 4-star quarterback recruits
                              wait behind Boe at Northwestern?


                              EVANSTON, Ind. — Starting quarterback Ryan Boe still has two years of eligibility remaining at Northwestern, so perhaps it’s a head-scratcher that two of the top quarterbacks in the country committed to the Wildcats on the same week.

                              Will they be patient and wait their turn to battle for the starting job?

                              Or will they be petulant brats like so many college quarterbacks these days and transfer before ever getting a start in purple and white?

                              We shall see.

                              Vernon Starr of Novi, Mich. — a frequent stop of B-Dawg’s in his real-life job — is the seventh-ranked quarterback in the country. He chose Northwestern over Iowa and Wisconsin.

                              Gideon Pena of Fort Mitchell, Ky. chose the Wildcats over Alabama-Birmingham and Kentucky.

                              Starr is rated seventh overall and Pena 20th among quarterbacks in the Class of 2027.

                              “I am thrilled to get our first four-star quarterbacks,” B-Dawg said. “We can build some depth at the position in case of injury and hopefully build for the future. Of course, you can’t really plan for the future in this era of college football. Ryan Boe will probably in the 90s OVR during the next two years, so I don’t foresee these guys getting on the field for anything but mop-up duty.”

                              Northwestern got locked out by another four-star quarterback, Chad Osborne of Minooka, Ill., which was probably a smart move on his part. He has Illinois, Missouri and Cincinnati in his top three. Northwestern was fifth on his list.

                              Comment

                              • BDawg35
                                MVP
                                • Apr 2003
                                • 2319

                                #180
                                2026 SEASON - GAME 8




                                Northwestern defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth celebrates sack of Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik.


                                Northwestern defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth gets one of his four sacks of Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik.


                                Northwestern defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth forces Penn State quarterback Jaxon Smolik to fumble the ball.


                                Northwestern’s Dennis Rahouski recovers the fumble with fellow defensive lineman Tyler Gant on top of him.


                                Northwestern cornerback Cole Shivers picks off a pass in the end zone to end the game.


                                Northwestern WR-CB Timi Oke grabs an 8-yard touchdown catch.


                                Penn State tight end Jerry Cross hauls in a 76-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring 43 seconds into the game.

                                SACK MASTER
                                Northwestern’s transfer portal DE
                                has 4 sacks in rout of Penn State


                                EVANSTON, Ind. — B-Dawg is an old traditionalist who shades toward the grumpy side, so he finds much about modern college football distasteful.

                                But in order to win these days, you have to keep up with the Joneses, which is why he’s gone both feet in when it comes to the transfer portal.

                                His biggest catch so far in the portal has been senior defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth, who came to Northwestern from Colorado State.

                                The 82 OVR Gatkuoth helps even up things a bit when the Wildcats play teams like, for instance, Penn State.

                                Gatkuoth has been a presence all season, but turned in a breakout performance with four sacks and a forced fumble among his eight tackles during a 36-7 rout of the 21st-ranked Nittany Lions on Oct. 31, 2026.

                                “They had no answer for him,” B-Dawg said. “I was user-controlling him and having the kind of success I had with Anto Saka the last two years from left end, but some of what he does is all him.”

                                Gatkuoth has been in on at least one sack in all eight games, racking up 11 sacks and 15 tackles for losses among his 37 total tackles. He also had an interception in the opener against Central Michigan. Gatkuoth had his 20th career sack during the game.

                                “My only regret is I get him for only one season,” B-Dawg said. “You take talent when it comes your way.”

                                Gatkuoth had four of Northwestern’s five sacks against quarterback Jaxon Smolik, who threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jerry Cross on third-and-eight just 43 seconds into the game, but couldn’t generate any points the rest of the way.

                                The sacks helped limit Penn State (4-4) to only 16 yards on 19 carries. Smolik had an 18-yard run, but the sacks left him with minus-23 yards on eight carries.

                                By the end of the first quarter, Northwestern had made up for the touchdown to Cross by taking a 17-7 lead. A sack/forced fumble by Gatkuoth set up the second touchdown. The Wildcats already had more points than they had against Penn State last season in a 17-16 loss in which B-Dawg forgot the margin and kicked a walk-off field goal that left the Wildcats one point short.

                                “I was well aware of that game,” B-Dawg said. “I knew we could hang with these guys and was determined to prove that it wasn’t a fluke that we nearly beat them in Happy Valley last year.”

                                While Penn State struggled to run the ball, Northwestern (5-3) had a strong two-headed monster in Nazir Kush and Caleb Komolafe. Kush ran 25 times for 99 yards and one touchdown, while Komolafe ran 16 times for 72 yards and two scores.

                                Eleven different Wildcats caught passes and seven carried the ball.

                                It was only a 20-7 game entering the fourth quarter, leaving Penn State plenty of time to rally, but Komolafe scored two touchdowns to put the game out of reach.

                                A 54-yard pass to Cross, whose 130 yards on two big catches accounted for more than half of Penn State’s 258 yards of offense, set up the Nittany Lions for a chance to score a window-dressing touchdown at the end. But with the ball at the Northwestern 13, Cole Shivers intercepted a pass in the end zone to end the game.

                                Despite Penn State’s inability to run, redshirt sophomore center Cooper Cousins somehow amassed 18 pancakes, though he allowed a sack. The rest of the team had 16 pancakes.





                                NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
                                Jordan Knox 14 pancakes, 2 sacks; Simon Silva 6-0; Idrys Cotton 6-0; Anthony Birsa 5-0; Shawn Boyett 5-0; Julius Hazel 3-0; Jaelen Camarda 3-0; Timi Oke 1-0.

                                Comment

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