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

[redsox907]

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

I have to post updates the same day I play them, I actually don't even leave the end game screen until I've gotten the update written and am ready to do the around the league update at the end. I've had it happen too many times in the past where I get busy and don't want to update, then end up a season ahead and just dread catching up.

Edmond had a bounce back game then just regressed again lol. The running game looks capable to carry the load, both games Edmond struggled Kush has more than picked up the slack. May just be an old school offense kind of season until the QB room comes around

[BDawg35]

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

I have to post updates the same day I play them, I actually don't even leave the end game screen until I've gotten the update written and am ready to do the around the league update at the end. I've had it happen too many times in the past where I get busy and don't want to update, then end up a season ahead and just dread catching up.

Edmond had a bounce back game then just regressed again lol. The running game looks capable to carry the load, both games Edmond struggled Kush has more than picked up the slack. May just be an old school offense kind of season until the QB room comes around

I would love to do more "around the nation" updates, but it's been all I can do to write about just my team. A typical game-playing session for me is trying to cram in a game late afternoon before leaving for work or we have dinner. So I don't have time to write then, and often don't have time to take down the stats right away. It did feel overwhelming getting as far behind as I did. I would have to match up posting dates on this thread with when I knew I played certain games to see how far behind I got, but I want to say at one point I estimated being 30 games behind. When I got to the point where I was posting early-2028 games while playing the 2028 playoffs, it felt like I was almost there, actually posting games from the season I was playing.

In my first game this season, the one in which Prince Hoke had 170 yards by halftime, I could see the offensive line was really opening up holes and holding onto blocks in my Maryland-I base running offense. It was pretty exciting to see, only to have him go down on a day that Kush was still out with an injury from last year (which I didn't understand). In this last game against Purdue, for the most part I wasn't getting much traction on the ground, but we did break off the long run by Hoke, then the long ones by Kush at the end, so it's just a matter of staying close enough in games that we don't abandon the run and sticking with the system until it wears down the defense.

[BDawg35]

MASSIVE CLASS OF 2029 RECRUITING UPDATE!!!



Northwestern lands first 5-star commit

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern has seemingly done everything possible in this dynasty so far, winning a national championship, appearing in one other national championship game and winning two Big Ten Conference titles.

But in B-Dawg’s six years at the helm, he has yet to land a truly big fish on the recruiting trail.

Until now.

Welcome to Evanston, Aiden McKnight.

McKnight is the first five-star recruit and first player ranked nationally in the top 10 to commit to the Wildcats during B-Dawg’s tenure.

The 6-foot-4, 281-pound power rusher from Middle Village, N.Y. is the top-ranked defensive end and fourth-ranked player overall. Northwestern won the recruiting battle for McKnight over Penn State and Michigan.

"We have had a lot of success with defensive linemen who are just better than average or OK," B-Dawg said. "I look forward to terrorizing quarterbacks with this dude. Hopefully, we can bring along some other elite D-linemen in this cycle."

McKnight committed after visiting Evanston for a 28-7 victory last week over Purdue. The Wildcats had four sacks in that game, which no doubt piqued his interest. He had a Week 8 visit scheduled for Penn State, but now he obviously won’t be making the trip to Pedophile U.

Before landing McKnight, the highest-ranked players nationally recruited by Northwestern were receivers Montrell Murray and Andres Nickey in the Class of 2029. The Wildcats have gradually been increasing their haul of four-star recruits, getting defensive tackle Zack Cobb in 2025, halfback Nazir Kush in 2026, quarterback Gideon Pena and running back Leon Dicker in 2027, four players in 2028 and eight players in 2029.

There is the potential for an even bigger splash. Northwestern is No. 1 on the list for five-star cornerback Jabu Newcomb of West Point, Miss. The Wildcats have a sizable lead over Tulane and Mississippi, with Oregon far back in fourth.

A potential problem exists with Newcomb, however. While looking at the recruiting board, B-Dawg mistakenly clicked on Newcomb, which took him off the team’s board. It also removed his scholarship offer and scheduled visit. B-Dawg has to start over with him and has already run out of weeks in which to bring in additional recruits. The only way to get him in for a visit is if he waits until the offseason to commit or if a player scheduled to visit commits elsewhere.

Northwestern will have high school players visiting this week when No. 1-ranked Oregon comes to town, so winning the game is critical in the present and for the future.

[BDawg35]

BIG TEN STANDINGS/NATIONAL RANKINGS THROUGH WEEK 4




NATIONAL TOP 25

[redsox907]

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

HUGE news on the 5* signing. It feels like once you break through with one or two the rest start to show interest. I wouldn't worry too much about the CB. I've signed 5* guys without ever scheduling a visit and you won't lose your interest progress, you'd just have to re-offer the scholarship

[BDawg35]

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

HUGE news on the 5* signing. It feels like once you break through with one or two the rest start to show interest. I wouldn't worry too much about the CB. I've signed 5* guys without ever scheduling a visit and you won't lose your interest progress, you'd just have to re-offer the scholarship

Yeah, it’s crazy that so many five-stars have me rated first this year when even a national championship the year before couldn’t land me one last year.

I ran out of visits when I brought that CB back to my board, so I dropped a guy who was scheduled for a visit and he’s now coming for our Week 10 game against Michigan. I don’t want to take a chance on missing a guy like that by not bringing him to campus.

Thanks again for following and your input.

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON - GAME 5




Northwestern running back Nazir Kush scores the winning touchdown with 22 seconds left, as center Alex Estes
pancakes Oregon defensive end Jon Procter.


Oregon had taken a 35-31 lead with 2:06 left on a 65-yard touchdown catch by Sam Wiegmann.


Quarterback Vernon Starr celebrates after giving Northwestern the lead on a 1-yard run with 6:36 left.


Northwestern cornerback Jayvon Hope picks off a pass on the first play of the second half.


Northwestern cornerback Soni Motuapuaka picks off a deep ball on second-and-inches in the third quarter.


J.C. Cantwell celebrates a touchdown catch that triggered Northwestern’s comeback late in the first half.


Northwestern running back Prince Hoke grabs a 31-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.


Northwestern receiver Quin Ford makes a huge 29-yard catch on fourth-and-10 to set up a field goal to end the
first half.


Oregon’s Ross Korsak picks off a pass early in the game.


Keke Ngakoue celebrates after taking an interception 73 yards to the house, giving Oregon a 21-0 lead late in the
first half.


Oregon quarterback James Feliz fires a 65-yard touchdown pass with 2:06 left in the game.


Oregon receiver Jay Miles temporarily has possession of a pass in traffic at the 5-yard line on the final play, but
dropped the ball.


Oregon receiver Jay Miles grabs a 47-yard touchdown pass.

QB (not) CONTROVERSY
Northwestern rallies from 21-0 deficit
as backup quarterback leads comeback

EVANSTON, Ill. — Before you ask, there isn’t a quarterback controversy at Northwestern.

At least that’s what coach B-Dawg is saying.

Yes, there has been a change at quarterback for the Wildcats.

No, B-Dawg says, there isn’t a controversy.

B-Dawg had seen enough of the interception machine that is fifth-year senior Forrest Edmond when his second interception turned into a pick-six that gave top-ranked Oregon a 21-0 lead over No. 5 Northwestern late in the first half on Sept. 29, 2029.

Enter third-year sophomore Vernon Starr, who orchestrated a comeback that will be long remembered in Evanston.

Starr threw two touchdown passes in a little more than one half of action, leading Northwestern to a 38-35 victory over the Ducks.

Senior running back Nazir Kush scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with 22 seconds remaining after Starr engineered a masterful two-minute drill following a 65-yard touchdown pass by Oregon with 2:06 remaining.

Starr was 3-for-4 for 59 yards on the winning drive, finishing 15-for-22 for 256 yards, two touchdowns and no picks.

In four starts, Edmond has thrown eight interceptions and only four touchdown passes. B-Dawg has failed to capitalize on his greatest attribute, his 89 SPD. Edmond has an 84 OVR rating, compared to Starr’s 81.

“I know how the media works, because I’ve been in that line of work,” B-Dawg said. “You’re going to try to gin up some kind of controversy. There isn’t a controversy. Vernon Starr is our quarterback from this point forward, no looking back. You’ve seen the last of Forrest Edmond.”

This is a familiar script for Northwestern fans. In 2025, B-Dawg’s second season, he benched freshman Ryan Boe in favor of senior Aidan Gray during a loss to Nebraska the week before playing Oregon. Gray got his first start against the Ducks and threw two touchdown passes in a 13-9 upset that signaled the turnaround of the Northwestern program.

This game looked like a lost cause for the Wildcats when a 73-yard interception return by Keke Ngakoue on a short out route from the Oregon 29-yard line gave the Ducks a 21-0 lead with 1:49 left in the first half.

But B-Dawg has been here before. His Wildcats trailed the Ducks 20-0 late in the first half of the 2027 Big Ten Conference championship game, only to rally to win. Three games later, Oregon led 20-17 in the fourth quarter before Northwestern came back to win the national championship game.

“It felt different this time,” B-Dawg said. “It felt like this one was spiraling out of control. We couldn’t stop their passing game, we were turning the ball over and they had that pick-six. I thought this was going to be just one of those bad days you have to bend over and take.”

But Starr and his teammates had other ideas.

Starr entered the game and immediately led a five-play, 78-yard touchdown drive, hitting J.C. Cantwell with an 11-yard scoring strike with 55 seconds left in the half.

The Wildcats weren’t done scoring in the first half, as they got the ball back following a quick three-and-out. Instead of trying a 51-yard field goal, which is impossible for B-Dawg, the Wildcats went for it on fourth-and-10 and got a 29-yard pass to Quin Ford to set up a 30-yard field goal to end the game.

“I was giddy to be down only 21-10 at the half the way this game started,” B-Dawg said. “Vernon Starr was special on those two drives.”

Oregon quarterback James Feliz entered the game third on the Heisman hype list, but reverted into a green-and-gold version of Edmond with two crucial interceptions in the second half. The first came on the first play of the second half, with Jayvon Hope setting up Northwestern at the Oregon 38.

Kush scored on a 3-yard run following the interception to cut the deficit to 21-16. A 2-point pass failed.

Another interception thrown by Feliz, this one by cornerback Soni Motuapuaka on second-and-inches, enabled Northwestern to take its first lead. Running back Prince Hoke was flipped to the left side pre-snap and ran an angle route that was allowed to develop. He came open deep for a 31-yard touchdown catch with 2:41 left in the third quarter, giving Northwestern its first lead at 24-21.

“I usually panic on those angle routes and throw them too quickly,” B-Dawg said. “Usually the middle linebacker breaks them up or, worse, intercepts them. At best, the running back makes the catch for a short gain. When that route is allowed to develop, it can explode for a big play. We put that in our memory bank later in the game.”

But Oregon, despite the picks, still has a deadly passing game. This would turn into a back-and-forth affair the rest of the way, with each team taking the lead twice.

The Ducks appeared to strike a dagger in the Wildcats’ hearts when Feliz threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Wiegmann with 2:06 left on the first play after Northwestern punted on fourth-and-two from its own 27.

“I was kicking myself at that point for not going for it on fourth-and-two, but in a way it was good they scored right away because we had plenty of time to work our offense and not have to resort to deeper throws I’m incapable of executing still, even in season six,” B-Dawg said.

The Wildcats (4-1) were able to get some nice YAC on three catches on their winning drive, with Cantwell catching a 17-yarder to start the drive, Montrell Murray a 19-yarder and freshman Andres Nickey a 23-yarder on the first four plays.

After Nickey’s catch moved the ball to the 15 with 1:46 left in the game, B-Dawg went back to ground and pound to milk some clock. Kush had three straight runs to get the ball in the end zone and finish the game with 207 yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries.

Kush has been able to stick around and finish games since B-Dawg took off the wear and tear option, but nobody on either team seems to go down with injuries anymore.

“I’ll have to reconsider whether to put the feature back on, because I want some injuries,” B-Dawg said. “I just don’t want to be down to my freshman fullback playing halfback.”

With 22 seconds on the clock and Oregon (4-1) boasting an offense with three of the top four Heisman contenders, B-Dawg was still nervous.

It helped that the Ducks wasted clock and timeouts by throwing two short completions that netted only five yards to start the drive and had a 13-yard scramble from Feliz. After Feliz had to throw the ball away with four seconds left, there was time for only one play from the Oregon 43.

Feliz heaved a deep ball down the left side to Miles, who is No. 4 on the Heisman list. Miles actually had his hands on the ball in traffic at the 5-yard line, but dropped it. He probably would have been tackled short of the goal line anyway.

Miles finished with 79 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Oregon receiver Rudy Soto, who came in ranked No. 1 on the Heisman list, had only two catches for 12 yards. Feliz, who is third on the Heisman list, was 18-for-26 for 287 yards, four touchdowns and two picks.

As formidable as Oregon has been in simmed games, going 65-10, the Ducks are only 1-4 against Northwestern in this dynasty.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Hunter Schilens 10 pancakes, 1 sack; Deon Barry 9-0; Calvin Claybrooks 8-0; Cornell Kafka 8-2; Nate Barr 7-0; Alex Estes 6-0; Brady Ellington 6-0; Josh Stephen 2-0; Dell Choice 1-0.

[BDawg35]

2029 BIG TEN STANDINGS, NATIONAL RANKINGS UPDATE

Big Ten standings




National rankings

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2030 RECRUITING UPDATE





FIVE-STAR U
Northwestern lands three more
5-star recruits in Class of 2030

EVANSTON, Ill. — It took Northwestern coach B-Dawg six seasons to land his first five-star recruit, but the floodgates have apparently opened.

The Wildcats have landed three more five-star recruits in the two weeks following a come-from-behind victory over top-ranked Oregon.

Offensive tackle Thomas Pifer of Batavia, Ill. committed right after the Oregon game, followed by defensive ends Eric Kuhn of Des Plaines, Ill. and Austin Monty of Grand Blanc, Mich.

The Wildcats never had a five-star commitment until defensive end Aiden McKnight of Middle Village, N.Y. came on board right before the Oregon game.

“Our defensive line is going to be downright scary for several years,” B-Dawg said. “Three five-star defensive ends? Are you kidding me? We may have to see how one of them translates to an outside linebacker or defensive tackle. The way our lineup looks, they should all start as true freshmen.”

Pifer is the No. 1-ranked right offensive tackle in the country and 18th-ranked overall player. He chose Northwestern over Wisconsin and Penn State.

Kuhn is the fifth-ranked right defensive end and 17th-ranked overall player in the nation. He chose the Wildcats over Michigan and Wisconsin. He had a Week 8 visit to Michigan and a Week 11 visit to Wisconsin scheduled, but now he won’t bother.

Monty is the fourth-ranked right defensive end and No. 15 overall. He chose Northwestern over Michigan and Louisville. He had just taken a visit to Louisville when he committed to the Wildcats. His Week 13 visit to Michigan won’t happen now.

With the addition of these three commitments, Northwestern has now reeled in four of the top 18 recruits in the country after never signing a top-20 player.

The Wildcats are in the running for Jabu Newcomb of Mississippi, the No. 1-ranked cornerback in the country. They were out of room for more visits, so four running back Joey Scioli was dropped from the recruiting board to open up a visit for Newcomb during Michigan week. Scioli was then added back to the board without a visit planned and re-offered a scholly.

Newcomb has offers from Mississippi and Tulane. Oregon and Clemson and fourth and fifth, respectively, on his list but have inexplicably not made an offer.

Another possible win for the Wildcats is middle linebacker Ricardo Ruston of Fayetteville, N.C. Ruston, ranked second at his position and 10th overall, has Northwestern No. 1 on his list by a sizeable margin over Georgia. He has already visited the Wildcats and has a Week 12 visit scheduled between the hedges.

Under the category of “you can’t win ’em all,” Northwestern lost two highly rated running backs on the recruiting trail.

Fourth-rated Lamichael Snyder of Wentzville, Mo. committed to Ohio State, while fifth-rated Dante Gales of Knoxville, Tenn. committed to his hometown Vols. Northwestern was second on both players’ lists.

Desperate to add running backs, B-Dawg immediately added four halfbacks who haven’t been offered scholarships yet.

[BDawg35]

2029 HEISMAN UPDATE



1. CAMERON DUMAINE, Nebraska, QB, rJr.
2029 stats: 97-for-129, 1,483 yards, 16 TD, ZERO int.; 37 carries, 118 yards, 0 TD

2. TYRON STANFORD, West Virginia, QB, rSoph.
2029 stats: 116-for-157, 1,965 yards, 15 TD, 1 int.; 60 carries, 238 yards, 4 TD

3. DAMION KERRIGAN, Texas Christian, WR, Sr.
2029 stats: 44 catches, 807 yards, 10 TD

4. EDWARD ALLEN, Nebraska, WR, Sr.
2029 stats: 30 catches, 505 yards, 10 TD

5. FINAU TOILOLO, Texas A&M, QB, rSr.
2029 stats: 110-for-158, 1,436 yards, 11 TD, 2 int.; 66 carries, 320 yards, 3 TD

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON - GAME 6




Northwestern cornerback Jayvon Hope intercepts a pass with 1:16 left in the game.


Dom Matlock’s diving touchdown catch with 3:31 remaining brought Nebraska within 28-23.


Nebraska’s Taylor Session picks off a pass in the end zone.


Northwestern’s Nazir Kush ran for two second-half touchdowns.


Northwestern’s J.C. Cantwell caught a screen pass out of Monster and broke it for a 64-yard touchdown.


Northwestern receiver Dell Choice catches a touchdown pass on the goal line.


Northwestern cornerback Soni Motuapuaka sacks Nebraska quarterback Cameron Dumaine on a 2-point attempt.


Northwestern quarterback Vernon Starr is stopped two yards short of a first down by Nebraska’s Mike Gales,
forcing a late punt.

HOPE REIGNS
Another big pick by NW corner
helps seal win over Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. — You can accumulate statistics playing trash competition or in inconsequential moments when it’s stat-padding time.

Or you can be a true baller like Jayvon Hope and do it against the best teams when it matters most.

Hope’s fourth interception in six games this season was another big one against a high-caliber opponent.

With 12th-ranked Nebraska driving for a potential game-winning touchdown, Hope picked off a pass with 1:16 left in the game to preserved top-ranked Northwestern’s 28-23 victory on Oct. 13, 2029.

It was the first interception thrown this season by Nebraska junior Cameron Dumaine, who has thrown 18 touchdowns passes. Dumaine entered the game first on the Heisman hype list.

Hope had two interceptions in a 26-14 victory over 10th-ranked Tennessee on Sept. 8 and picked off a pass on the first play of the second half while Northwestern trailed No. 1 Oregon by 10 points. It helped spark a 38-35 victory.

“When we need a big play in a big moment, we can count on Jayvon,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “It seems like all of his interceptions come at huge times and are the difference between winning or losing games. I see a Thorpe Award in his future.”

The Wildcats never trailed the Cornhuskers, but could never be comfortable playing in a tough road venue.

Northwestern (5-1) jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Vernon Starr touchdown passes to Dell Choice and J.C. Cantwell. The touchdown to Cantwell was a short screen pass out of Monster formation that looked like it would be broken up (or worse) by 88 OVR outside linebacker Ted Caussin. However, after jumping the route to get in good position, Caussin just stood passively as Cantwell made the catch and didn’t react quickly enough to even make the tackle, chasing the speedy sophomore all the way to the end zone.

Nebraska cut the lead to 14-10 by halftime before the teams traded touchdowns in the second half. The Cornhuskers got within 28-23 on a diving six-yard touchdown catch by Dom Matlock with 3:31 left in the game, capping a quick six-play, 90-yard drive. Matlock finished with 13 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wildcats weren’t able to drain the clock, however, as Starr was blown up by Mike Gales on a third-and-three QB Blast that gained only one yard.

Even after Hope ended Nebraska’s next drive with a juggling interception, the Cornhuskers were still armed with all three timeouts. A 15-yard run by Kush with 1:08 left produced a first down that clinched the victory. Kush ran 27 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

It was the second straight loss for Nebraska (4-2), which had taken over the No. 1 spot in the rankings following Oregon’s loss to Northwestern, only to lose 11-0 to Maryland during the Wildcats’ bye week.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Cornell Kafka 11 pancakes, 0 sacks; Calvin Claybrooks 6-0; Henry Schilens 3-0; Alex Estes 2-0; Deon Barry 2-0.

[BDawg35]

2029 STANDINGS, RANKINGS, HEISMAN UPDATES








1. DAMION KERRIGAN, Texas Christian, WR, Sr.
2029 stats: 49 catches, 932 yards, 12 TD; 8 carries, 49 yards, 0 TD

2. TYRON STANFORD, West Virginia, QB, rSoph.
2029 stats: 136-for-193, 2,256 yards, 17 TD, 4 int.; 73 carries, 268 yards, 4 TD

3. NAZIR KUSH, Northwestern, HB, Sr.
2029 stats: 155 carries, 797 yards, 9 TD; 5 catches, 44 yards, 0 TD

4. PRINCE HOKE, Northwestern, HB, Sr.
2029 stats: 72 carries, 486 yards, 4 TD; 13 catches, 187 yards, 1 TD

5. DAVID CUTRERA, Clemson, QB, rFr.
2029 stats: 134-for-190, 1,916 yards, 19 TD, 2 int.; 38 carries, 162 yards, 2 TD

[BDawg35]

2029 SEASON - GAME 7




Northwestern defensive tackle Tony Gideon intercepts a pass after dropping into coverage as a spy.


Jay Olsen kicks the longest field goal in this dynasty, a 50-yarder.


Northwestern quarterback Vernon Starr runs for a touchdown.


Northwestern defensive tackle Damarius Tolson sacks Boise State quarterback Ben Zukauskas.


Boise State defensive tackle Jameson Worthy sacks Northwestern quarterback Vernon Starr for a safety.


Boise State receiver Jamie Edmond catches a touchdown pass.


Boise State tight end Dee Weathersby catches a touchdown pass.


Boise State’s Steve Agramonte intercepts a pass.

UNICORN GAME
Three rarities occur in Wildcats’
comeback win over Boise State

EVANSTON, Ill. — There are some things you don’t see every day on the football field.

Like B-Dawg allowing a safety.

Or a defensive tackle intercepting a pass.

Or B-Dawg even attempting, let alone making, a 50-yard field goal.

All three happened on Oct. 20, 2029 as top-ranked Northwestern fought off an upset bid by unranked Boise State, 24-19.

Northwestern has seven safeties in the six-year history of this dynasty, including two in one game against Penn State last season. But the CPU hadn’t corralled a Northwestern ball carrier for two points until defensive tackle Jameson Worthy sacked quarterback Vernon Starr in the end zone with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.

It was third-and-12 from the seven-yard line when Worthy exploded through the middle and did the safety dance.

“I just lost track of where I was on the field and got locked in on our tight end running a route across the field,” B-Dawg said. “The CPU doesn’t get us for safeties very often because I’m usually smarter about getting off a quick pass in those situations.”

The safety got Boise State on the board, making it a rare 7-2 game. Feeding off that momentum, the Broncos built a 16-7 halftime lead.

Boise State scored only three points in the second half thanks, in part, to two big plays by defensive tackle Tony Gideon while being audibled to spy the quarterback out of the Big Nickel Over Cover-2 Contain defense.

The first time B-Dawg spied with Gideon, he ran down quarterback Ben Zukauskas on a scramble and stopped him one yard short of a field down.

On the following drive, Gideon dropped back, mirrored Zukauskas and picked off a pass with 1:57 left in the third quarter, setting up the Wildcats at the Boise State 14-yard line.

“It would have been fun to get the THICC SIX, as my boy Roadhouse calls it, but Tony got caught in traffic after the interception and didn’t have a chance to threaten the end zone,” B-Dawg said. “It would’ve been fun, but we might have had to sit him out the rest of the way after running all of about 15 yards.”

Nazir Kush ran the ball five straight times following the interception, scoring on a 1-yard run with 40 seconds left in the third to give Northwestern a 21-16 lead.

Boise State had to settle for a field goal to get within two points after driving 52 yards in 12 plays. Free safety Xavier Tubbs dropped an interception in the end zone on third-and-nine preceding the kick.

Boise State’s field goal was a 33-yarder, something even B-Dawg can make.

One thing that has eluded him so far in College Football 25 with its ridiculous kicking meter has been anything from legitimately long range. That cherry was broken when B-Dawg didn’t hesitate to go for a 50-yard field goal with strong-legged freshman Jay Olsen on fourth-and-14. He didn’t hit the meter perfectly, but the kick was nearly down the middle with some room to spare with 2:50 left in the game.

B-Dawg’s longest field goal prior to this was a 45-yarder with Enrique Swaim last season.

“That felt better than a touchdown,” B-Dawg said. “I didn’t think I would ever kick a 50-yarder. Jay has certainly shown a powerful leg on kickoffs, getting nearly all of them to go for touchbacks, but the speed of the meter when you go beyond 45 yards is too much for these old hands. I took a deep breath, relaxed and got lucky on that one.”

Boise State took over with 2:50 remaining, now needing a touchdown.

The Broncos (5-3) moved to the Wildcats’ 31 on a 26-yard pass to Jamie Edmond with 1:19 left. That would normally be easy field goal range for a CPU kicker, but Boise State needed to keep pushing the pace down by five.

A user sack for a 12-yard loss by David Diggs with 1:15 left threw the Broncos off schedule. On fourth-and-14, a short pass over the middle to tight end Dee Weathersby couldn’t move the chains once middle linebacker Tavon Lenon made the tackle with 40 seconds left.

Northwestern won the game, despite a pitiful performance from its offense. Starr was 10-for-22 for 138 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Kush ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, but needed 35 carries to get there, averaging only 3.9 yards per carry. With wear and tear turned off, backup Prince Hoke got only five carries.

B-Dawg has decided to turn wear and tear back on because he is seeing zero in-game injuries for either team since he turned it off.

“I just wanted to keep my running backs in the game,” B-Dawg said. “I still wanted injuries to happen. I’ll take my chances with how this impacts my running backs. I may have to air it out more in a five-wide set to keep them off the field.”

Northwestern is 6-1, winning its last three games by five points or less, heading into a trip to the Los Angeles Coliseum to play USC.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Nate Barr 5 pancakes, 0 sacks; Calvin Claybrooks 5-0; Hunter Schilens 4-0; Cornell Kafka 4-0; Deon Barry 4-0; Alex Estes 4-1; Brady Ellington 3-0; Josh Stephen 3-0; Dell Choice 2-0; J.C. Cantwell 2-0.

[redsox907]

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

Kush saw Hoke nipping at his heels in the Heisman race and said hold my popcorn

[BDawg35]

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

Kush saw Hoke nipping at his heels in the Heisman race and said hold my popcorn

Hoke is suddenly not getting subbed in as much now that I've turned off wear and tear as a move to keep my three halfbacks alive until I can recruit some reinforcements. But now I am getting ZERO injuries in-game, even those temporary ones, so I turned it back on for the next game I'm going to post.