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

[BDawg35]

DEARLY DEPARTED AFTER 2028 SEASON


Quarterback Ryan Boe is among the final real-life Northwestern players leaving this dynasty.



B-Dawg bids farewell to final
real-life players in this dynasty

And now we’ve reached the saddest moment in any dynasty.

Here is where you bid a fond adieu to the final real-life players in your dynasty, guys who were there from the beginning, even if they were red-shirted for the first season.

You had high hopes for their progression when you red-shirted them, plus you knew they would add an element of a realistic roster to your dynasty in Year 5.

Some progressed nicely, like wide receiver Carson Grove from 58 OVR to 83 OVR. Some did absolutely nothing as fifth-year seniors, like middle linebacker Callen Campbell (one measly tackle).

But we love them all.

And now they are moving on to … well, to nothing, because you can’t export draft classes to Madden.

They will always live on in our memories, however.

The most notable player leaving this dynasty is quarterback Ryan Boe, who started for four seasons, except for a blip his redshirt freshman year when he was replaced after turning into an interception machine. He never really got over that tendency, finishing his career with 58 touchdowns and 60 interceptions.

But he led Northwestern to one natty and overtime in another national championship game. He will be a legend in Evanston.

The real-life Wildcats who are among the dearly departed are Boe, Grove, Campbell, running back Jakori McFarland, wide receiver Hayde Eligon, center Idrys Cotton, defensive end Braxton Strong, defensive end Dennis Rahouski, defensive tackle Izaiah Bush, middle linebacker Matthew Smith, free safety Tito Williams and strong safety Sean Martin.

Real-life players obtained through the portal were cornerback Jameel Croft (Kansas) and free safety Keke Adams (Virginia). The other graduating players are from the first recruiting class.

Boe is projected to go in the second round of a nonexistent Madden draft, while Cotton is projected to be a third-round pick.

RYAN BOE, QB, 91 OVR
Career stats: 1171-for-1782, 12,328 yards, 58 TD, 60 int.; 180 carries, minus-17 yards, 34 TD

IDRYS COTTON, C, 90 OVR
Career stats: 2 sacks allowed in 39 games

SEAN MARTIN, SS, 88 OVR
Career stats: 196 tackles (64 solos, 132 assists), 9 TD, 2 interceptions, 18 deflections

JAMEEL CROFT, CB, 87 OVR
Career stats: 241 tackles (128 solos, 113 assists), 13 TDL, 12 interceptions, 23 deflections

TITO WILLIAMS, FS, 86 OVR
Career stats: 264 tackles (92 solos, 172 assists), 10 TFL, 16 interceptions, 25 deflections

DENNIS RAHOUSKI, DE, 86 OVR
Career stats: 91 tackles (34 solos, 57 assists), 39 TFL, 20 sacks, 1 interception, 3 deflections

JAELEN CAMARDA, FB, 86 OVR
Career stats: 86 carries, 209 yards, 6 TD; 13 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD

IZAIAH BUSH, DT, 84 OVR
Career stats: 122 tackles (49 solos, 73 assists), 59 TFL, 34 sacks, 1 interception, 13 deflections

ZACH COBB, DT, 84 OVR
Career stats: 69 tackles (23 solos, 46 assists), 25 TFL, 12 sacks, 1 deflection

CARSON GROVE, WR, 83 OVR
Career stats: 242 catches, 2,810 yards, 13 TD

MATTHEW SMITH, MLB, 83 OVR
Career stats: 404 tackles (147 solos, 257 assists), 61 TFL, 7 sacks, 3 interceptions, 29 deflections

ENRIQUE SWAIM, K, 83 OVR
Career stats: 69-for-86 FG, 45 long, 189-for-190 PAT

KEKE ADAMS, FS, 83 OVR
Career stats: 153 tackles (105 solos, 48 assists), 13 TFL, 3 sacks, 5 interceptions, 17 deflections, 4 touchdowns

BRAXTON STRONG, DE, 82 OVR
Career stats: 95 tackles (44 solos, 51 assists), 95 TFL, 29 sacks, 5 deflections

SHAWN BOYETT, OT, 82 OVR
Career stats: 9 sacks allowed in 58 games

HAYDEN ELIGON, WR, 79 OVR
Career stats: 139 catches, 1,285 yards, 11 TD

LARRY HURLEY, P, 78 OVR
Career stats: 165 punts, 6,599 yards, 40.0 avg., 5,765 net yards, 34.9 net avg., 42 inside 20, 15 touchbacks, 60 long, 2 blocked

JAKORI McFARLAND, HB, 75 OVR
Career stats: 436 carries, 1,850 yards, 19 TD; 38 catches, 292 yards, 0 TD

CALLEN CAMPBELL, OLB, 69 OVR
Career stats: 105 tackles (30 solos, 75 assists), 6 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 interception

DeWAYNE FLOWERS, TE, 68 OVR
Career stats: 12 catches, 90 yards, 0 TD

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2029 RECRUITING



Northwestern neglects halfbacks
during Class of 2029 recruiting

Northwestern filled some needs at receiver and linebacker with high school and transfer recruits heading into the 2029 season, but left a glaring hole on its roster.

The Wildcats didn’t recruit a single halfback, leaving them with only three on their roster at a position that is typically depleted because of the overblown effect of wear and tear on running backs.

Northwestern did add two fullbacks, but it wouldn’t be good if one of them had to play key snaps at running back in the event of injuries.

Coach B-Dawg focused on linebackers in the transfer portal after realizing he was getting low in that group. He added three transfer linebackers, none of whom will light it up, but who will provide injury insurance.

Receiver is where the biggest splash was made. Montrell Murray is the 37th-ranked player in the nation and athlete Andres Nickey, who will play receiver, is ranked 64th.

The Wildcats’ class ranks 34th in the country, a drop from 23rd last year.

A bright spot is that B-Dawg didn’t grossly overrecruit this year like last year. His roster is at 83 players.


IN-SEASON RECRUITS

ERIC GIBBS, WR-64, 5-10, 209, Southfield, Mich., 4 stars
ANDRES NICKEY, ATH-7, 6-2, 200, Richmond, Texas, 4 stars
FLOYD KEENAN, QB-15, 6-2, 205, Somerset, Ky., 4 stars
QUENTIN UPSHAW, RG-14, 6-3, 287, Detroit, Mich., 4 stars
ROSS STEWART, LOLB-2, 6-2, 249, Blue Springs, Mo., 4 stars
MONTRELL MURRAY, WR-5, 6-2, 207, American Fork, Utah, 4 stars
KALON HAMRICK, RE-16, 6-2, 259, Theodore, Ala., 4 stars
NICK KIERNAN, DT-4, 6-4, 289, Charlestown, Ind., 4 stars
CONNOR NORDIN, DT-64, 6-1, 317, Woodstock, Ga., 3 stars
OFISA HAND, RE-93, 6-6, 286, Arlington, Texas, 3 stars
JAY OLSEN, K-12, 6-0, 180, Naperville, Ill., 3 stars
BRADY ELLINGTON, FB-1, 6-0, 225, Burtonsville, Md., 3 stars
NATE BARR, FB-5, 6-1, 232, Haslet, Texas, 3 stars


TRANSFER PORTAL

DAMARIUS TOLSON, DT-3, 6-6, 307, Floyds Knobs, Ind., 4 stars (Michigan State)
BEN DAWKINS, MLB-10, 6-0, 230, Vineland, N.J., 2 stars (Central Michigan)
RAHEEM JELLS, MLB-13, 6-2, 220, Walled Lake, Mich., 2 stars (Wisconsin)
ALEX LABELLE, ROLB-10, 6-0, 221, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2 stars (Purdue)


CLASS OF 2029 TOP RECRUITING CLASSES

1. Oregon
2. LSU
3. Clemson
4. Michigan
5. Penn State
6. Notre Dame
7. Georgia
8. Texas Christian
9. Tennessee
10. Wisconsin
11. The U
12. Arkansas
13. Arizona State
14. Ohio State
15. Florida
16. Nebraska
17. Texas
18. Oklahoma
19. USC
20. Utah
21. South Carolina
22. Georgia Tech
23. Texas A&M
24. Auburn
25. Kentucky
28. UCLA
30. Iowa
34. NORTHWESTERN
51. Minnesota
56. Washington
65. Michigan State
76. Maryland
91. Rutgers
97. Illinois
106. Purdue
111. Indiana
134. New Mexico


CLASS OF 2029 TOP RECRUITS

1. NICHOLAS WILLIE, DT, 6-1, 304, Chicago, Ill. (Michigan)
2. MOSES ELENZ, ATH, 6-7, 243, Winchester, Ky. (Cincinnati)
3. FREDRICK CUMMINGS, HB, 6-0, 204, El Paso, Texas (Oregon)
4. RAMON MICKENS, OLB, 6-2, 229, Savannah, Ga. (Clemson)
5. PAT GOLD, CB, 6-2, 202, Southfield, Mich. (Penn State)
6. NICO TERCERO, SS, 6-3, 201, Allen, Texas (Texas Christian)
7. GLENN HAND, MLB, 6-2, 232, Inglewood, Calif. (Clemson)
8. JASON JORDAN, SS, 6-2, 205, Lubbock, Texas (Penn State)
9. STEVE DUNSMORE, ATH, 6-0, 240, Shreveport, La. (LSU)
10. ANTHONY PEAT, ATH, 5-10, 200, St. Louis, Mo. (Notre Dame)

[redsox907]

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

Hopefully the HB depth doesn't hurt you. With Ball State I neglected the HB by pure oversight and ended up with only two on the roster. My 88 OVR power rushing DE ended up taking snaps as the power halfback for the 2nd half of the season after my starter got hurt.

Hopefully you fare better on that front. Excited to see how the roster shakes out after so many RL players departed

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON PREVIEW


Fifth-year senior Forrest Edmond will finally get to be Northwestern’s QB1, at least to begin the season.

FRESH START
Wildcats will have many new faces
after two trips to national title game

EVANSTON, Ill. — If you’re a fan of Northwestern’s real-life football team, you won’t recognize any of the names this season.

Heck, even if you’re a fan of B-Dawg’s fake Wildcats, there won’t be many familiar names.

Many of the players who carried Northwestern to a national championship two years ago and a berth in the title game last season are gone into the abyss, existing only in our memories.

Few players who have made an impact in the program will take the virtual gridiron in 2029.

Senior running back Nazir Kush has started the last three seasons, producing two 1,000-yard campaigns while battling wear-and-tear injuries.

Cornerbacks Soni Motuapuaka and Jayvon Hope have been key contributors in the secondary the last two seasons.

But that’s about it.

The Wildcats will have a new starting quarterback after Ryan Boe had nearly all of the starts the last four seasons. They’ll even have a new kicker and punter.

Fifth-year senior Forrest Edmond will take over at quarterback, at least for now. Don’t be surprised if we get a replay of Boe’s first season when he was replaced by Aidan Gray in midseason. Redshirt sophomore Vernon Starr and redshirt freshman Kristian Brown are waiting in the wings if Edmond falters.

At 89 OVR, Kush is the team’s highest-rated player. Receivers J.C. Cantwell and Andres Nickey are the fastest with 95 SPD.

Despite so many new faces, the Wildcats have their highest overall team rating in six seasons under B-Dawg at 85 OVR. They are also 85 on offense and 85 on defense.


QUARTERBACKS

After waiting four years behind Ryan Boe, Forrest Edmond finally gets his shot at being the starting quarterback. He gets the edge because of his 89 SPD rating. His throwing ratings aren’t much different than the other contenders for the job, Vernon Starr and Kristian Brown. Edmond is 84 OVR with 91 THP, 93 SAC, 84 MAC and 78 DAC. Starr is 81 OVR with 81 SPD, 92 THP, 92 SAC, 91 MAC and 76 DAC. Brown is 81 OVR with 79 SPD, 91 THP, 89 SAC, 85 MAC and 84 DAC. Edmond’s speed may be moot, because B-Dawg wasn’t able to exploit Mike Wright’s speed in 2024. Edmond has thrown three touchdown passes in mop-up duty during his career. He caught a 36-yard touchdown pass against Illinois last season.


RUNNING BACKS

Somehow, B-Dawg got caught shorthanded at running back. He has only three running backs, which is a colossal blunder in roster management when you consider how overblown wear and tear seems to be in this game. Nazir Kush is 89 OVR with 92 SPD, 92 CAR, 87 BTK and 78 CTH. Kush has 800 carries for 3,588 yards and 26 touchdowns in his career, but is prone to missing chunks of games with injuries. Prince Hoke is a capable starter at 85 OVR with 90 SPD, 83 CAR, 76 BTK and 81 CTH. Howie Brazzell, who is 78 OVR with 89 SPD, may get more carries than anyone would like. Two freshmen will man the fullback position, 69 OVR Nate Barr and 67 OVR Brady Ellington. Ellington may get the start because he has a 70-63 advantage in run blocking.


WIDE RECEIVERS

Northwestern graduated Carson Grove and his 115 catches for 1,290 yards, but sophomore J.C. Cantwell should be able to take over as the No. 1 wide receiver. Cantwell was the second-leading receiver as a true freshman, catching 74 passes for 835 yards and two touchdowns. There’s a lot of short passes to move the chains, but very few chunk plays that can go house. Cantwell is 81 OVR with 95 SPD and 82 CTH. Dell Choice has the highest rating among receivers at 83 OVR with 90 SPD and 81 CTH. Choice will become a bigger part of the offense after catching 28 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns last season. Brendan Wicks is 80 OVR, while the rest of the receivers are 74 or lower. Andres Nickey, a 72 OVR true freshman, should get bumped up the depth chart because of his 95 SPD.


TIGHT ENDS

The tight end position has been strictly a blocking position for B-Dawg so far. Last season, tight ends combined for only 20 catches. All three tight ends who caught a pass last year are back. Nick Stoddard (73 OVR, 68 SPD, 73 CTH) caught 15 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Josh Stephen has a great combination of attributes, but had only four catches for 69 yards last year. Stephen is 77 OVR with 86 SPD, 78 CTH, 66 PBK and 76 RBK. B-Dawg will look to utilize him more than past tight ends.


OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Northwestern has finally built some depth on its offensive line, which will be great for a team looking to pound the rock and protect a new quarterback. The Wildcats have seven offensive linemen rated 80 or higher, led by 86 OVR right tackle Calvin Claybrooks. Deon Barry is an 84 OVR right guard, so Northwestern will look to run the ball behind the right side of the line quite a bit.


DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Northwestern is developing a tradition of quarterback-destroying defensive linemen who win national awards. The Wildcats have had four different defensive linemen win Defensive Player of the Year the last four years. Anto Saka won in 2025, Nuer Gutkuoth in 2026, Troy Regovich in 2027 and Braxton Strong in 2028. Who will step up and be the next Northwestern defensive lineman to win the award? The most likely candidate is 81 OVR defensive end Clint Suttle, who will be given the coveted left end position from which B-Dawg gets most of his sacks. Suttle has 90 STR, 67 SPD and 79 ACC, so the burst may not quite be there. Damarius Tolson is an 81 OVR defensive tackle. Other than that, no other defensive lineman is rated higher than 74, so this could be a down year up front.


LINEBACKERS

The linebacking corps has produced some of the top single-season tacklers in B-Dawg’s career, but this looks like a down year for the position. Middle linebacker Tavon Lenon and outside linebacker George Dennis are the highest-rated players in the group at 79 OVR. Lenon hopes to follow in the footsteps of Xander Mueller, Brendan McIntosh and Matthew Smith as a massive tackle accumulator. Chance Short (97 TAK) and David Diggs (91 SPD) will play outside linebacker in the 4-3.


DEFENSIVE BACKS

This has the makings of a solid secondary, led by 84 OVR corners Soni Motuapuaka and Jayvon Hope. Motuapuaka has 90 SPD, 94 CTH and 63 TAK. Hope has 87 SPD, 88 CTH and 72 TAK. A strange feature of this secondary is that Northwestern’s defensive backs have better hands than its receivers. Free safety Xavier Tubbs has 99 CTH, Motuapuaka 94 CTH, strong safety Lamar Bakhtiari 90 CTH, Hope 88 CTH and cornerback Larry Tamm 86 CTH. The fastest defensive back is corner Leo Davis, who is tied for fifth on the depth chart at 78 OVR. Davis’ 93 SPD may move him up the depth chart.


SPECIAL TEAMS

The special teams unit will be entirely true freshmen. Kicker Jay Olsen is 70 OVR with 92 KPW and 69 KAC. Punter Cortez Duarte is 56 OVR with 76 KPW and 68 KAC. Andres Nickey will return kicks and punts because he has 95 SPD and isn’t a featured receiver, allowing him some rest after his returns.












2029 AP PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. Michigan (40)
2. Northwestern (26)
3. Penn State (2)
4. Oregon
5. Duke
6. Texas A&M
7. South Carolina
8. Clemson
9. Wisconsin
10. Arkansas
11. Stanford
12. The U
13. Tennessee
14. Notre Dame
15. Pittsburgh
16. Georgia
17. Iowa State
18. Nebraska
19. Ohio State
20. Tulane
21. Alabama-Birmingham
22. Utah
23. Fresno State
24. Oklahoma
25. Mississippi


2029 COACHES’ PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. Michigan (37)
2. Northwestern (23)
3. Penn State (1)
4. Wisconsin
5. Oregon
6. Duke
7. Clemson
8. Arkansas
9. Texas A&M
10. South Carolina
11. Stanford
12. The U
13. Notre Dame
14. Tennessee
15. Pittsburgh
16. Iowa State
17. Nebraska
18. Georgia
19. Ohio State
20. Tulane
21. Mississippi
22. Fresno State
23. Utah
24. Illinois
25. Southern Methodist





FIRST TEAM
QB, Craig Arnold, Georgia, rJr.
HB, Nick Burfict, Ohio State, rJr.
HB, Frederick Smith, Texas, rJr.
WR, Jeff Gumbs, Clemson, Sr.
WR, Antwon Vick, Clemson, rSoph.
WR, Ben Bernstine, Duke, rJr.
TE, D.J. Leeuwenburg, Pittsburgh, Jr.
LT, Steven Walther, Notre Dame, Sr.
LG, Spencer Coker, Georgia, rJr.
C, Sam Knight, Michigan, rSr.
RG, Austin Gessner, Michigan, rSr.
RT, Victor Wonnum, Ohio State, rSr.
LE, Salesi Topa, Arkansas, Sr.
RE, Sam Jupin, Ohio State, rJr.
DT, Cassidy Cruise, Penn State, Sr.
DT, Jeremiah Hagans, Oregon, rSr.
LOLB, Levi Beckner, Clemson, rSr.
MLB, Josh Rosas, Ohio State, rJr.
ROLB, Juan Banks, Wisconsin, rJr.
CB, Emmett Smith, USC, Sr.
CB, Joel Amell, Oregon, Jr.
FS, Addison Lewis, Clemson, rSr.
SS, Jeff Casey, Oregon, Sr.
K, Stephen Moch, Cincinnati, Sr.
P, Rico Williams, Louisville, rSr.

SECOND TEAM
QB, Tyrell Thomas, USC, rSr.
HB, David Tuszka, Florida State, rSr.
HB, Sammy Novak, Auburn, rSr.
WR, Caden Curl, USC, rJr.
WR, Jay Miles, Oregon, rSr.
WR, Greg Gammon, Florida, Sr.
TE, Titus Butt, North Carolina, rJr.
LT, Earl Stick, Michigan, rSoph.
LG, Rico Estandia, Texas, rSr.
C, Warren Reaves, Duke, Sr.
RG, Kevin Carrera, Oregon, rJr.
RT, Deon Amerson, Tennessee, rSr.
LE, Mike Banks, Tulane, rSr.
RE, Alex Poole, Michigan, rJr.
DT, Jayvon Priester, Notre Dame, Sr.
DT, Kai Smith, North Carolina State, Sr.
LOLB, Jose Brocklin, Oregon, rJr.
MLB, Scott Sizer, Oklahoma, Sr.
ROLB, David Hitchens, Oregon, rJr.
CB, Nate Cantrell, Kansas State, rSr.
CB, Nate Hall, North Carolina State, Sr.
FS, Daunte Cook, Utah, rSoph.
SS, J.R. Koehler, Tulane, Sr.
K, Rico Orlando, Oklahoma State, Sr.
P, Luis Hagg, Alabama-Birmingham, Sr.




FIRST TEAM

QB, Tyrell Thomas, USC, rSr.
HB, Nick Burfict, Ohio State, rJr.
HB, T.J. Folkerts, Ohio State, rSr.
WR, Caden Curl, USC, rJr.
WR, Jay Miles, Oregon, rSr.
WR, Jose Bigsby, Penn State, Sr.
TE, Bart Dalton, Nebraska, rSr.
LT, Earl Stick, Michigan, rSoph.
LG, Keenen Brees, Michigan, rJr.
C, Sam Knight, Michigan, rSr.
RG, Austin Gessner, Michigan, rSr.
RT, Victor Wonnum, Ohio State, rSr.
LE, Demetrius Carlin, Michigan, rSr.
RE, Sam Jupin, Ohio State, rJr.
DT, Cassidy Cruise, Penn State, Sr.
DT, Jeremiah Hagans, Oregon, rSr.
LOLB, Jose Brocklin, Oregon, rJr.
MLB, Josh Rosas, Ohio State, rJr.
ROLB, Juan Banks, Wisconsin, rJr.
CB, Emmett Smith, USC, Sr.
CB, Joel Amell, Oregon, Jr.
FS, Josh Pryor, Ohio State, Jr.
SS, Jeff Casey, Oregon, Sr.
K, Frank Carruthers, Michigan, rJr.
P, J.R. Joe, Wisconsin, Jr.

SECOND TEAM
QB, Darius Atwell, USC, rSoph.
HB, Tua Tuitele, USC, rSr.
HB, DeAndre Burt, Penn State, rSoph.
WR, Diego Ortega, Ohio State, rSr.
WR, Jessee Najvar, USC, rSr.
WR, Edward Trufant, USC, rSr.
TE, Josh Abraham, Penn State, rSr.
LT, Jason Bryant, Oregon, rJr.
LG, Tye Gore, Michigan, rSr.
C, Soma Pututau, USC, Sr.
RG, Kevin Carrera, Oregon, rJr.
RT, Nate Gooch, Ohio State, rJr.
LE, Landon Council, Wisconsin, rSr.
RE, Alex Poole, Michigan, rJr.
DT, Joseph Filipovic, Michigan, rSr.
DT, Jermaine Denson, Nebraska, rSoph.
LOLB, Adrian Mangum, Ohio State, rJr.
MLB, Spencer Pelshak, Penn State, rSr.
ROLB, David Hitchens, Oregon, rJr.
CB, Cortney Bausby, Michigan, Sr.
CB, Brian Countess, Ohio State, rSr.
FS, Ryan Willingham, Penn State, rSr.
SS, Sharrif Ricks, Iowa, Sr.
K, Emmanuel Antwine, Ohio State, Sr.
P, Mateo Ghee, Nebraska, rSoph.




2029 PRESEASON
FREDERICK SMITH, Texas, HB, rJr.
NICK BURFICT, Ohio State, HB, rJr.
CRAIG ARNOLD, Georgia, QB, rJr.
SHAYDON MAGGIO, Liberty, HB, rJr.
MONTE WILLIAMS, Akron, HB, rSr.

[redsox907]

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

some huge conference games late, but I'm excited for the Tennessee game. Can these Wildcats get revenge for last seasons debacle??

Edmonds sound underwhelming, but so long as you can keep the HBs healthy you can likely lean on the running game. But I've got a feeling it might be a QB carousel until you find the guy you're most comfortable with

[BDawg35]

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

some huge conference games late, but I'm excited for the Tennessee game. Can these Wildcats get revenge for last seasons debacle??

Edmonds sound underwhelming, but so long as you can keep the HBs healthy you can likely lean on the running game. But I've got a feeling it might be a QB carousel until you find the guy you're most comfortable with

Not many easy games on our schedule. Maybe Purdue. Teams like Minnesota and Illinois can be tough on the road, easier at home.

WE WILL BE READY FOR THE VOLS!!!!

Hoping Edmond can seize the job and there's no controversy ... but what fun is a dynasty with a good old-fashioned QB controversy?

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON - GAME 1




West Virginia’s Cornell Swayne hauls in a 41-yard touchdown pass.


West Virginia receiver Greg Worley had two long touchdown catches.


West Virginia’s Travis Plummer makes a diving 12-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone.


West Virginia quarterback Tyson Stanford threw for 411 yards and four touchdowns.


Northwestern running back Prince Hoke broke off a 77-yard touchdown run on the second play of the season.


Northwestern quarterback Forrest Edmond was sacked twice by West Virginia’s Caleb Jefferson.


West Virginia’s Diego Alcantara sacks Northwestern quarterback Forrest Edmond.

EA STRIKES AGAIN!
Overblown wear-and-tear feature
costs NW in opening loss at W. Va.

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Northwestern running back Prince Hoke was on his way to a truly special performance in the 2029 season opener against West Virginia.

But then our old friend wear and tear — EA’s predictably overblown main feature in College Football 25 — reared its ugly head once again.

With senior Nazir Kush unable to play and Hoke sidelined early in the third quarter, the second-ranked Wildcats were shut out in the second half on the road in a 38-24 loss to the Mountaineers.

Through one half, Hoke was on pace to become B-Dawg’s ninth 300-yard rusher and the first since Derek Jones had 305 for Western Michigan in the first of three NCAA ’14 dynasties.

Hoke broke off a 77-yard touchdown run on the second play of the season and was sitting at 145 yards on 13 carries through the first quarter. He was up to 175 yards on 21 carries with 1:57 left in the second quarter when he came out with bruised ribs. He got only one more carry in the second half before checking out for good, finishing with 179 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.

B-Dawg didn’t know until he started playing the game that Kush was unavailable, still out for one more week with a dislocated hip suffered in last year’s national semifinal.

That meant that not only did third-stringer Howie Brazzell have to carry the ball nine times — and poorly that that, gaining only 16 yards — but true freshman fullback Brady Ellington had to play halfback and get eight carries for 33 yards.

“I felt like our offense became totally one-dimensional and was handcuffed once Prince went down,” B-Dawg said. “I have only three halfbacks on the roster, two who started the day healthy, and what happened today was my worst nightmare. We were running the ball down their throats with Prince.”

With Hoke sidelined and fifth-year senior Forrest Edmond doing nothing special in his first start at quarterback, the Wildcats had trouble keeping up with a West Virginia offense led by quarterback Tyson Stanford.

The 82 OVR redshirt sophomore lit up Northwestern, going 22-for-28 for 411 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Greg Worley caught six passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

Northwestern led 17-7 early in the second quarter and 24-23 midway through the third. Travis Plummer made a diving 12-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal with 3:45 left in the third.

West Virginia built a cushion when Cornell Swayne hauled in a 41-yard scoring strike from Stanford with 5:48 left in the game.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Alex Estes 11 pancakes, 0 sacks; Cornell Kafka 7-2; Hunter Schilens 6-0; Deon Barry 6-1; Calvin Claybrooks 5-0; Nate Barr 4-0; Dell Choice 4-0; Josh Stephen 2-0; Andres Nickey 1-0; Taylor Jackson 1-0.

[Deuce2223]

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

Just a thought but your might have to.turn off wear and tear off for the season. It sucks that the game doesn't allow you the ability to insert a QB, WR, or even a DB or LB in at RB

It's something I hope changes for 2026. I am sure you probably have a speedy DB who in high school probably played some RB

It's crazy sometimes with injuries. I have 2 team active in my current Dynasty, Ohio State and FIU. OSU between last year and this year (7 weeks in) has had like 32 injuries including multiple ones of 30-40 weeks. Yet my FIU roster has had less then 10. However every year I can count on losing starting RB in Week 12-14

[BDawg35]

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

Just a thought but your might have to.turn off wear and tear off for the season. It sucks that the game doesn't allow you the ability to insert a QB, WR, or even a DB or LB in at RB

It's something I hope changes for 2026. I am sure you probably have a speedy DB who in high school probably played some RB

It's crazy sometimes with injuries. I have 2 team active in my current Dynasty, Ohio State and FIU. OSU between last year and this year (7 weeks in) has had like 32 injuries including multiple ones of 30-40 weeks. Yet my FIU roster has had less then 10. However every year I can count on losing starting RB in Week 12-14

That's a great idea! I'll probably do that. I've played three games already and none of my running backs have died yet. I used to pine for a game in which injury risk was real, but at the running back position it's killing me. I guess the lesson is to recruit the crap out of that position.

I wish the game would let you do position changes in-season. You can do it in real life, so why not in the video game if you get lean at a position or just realize a player would be better off somewhere else?

I am REALLY CLOSE now to being caught up!!! I've been as much as two full seasons behind in doing reports vs. where I'm actually at playing the game. It's felt almost like a job trying to get caught up. I have only two game reports left for games I've already played. If I'm lucky, I'll get them done today before playing the fourth game of 2029. I may be able to start doing more detail once I'm playing and reporting in real time.

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON - GAME 2




Northwestern cornerback Leo Davis picks off a pass with his back turned to the quarterback.


Northwestern running back Nazir Kush breaks a tackle on his way to the end zone.


Northwestern running back Howie Brazzell scores a touchdown untouched.


Tennessee’s Gio Stack intercepted two passes in the first half.


Northwestern cornerback Jayvon Hope intercepted two passes.


Northwestern safety Lamar Bakhtiari picks off a pass.

REVENGE!!!
Northwestern, Tennessee throw 7 picks,
but Wildcats prevail to avenge beatdown

EVANSTON, Ill. — Legend Starr was neither.

For that matter, neither was Forrest Edmond.

It was as bad a quarterback matchup as you could imagine when No. 10 Tennessee visited No. 13 Northwestern on Sept. 8, 2029.

Tennessee’s starting quarterback (yep, his name is actually Legend Starr) threw three interceptions, as did Northwestern’s Edmond.

Even Jay Filipovic, who torched Northwestern last season at Rocky Top, got into the act. The 79 OVR fifth-year senior who lost his starting job to the 82 OVR redshirt junior Starr threw an interception and was 0-for-3 in a brief appearance. Filipovic managed a mind-boggling negative-66 quarterback rating, a far cry from his 17-for-22 for 274 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-7 rout of Northwestern last season.

Starr did throw for 319 yards, but was his own worst enemy. In all, Tennessee had five turnovers.

“If they were able to protect the ball even remotely well, we would’ve been in trouble,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “Their mistakes got us this dub.”

The biggest beneficiaries of the poor quarterback play were cornerbacks Gio Stack of Tennessee and Jayvon Hope of Northwestern, who each had two interceptions.

Hope was more than a pick machine, finishing with nine tackles, one tackle for loss and three deflections. Safety Lamar Bakhtiari and cornerback Leo Davis also had interceptions for the Wildcats. Davis’ interception would have been a total trash play if it didn’t benefit B-Dawg, as he picked off a pass near the end zone with his back to the quarterback.

“The game is only trash when it bites you in the butt,” B-Dawg said. “That was just a case of a well-coached player with great instincts making a play.”

Edmond was 18-for-29 for 207 yards and no touchdowns. He was bailed out by the ground game, though his job may be in jeopardy if games like this continue.

Nazir Kush was able to carry the ball 37 times without dying, though he was pulled in the middle of the fourth quarter when he showed up as a “severe” injury risk. He finished with 154 yards and two touchdowns. Backup Prince Hoke, coming off a 179-yard performance in little more than a half, ran 14 times for 94 yards.

The Wildcats (1-1) have had this game circled on their schedule from the moment it was released, still stinging from the beatdown in Tennessee last season.

After a scoreless first quarter, they took a 10-0 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Kush and a field goal as time expired in the half.

The Vols (1-1) got back into it when Darrell Cheeseman scored on a 22-yard run in the third quarter.

Following an interception by Hope, Northwestern went back up by 10 on a third-and-goal 1-yard run by Kush with 2:53 left in the third.

Northwestern settled for a 23-yard field goal with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter following a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ate up 4:41. Third-string running back Howie Brazzell put the game away with a 6-yard touchdown run with 3:19 left, a play in which Northwestern chose to run on third down to set up a field goal, only to have him score untouched.

Tennessee managed to hit a 79-yard touchdown pass from Starr to Damian Parms with three seconds left, a play that infuriated B-Dawg so much that he chose to play on the final play of the game to pad his stats. The only stat that was padded was Edmond’s interception total, as Kentrell Alabi took the freebie to end the game.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Calvin Claybrooks 15 pancakes, 0 sacks; Hunter Schilens 13-0; Brady Ellington 7-0; Cornell Kafka 6-0; Alex Estes 6-0; Deon Barry 5-0; J.D. Amatova 4-0; Nick Stoddard 3-0; Josh Stephen 2-0; Nate Barr 2-0; Dell Choice 2-0; J.C. Cantwell 1-0; Nazir Kush 1-0.

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON - GAME 3




Northwestern receiver J.C. Cantwell puts the game away by scoring on a 75-yard catch and run with 1:21 left.


Northwestern cornerback Soni Motuapuaka makes sure the lead holds up, picking off a pass in the end zone with
47 seconds left.


Cantwell’s first touchdown catch came from one yard out on fourth down on the first play of the fourth quarter.


Northwestern running back Prince Hoke ran 18 times for 79 yards and a touchdown.


Nick Stoddard scores a rare tight end touchdown for Northwestern.


Tony Garvin scored UCLA’s first touchdown on a 46-yard catch.


UCLA running back Joe Jacobs grabs a pass in the flat for an 8-yard touchdown.


UCLA tight end Dom Ricci scores on a 14-yard pass with 1:31 left to cut Northwestern’s lead to three.

MIXING IT UP
Northwestern clinches win over UCLA
with TD pass when run was expected

EVANSTON, Ill. — Everyone in the stadium expected Northwestern to run the ball.

Wildcats coach B-Dawg knew this. He also knew it would be very difficult trying to run three times for a game-clinching first down and that UCLA had had all three timeouts at its disposal.

The thought of giving the ball back to a Bruins offense that had just easily marched down the field frightened him.

So, B-Dawg gave himself some options.

He dialed up one of his favorite schemes, the little-known Monster formation, and called a play that gave him a run-pass option.

For those of you unfamiliar with Monster, it’s a formation in which only a center and two guards are in their traditional spots on the line of scrimmage. The two tackles split out to either side along with a tight end and a wide receiver. The quarterback and running back are in their customary positions.

When dialing up Monster, sometimes the defense will put only two players in the box and have everyone else dedicated to covering the outside flanks. That can create a massive gap to run the ball, unless the defense is also smart enough to have outside defenders immediately crash down.

It was a formation that already paid off big-time for the Wildcats, giving them the go-ahead touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard fourth-and-goal pass from Forrest Edmond to J.C. Cantwell.

UCLA spread out its defense about as well as could be expected to cover all possibilities when Northwestern came to the line following a Bruins touchdown with 1:31 left in the game. They had four players on the line and three other players dedicated to the outside edge of the box. Two defenders were on the receiver to the left and — this would be key — only one directly on Cantwell to the right.

Edmond hung on to the ball and quickly fired off a pass to Cantwell. Right tackle Calvin Claybrooks and tight end Joseph Stephen took care of two defenders on the outside, while the other immediately crashed down expecting the run. To make a long story somewhat less long, that left Cantwell with nothing but green grass for a 75-yard touchdown with 1:21 left in the game.

Eighth-ranked Northwestern would beat No. 25 UCLA, 38-28, on Sept. 15, 2029.

B-Dawg’s trepidation about the UCLA offense proved valid, because the Bruins marched all the way to the Northwestern 2-yard line following Cantwell’s touchdown and still had two timeouts left. Cornerback Soni Motuapuaka ended the drama by picking off a pass in the end zone with 47 seconds left.

“My worst nightmare was going three-and-out and having to defend their offense in the final minute,” B-Dawg said. “They got on a roll and we all know what happens when EA sprinkles the magic fairy dust of momentum on the CPU.”

Edmond, coming off a three-interception debacle in a victory over Tennessee, managed to keep the quarterback job, at least for now.

He was 27-for-41 for 299 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The 75 free yards on the last touchdown to Cantwell certainly helped his numbers.

The Wildcats (2-1) continue to ride the edge with the health of their running backs. Nazir Kush came out as an injury risk after running 19 times for 83 yards and a touchdown. Prince Hoke carried 18 times for 79 yards and a score. Northwestern has only three halfbacks on its roster.

“A man wiser than myself suggested turning off wear and tear for the rest of this season, just so I’m not left without a halfback in certain games,” B-Dawg said. “I will be taking him up on that suggestion.”

With the posting of this report, B-Dawg is finally ALL CAUGHT UP!!!! After months of being at least two seasons behind in reports versus when he’s actually playing games, the next game he reports has not been played yet.

“It felt like a job trying to catch up,” B-Dawg said. “Now I can run this dynasty at a more relaxed pace and hopefully with more detail than for the first five seasons.”





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Cornell Kafka 10 pancakes, 0 sacks; Calvin Claybrooks 6-0; Deon Barry 4-0; Josh Stephen 4-0; Nick Stoddard 3-0; Alex Estes 3-0; Hunter Schilens 3-0; Dell Choice 1-0; J.C. Cantwell 1-0; Andres Nickey 1-0; Brady Ellington 1-0.

[BDawg35]

2029 HEISMAN, RANKINGS UPDATES



1. RUDY SOTO, Oregon, WR, rJr. [/b]
2029 stats: 11 catches, 192 yards, 2 TD; 6 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD

2. FINAU TOILOLO, Texas A&M, QB, rSr. [/b]
2029 stats: 53-for-73, 713 yards, 8 TD, 0 int.; 28 carries, 141 yards, 2 TD

3. JAY MILES, Oregon, WR, rSr. [/b]
2029 stats: 15 catches, 304 yards, 4 TD

4. JAMES FELIZ, Oregon, QB, rSr. [/b]
2029 stats: 58-for-78, 851 yards, 7 TD, 1 int.; 17 carries, 42 yards, 0 TD

5. EDWARD TRUFANT, USC, WR, rSr. [/b]
2029 stats: 12 catches, 197 yards, 3 TD; 7 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD

[Deuce2223]

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

Good to see Edmond bounce back with a decent game... also i heat ya on the following behind. I have come go really like just posting my recap as soon as I play.

[BDawg35]

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

Good to see Edmond bounce back with a decent game... also i heat ya on the following behind. I have come go really like just posting my recap as soon as I play.

It was crazy. I was posting games last month that I played two months earlier and seemed like ancient history. I wasn't sure I would ever catch up. In my Vandy dynasty in NCAA '14, I never ended up posting my last couple seasons. I would just go play the game, then get busy and it piled up. If I had free time, I preferred to play the game than write about it. At some point, I may just post all the stat reports to put a bow on that old dynasty.

Now I'm about to post a game I played YESTERDAY!!! The most recent games I played late last week and posted yesterday, so now I'm posting stuff that is fresh in my mind.

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON - GAME 4




Northwestern’s Nazir Kush breaks off a 53-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds left.


Northwestern running back Prince Hoke makes a change of direction on a 66-yard touchdown run.


Northwestern cornerback Soni Motuapuaka intercepts a pass late in the game.


Northwestern safety Lamar Bakhtiari intercepts a pass in the end zone.


Northwestern receiver Andres Nickey grabs a touchdown catch.


Northwestern linebacker Tavon Lenon tackles former Wildcat Carl Erdman for a loss.


Duke Duval scores Purdue’s only touchdown with 1:13 left in the game.


Cornerback Barry Trusnik had one of Purdue’s three interceptions.

FINISHING KICK
Kush breaks off two TD’s late in game
to seal Wildcats’ victory over Purdue

EVANSTON, Ill. — Being unshackled from the burdens of EA Sports’ overblown “wear and tear” seems to suit Nazir Kush perfectly.

In a typical Northwestern football game, Kush would have already long since been checked out by late in the fourth quarter.

Instead, he was very much alive and kicking in the final minutes of the game, enabling him to not only put away the eighth-ranked Wildcats’ 28-7 victory over pesky Purdue but do some nice stat-padding in the process.

B-Dawg turned off wear and tear before the game at the suggestion of Deuce2223 as an act of survival. The Wildcats have only three halfbacks on their roster, and Kush typically leaves games early because of injuries. In one game this season, freshman fullback Brady Ellington had to take over at halfback, with underwhelming results.

Having the feature (did we mention it’s overblown?) turned off kept Kush on the field the entire game. And after Purdue cut the Wildcats’ lead to 14-7 with 1:13 remaining, Northwestern needed to lean on its 89 OVR running back to run out the clock.

He did much better than that, breaking of back-to-back runs of 24 and 13 yards after the Wildcats recovered an onside kick to extend the lead to 21-7 with 54 seconds remaining.

But he had more in the tank.

One play after an interception by cornerback Soni Motuapuaka, Kush broke off a 53-yard touchdown run from a goal-line formation that somehow showed up in suggested plays. Once he broke through all the defenders near the line of scrimmage, he was in the clear for the third-longest run of his four-year career with 39 seconds remaining.

So, in a game which had only two touchdowns until late in the fourth quarter, the teams combined for three (all on offense) in 52 seconds in the final 1:13.

“It’s frustrating when you try to wear down a defense by pounding the rock 40, 50 times a game, only to have your own running back get worn down,” B-Dawg said. “It was nice to have Kush at full strength at the end of the game when their defense was probably getting tired. We had some great blocks on his runs, too, and he read them well.”

Kush amassed 90 yards on his final three carries, giving him 232 on 31 carries for the game.

The Wildcats didn’t have to lean on backup running back Prince Hoke nearly as much, but Hoke actually had the most explosive play of the game with a 66-yard touchdown run to give Northwestern a 14-0 lead early in the third quarter.

Northwestern (3-1) wouldn’t be in quite this bad a predicament with its halfback depth if B-Dawg hadn’t grossly overrecruited and had 104 players on the roster heading into the 2028 season. As a result, he had to encourage 19 players to transfer, one of whom was running back Carl Erdman.

Erdman, who was the third-leading rusher on the 2027 national championship team, landed at Purdue (1-3), confirming that players encouraged to transfer don’t just go off into the abyss. He ran 15 times for 50 yards and caught five passes for only five yards against his former team.

B-Dawg pulled starting quarterback Forrest Edmond after he threw his third interception of the game late in the third quarter. Vernon Starr came in and didn’t do anything special, going 3-for-9 for 28 yards.

Overall, B-Dawg was disappointed with his team’s performance against one of the Big Ten’s bottom-feeders, especially with top-ranked Oregon coming to Evanston next week.

“I thought we would be able do whatever we wanted to on offense, which led to some complacency,” B-Dawg said. “We threw interceptions by not respecting their defensive backs and we just screwed around with play-calling at times expecting everything to work. We will have to be hyper-focused next week to have a chance against Oregon.”

Outside linebacker David Diggs tore up Purdue the entire game, finishing with three sacks and six tackles for losses among eight total tackles. He was named national Player of the Week.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Cornell Kafka 11 pancakes, 1 sack; Calvin Claybrooks 10-0; Deon Barry 8-0; Hunter Schilens 7-0; Josh Stephen 7-1; Nate Barr 4-0; Alex Estes 3-0; Brady Ellington 3-0; J.C. Cantwell 2-0; Danny Bass 1-0; Nick Stoddard 1-0; Dell Choice 1-0; Nazir Kush 1-0.