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

[RyanLeaf16]

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

The good news is your "playing time" pitch grade should be fantastic and that should help bring some guys in. You're just building the 'Cats in 'Dawgs image.

[BDawg35]

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

Bummer to lose four straight after a promising start. Maybe you can avoid a couple of the big boys on the schedule next year and get closer to the top of the conference.

Part of the appeal of using a team in the Big Ten is that the schedule is a freakin' mine field now, as opposed to the past where Northwestern might have one or two big boys on the schedule. With USC, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, it's hard to not play at least two of those teams. And I'm so bad that even a MAC nonconference opponent is a threat, as you saw with Miami of Ohio.

Damn! Got off to a great start and then faded down the stretch. Lets see those Wildcats come out hungry in 2025!

Every loss just fuels my boyz and this ol' ball coach to bear down even more next season.

Solid first year overall ...FSU in the Natty, imagine that...

Yeah, the game still thought FSU was good, not the train wreck it has become (along with my Michigan Wolverines).

Looking like a pretty brutal roster. Will be interesting to see how you are able to move players around and fill holes.

Well, I made a huge mistake that I may skip over in my reports because I skipped over it when advancing the game. I FORGOT TO DO POSITION CHANGES!!! That would help alleviate some of my roster issues, but I missed it in the menu and advanced. DOH!!!

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen that many players graduate at once. Going to be a tough sophomore season with a bare bones roster.

But, just means more room to bring in "B-dawg guys"

I'm willing to bring in any warm body at this point. I had no idea I was going to lose that many guys when I decided to use Northwestern. I was starting to get a hint when I typed out my roster to start this dynasty, but didn't give it a lot of thought. The roster I used is the first update which added some true freshmen like offensive guard Idrys Cotton (who I saw play football and basketball in high school) or maybe it would've been even worse.

The good news is your "playing time" pitch grade should be fantastic and that should help bring some guys in. You're just building the 'Cats in 'Dawgs image.

There you go!!! Glass is half full!!! (And so is the roster.)

'Cats in Dawg's image is funny.

[BDawg35]

2025 SEASON PREVIEW




Jordan Knox, an 85 OVR offensive guard, is Northwestern’s highest-rated player entering the 2025 season.

GROUND AND POUND
Northwestern’s strength in 2025 season
should lie in its ability to run the ball

EVANSTON, Ill. — Given the trials and tribulations of Northwestern’s passing game in B-Dawg’s first season at the helm, perhaps it’s a good thing that the 2025 Wildcats look like they’ll be a ground-and-pound team.

Any good coach goes with his players’ strengths, regardless of his preferred method of play. That being the case, Northwestern would be wise to stick to the ground game this season.

Five of the Wildcats’ five highest-rated players this season are dudes who have the ability to move the ball through the run game.

Three of them are guards — 85 OVR Jordan Knox, 81 OVR Simon Silva and 80 OVR Nick Herzog. Because B-Dawg accidentally skipped position changes, he never got to move at least one of them to tackle to balance out the talent on the line and prevent a highly rated player from sitting the bench. He will insert one of them as a tackle and leave the others at guard.

The top two running backs are 81 OVR — Joseph Himon and Caleb Komolafe. They have big shoes to fill with the graduation of Cam Porter, who made second-team All-America after rushing for 1,461 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Himon had 314 yards and four touchdowns on 72 carries, while Komolafe had 44 yards on 13 carries. Himon led the team with three touchdown catches out of the backfield.

Of course, no team can get away with running the ball 100% of the time, so the Wildcats will have to risk putting the ball in the air from time to time. B-Dawg will be going with a redshirt freshman triggerman in Ryan Boe. That move immediately has junior Aidan Gray at risk of transferring.

B-Dawg hopes Boe has better luck than Mike Wright, who threw for 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions last season. As a team, the Wildcats threw 13 touchdown passes and 16 picks.

Northwestern goes into the season rated 82 OVR, 84 on offense and 82 on defense. That’s actually an improvement from last year’s ratings of 81 OVR, 82 offense and 81 defense, a stunning development given the fact the Wildcats lost 42 players. However, many of those were low-rated players who were a drag on the team’s ratings.











COACHES’ POLL

1. Ohio State (39)
2. Florida State (21)
3. Oregon (1)
4. Georgia
5. Alabama
6. The U
7. Texas A&M
8. Clemson
9. Michigan
10. Nebraska
11. Mississippi
12. Kansas
13. Central Florida
14. Notre Dame
15. Utah
16. North Carolina State
17. Kansas State
18. Penn State
19. Boston College
20. Maryland
21. Oklahoma State
22. Arkansas
23. Arizona
24. Illinois
25. Texas


ASSOCIATED PRESS RANKINGS

1. Oregon (42)
2. Alabama (2)
3. Georgia (1)
4. Florida State
5. Ohio State
6. Clemson
7. Texas A&M
8. The U
9. Michigan
10. Nebraska
11. Mississippi
12. Central Florida
13. Penn State
14. Kansas
15. Kansas State
16. Utah
17. North Carolina State
18. Notre Dame
19. Oklahoma State
20. Maryland
21. Boston College
22. Arizona
23. Illinois
24. Arkansas
25. Duke





FIRST TEAM
QB, Noah Fifita, Arizona, rJr.
HB, Richard Young, Alabama, rSoph.
HB, Nicholas Singleton, Penn State, Sr.
WR, Kevin Concepcion, North Carolina State, Jr.
WR, Evan Stewart, Oregon, Sr.
WR, Zachariah Branch, USC, Jr.
TE, Oscar Delp, Georgia, Sr.
OT, Josh Conerly, Oregon, Sr.
OT, Francis Mauigoa, The U, Jr.
OG, Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, rSr.
OG, Jaeden Roberts, Alabama, rSr.
C, Parker Brailsford, Alabama, rJr.
DE, Trey Moore, Texas, rSr.
DE, Marvin Jones, Florida State, Sr.
DT, Peter Woods, Clemson, Jr.
DT, Bear Alexander, USC, Sr.
OLB, Harold Perkins, LSU, Sr.
MLB, Nick Martin, Oklahoma State, rSr.
OLB, Jaylen Sneed, Notre Dame, Sr.
CB, Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State, Sr.
CB, Domani Jackson, Alabama, Sr.
FS, Caleb Downs, Ohio State, Jr.
SS, Kevin Winston, Penn State, Sr.
K, Alex McPherson, Auburn, rJr.
P, Ross James, Oregon, rSr.

SECOND TEAM
QB, Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee, rSoph.
HB, Jaydn Ott, California, Sr.
HB, Trevor Etienne, Georgia, Sr.
WR, Germie Bernard, Alabama, Sr.
WR, Kobe Prentice, Alabama, Sr.
WR, Nic Anderson, Oklahoma, rJr.
TE, Luke Hasz, Arkansas, Jr.
OT, Kadyn Proctor, Alabama, Jr.
OT, Blake Miller, Clemson, Sr.
OG, Tyler Booker, Alabama, Sr.
OG, Xavier Hill, Memphis, rSr.
C, Drew Kendall, Boston College, rSr.
DE, Patrick Payton, Florida State, rSr.
DE, Joshua Mickens, Ohio State, rJr.
DT, Darrell Jackson, Florida State, rSr.
DT, Stephiylan Green, Clemson, rSoph.
OLB, Sonny Styles, Ohio State, Sr.
MLB, Lander Barton, Utah, Sr.
OLB, Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, Sr.
CB, Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State, Sr.
CB, Matthew McDoom, Georgia, Sr.
FS, Kamari Ramsey, USC, rJr.
SS, Keon Sabb, Alabama, Sr.
K, Mason Shipley, Texas State, rSr.
P, Anthony Venneri, Ohio State, Sr.




FIRST TEAM
QB, Drew Allar, Penn State, Sr.
HB, Nicholas Singleton, Penn State, Sr.
HB, Jordan James, Oregon, Sr.
WR, Evan Stewart, Oregon, Sr.
WR, Zachariah Branch, USC, Jr.
WR, Carnell Tate, Ohio State, Jr.
TE, Jack Velling, Oregon, Sr.
OT, Josh Conerly, Oregon, Sr.
OT, Riley Mahlman, Wisconsin, rSr.
OG, Tomas Rimac, Penn State, rSr.
OG, Tegra Tshabola, Ohio State, rSr.
C, Iapani Laloulu, Oregon, rJr.
DE, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State, Sr.
DE, Joshua Mickens, Ohio State, rJr.
DT, Bear Alexander, USC, Sr.
DT, Jason Moore, Ohio State, rJr.
OLB, Sonny Styles, Ohio State, Sr.
MLB, Jaishawn Barham, Michigan, Sr.
OLB, C.J. Hicks, Ohio State, rSr.
CB, Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State, Sr.
CB, Jermaine Mathews, Ohio State, Jr.
FS, Caleb Downs, Ohio State, Jr.
SS, Kevin Winston, Penn State, Sr.
K, Atticus Sappington, Oregon, rSr.
P, Ross James, Oregon, rSr.

SECOND TEAM
QB, Austin Novosad, Oregon, rSoph.
HB, Kaytron Allen, Penn State, Sr.
HB, Noah Whittington, Oregon, rSr.
WR, Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, Soph.
WR, Will Pauling, Wisconsin, rSr.
WR, Malachi Coleman, Nebraska, Jr.
TE, Thomas Fidone, Nebraska, rSr.
OT, Teddy Prochazka, Nebraska, rSr.
OT, Andrew Gentry, Michigan, rSr.
OG, Joe Brunner, Wisconsin, rJr.
OG, Alex Birchmeier, Penn State, rSoph.
C, Luke Petitbon, Penn State, rSr.
DE, Travion Ford, Ohio State, rJr.
DE, Kenyatta Jackson, Ohio State, rSr.
DT, Jordan Phillips, Maryland, rJr.
DT, Derrick Harmon, Oregon, rSr.
OLB, Darryl Peterson, Wisconsin, rSr.
MLB, Kobe King, Penn State, rSr.
OLB, Ernest Hausmann, Michigan, Sr.
CB, Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Ohio State, rJr.
CB, Ephesians Prysock, Oregon, Sr.
FS, Kamari Ramsey, USC, rJr.
SS, DaKaari Nelson, Penn State, rSoph.
K, Chase Meyer, Penn State, Sr.
P, Anthony Venneri, Ohio State, Sr.




2025 PRESEASON LIST

1. NOAH FIFITA, Arizona, QB, rJr.
2. JAYDN OTT, California, HB, Sr.
3. KEVIN CONCEPCION, North Carolina State, WR, Jr.
4. EVAN STEWART, Oregon, WR, Sr.
5. RICHARD YOUNG, Alabama, HB, rSoph.

[BDawg35]

2025 SEASON - GAME 1




Northwestern’s Joseph Himon breaks off a 47-yard touchdown run …


… then flexes in the end zone. Now take a good long look, because you won’t see him again.


Tyler Griffin hauls in a 64-yard touchdown pass with 1:53 remaining to give UL-Monroe the lead.


Jason Reynolds of Northwestern sacks UL-Monroe quarterback Hunter Herring.


Lynard Harris of UL-Monroe makes a diving interception.


Hayden Eligon of Northwestern hauls in a 25-yard pass.

PAINFUL VICTORY
Northwestern loses No. 1 running back
for year in tight win over UL-Monroe

EVANSTON, Ill. — First the good news.

Joseph Himon showed he’s capable of taking over from second-team All-America running back Cam Porter, running 19 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns while also catching a touchdown pass during Northwestern’s season-opening 27-25 victory over UL-Monroe on Aug. 23, 2025.

Now the bad news. Like, really bad news.

That’s the last we’ll see of Himon this season.

And even worse news — his replacement is Caleb Komolafe.

Himon suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle in the middle of the third quarter during a field goal drive that gave the Wildcats a seemingly comfortable 24-10 lead.

Komolafe, who shares the same 81 OVR rating as Himon, didn’t look a thing like him once he got on the field, gaining only three yards on nine carries. It was Komolafe who subbed in near the goal line and fumbled during a Detroit Bowl loss to Western Michigan last season.

“We might be screwed,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “We really need to be able to control the game on the ground to win consistently. You saw how much trouble UL-Monroe gave us once we lost our ability to do that.”

Since Himon is a senior, his career is over. In real life, he should be given a medical redshirt for getting hurt in the first game, but that isn’t “in the game.”

With 76 OVR senior quarterback Hunter Herring looking like Joe Burrow, UL-Monroe came back in the fourth quarter to take a 25-24 lead. Herring threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Joe Bazley with 5:14 left in the game, then hit a wide-open Tyler Griffin with a 64-yard bomb on fourth-and-24 (!!!!) with 1:53 left to put UL-Monroe up by one point. Two-point conversions after each touchdown failed, which kept Northwestern within distance to win with a field goal.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Boe, making his first college appearance, marched the Wildcats 70 yards in 10 plays to set up a game-winning 26-yard field goal by freshman Enrique Swaim with one second remaining.

“It was encouraging to see Ryan move the ball in a clutch situation like that,” B-Dawg said. “This is the first of many big-time drives he’ll have to engineer during his career unless we stumble upon a five-star quarterback in recruiting in the next couple years.

“It was nice to win this game, but I’m not exactly a happy camper. UL-Monroe is one of the worst teams in the country. There’s no way we should be fighting for our lives, at home no less, to beat them. We have USC, Oregon, Michigan and Penn State on our schedule this season. I don’t think any of those teams saw anything to get worried about today.”




NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Jordan Knox 5 pancakes, 0 sacks; Anthony Birsa 4-0; Corey Capobianco 2-0; Jaelen Camarda 2-0; Ramon Morales 2-0; Camp Magee 1-0; Frank Covey 1-0; Jakori McFarland 1-0; Nick Herzog 1-0; Shawn Boyett 1-1.

[redsox907]

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

The loss of Himon seemed to suck the life out of the offense...hopefully it isn't the same situation as the injury late last season.

[BDawg35]

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

The loss of Himon seemed to suck the life out of the offense...hopefully it isn't the same situation as the injury late last season.

My guys are really close. They really feel it when something bad happens to one of their brothers. I love that about them, but they can't be mentally weak either. I will nip any signs of weakness in the bud.

[BDawg35]

2025 SEASON - GAME 2




Northwestern quarterback Ryan Boe celebrates a touchdown run.


Northwestern’s Frank Covey catches a touchdown pass.


Northwestern’s Hayden Eligon catches a touchdown pass.


Northwestern defensive end Michael Kilbane celebrates a sack of Tulane quarterback Ty Thompson.


Northwestern strong safety Devin Turner breaks up a pass.


Tulane running back Makhi Hughes scores on a 61-yard run.


Tulane tight end Blake Gunter is in the clear for a 40-yard touchdown catch.

YACK-ITY-YACK!
Yards after catch help out quarterback,
as Northwestern wins 31-24 at Tulane

NEW ORLEANS — There’s nothing like a steady dose of YAC to make your quarterback look really good.

Ryan Boe might want to take his receivers to dinner after their YAC-fest during a 31-24 victory over Tulane on Aug. 30, 2025.

Boe went 29-for-37 for 362 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, perhaps the best quarterback performance during the brief time B-Dawg has been at Northwestern.

Much of the credit goes to B-Dawg’s play-calling (pats self on back), as he dialed up a series of touch passes and other short easy passes to get Boe in a rhythm and keep the ball out of harm’s way.

Jaylen Love was the recipient of the touch passes, which accounted for many of his 11 catches for 113 yards. Love has to be the first player in the history of football to have a 100-yard receiving performance that had more YAC yards (121) than total yards (113).

The breakdown for the rest of the receivers is as follows: running back Caleb Komolafe 97 receiving yards, 69 YAC; receiver Reggie Fleurima 63 receiving yards, 34 YAC; receiver Frank Covey 28 receiving yards, 14 YAC; receiver Hayden Eligon 25 receiving yards, 2 YAC; tight end Camp Magee 25 receiving yards, 22 YAC; and receiver Ramon Morales 11 receiving yards, 2 YAC.

For you math majors, that’s 264 yards after the catch out of 362 total passing yards.

“I think we might be on to something,” B-Dawg said. “I never felt the ball was at risk of being intercepted, which hardly ever happens. I’m usually terrified whenever the ball goes more than 10 yards in the air.”

Northwestern scored first, but Tulane had two big plays to take a 14-7 lead before the end of the first quarter.

B-Dawg’s biggest fear coming into the game (besides throwing interceptions, which is a perpetual fear) was 93 OVR Tulane running back Makhi Hughes. Hughes showed why B-Dawg had so many sleepless nights this week, busting off a 61-yard touchdown run to tie the game with 4:52 left in the first quarter.

With the Wildcats blitzing on third-and-eight on Tulane’s next possession, Ty Thompson hit wide-open tight end Blake Gunter for a 40-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the first half.

“We had to get the defense together after that and do some soul searching,” B-Dawg said. “I may have called out their manhood. Whatever, the case, we got our act together after that and pretty much shut them down.”

Hughes was quiet the rest of the game, finishing with 101 yards on 21 carries when it appeared he was easily heading for a 200-yard-plus performance.

Northwestern regained the lead by halftime on a 3-yard run by Boe and a 22-yard pass from Boe to Eligon in the final 2:41 of the first half. The Wildcats nearly had three touchdowns in the final 2:41 of the half, but Tulane defensive back Lu Tillery jarred the ball loose from Love on a deep pass in the end zone to end the half.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 28-14 on a 21-yard pass from Boe to Covey, who had a catch on fourth-and-two a few plays earlier.

The only hiccup for the Northwestern defense after the first quarter came when Tulane drove 75 yards in 12 plays to cut the lead to 28-21 on a 5-yard pass from Thompson to Kishawn Kings with 7:06 left in the game.

After reaching the two-minute warning with first-and-goal at the 9-yard line, the Wildcats played it conservatively and protected the ball, settling for a field goal with 1:48 left to go up by 10. Tulane elected to kick a 47-yard field goal on fourth-and-10 with 17 seconds remaining, but Love recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.




NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Jordan Knox 7 pancakes, 0 sacks allowed; Simon Silva 4-0; Shawn Boyett 2-0; Frank Covey 1-0; Anthony Kirsa 1-0; Hayden Eligon 1-0; Corey Capobianco 1-0; Ramon Morales 1-0; Reggie Fleurima 1-0.

[BDawg35]

2025 SEASON - GAME 3




Northwestern cornerback Braden Turner breaks up pass.


Northwestern defensive tackle Zack Cobb celebrates a sack.


Northwestern linebacker Brendan McIntosh intercepts a pass early in the game.


Northwestern’s Caleb Komolafe ran 30 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns.


Braden Turner gets ready to grab a muffed punt that hit Bowling Green’s Darius Lorfils in the back.


Bowling Green’s TJ Nelson intercepts a pass that he took 22 yards to the house late in the first half.


Northwestern’s Timi Oke makes a diving catch during a successful two-minute drill late in the first half.


Northwestern running back Caleb Komolafe celebrates a touchdown.


Northwestern fullback Jaelen Camarda ran eight times for 26 yards and a touchdown.

CHICKEN SALAD
Much-maligned Northwestern halfback
blows up in victory over Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Maybe Caleb Komolafe isn’t pure garbage after all.

Northwestern coach B-Dawg was beginning to think his season was over before it really got started when No. 1 running back Joseph Himon suffered a season-ending injury in the opener against Louisiana-Monroe.

The reason for his dread was that it meant Komolafe would have to take on a major role, something he appeared utterly incapable of handling.

The last time he faced a Mid-American Conference team, he was tackled for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line on his only carry of the game in last year’s Detroit Bowl against Western Michigan. His inability to get a yard literally cost the Wildcats a victory.

Then in the season opener, with Himon knocked out of commission, Komolafe had only three yards on nine carries, a yards-per-carry rate that is an embarrassment.

But if B-Dawg is known for one thing, it’s his ability to coach up his players.

The version of Komolafe we’ve seen the last two weeks should have Northwestern fans more at ease. He followed up a big performance against Tulane by rushing 30 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns during a 34-24 victory over Bowling Green on Sept. 6, 2025.

One week earlier, Komolafe ran 20 times for 100 yards and caught six passes for 97 yards.

“What’s the old saying about making making chicken salad out of chicken bleep?” B-Dawg said. “That’s what I’m doing with Caleb Komolafe. I’ll coach him up, I’ll run plays where he can be successful and we’ll be fine. I just hope we don’t run into any more running back injuries. Wear and tear kills these guys.”

All three of Komolafe’s touchdowns came in the second quarter, as Northwestern built a 24-14 lead at the break.

The Wildcats were cruising comfortably, leading 17-0, when the Falcons struck for two touchdowns 16 seconds apart late in the first half to put a scare into them.

After a 4-yard touchdown pass from Lucian Anderson to Wayne Woodyard with 1:44 left in the first half, Ryan Boe served up a 22-yard pick-six to TJ Nelson on third-and-14 with 1:28 to go.

“I told myself to just be safe at the end of the half, because we were getting the ball to start the second half,” B-Dawg said. “I’m an idiot.”

Ticked off by the sudden change in events, B-Dawg stayed aggressive, only this time it didn’t backfire on the Wildcats. Boe took Northwestern 75 yards in seven plays, the last play being a 4-yard touchdown run by Komolafe with 31 seconds left in the half. A great diving catch for 27 yards by Timi Oke was the highlight of the drive.

Following a scoreless third quarter, Bowling Green made it a one-possession game with a field goal with 9:39 left in the game.

Northwestern responded with a 2-yard touchdown run by freshman fullback Jaelen Camarda and a field goal.

In between the touchdown and field goal, Northwestern defensive end Anto Saka stopped a fourth-and-two run from the Wildcats’ 44-yard line.

The Northweestern run defense bottled up 87 OVR Terion Stewart, holding him to 18 yards on nine carries. His longest run was only five yards. Since allowing a 61-yard touchdown in the first quarter to Tulane’s Makhi Hughes last week, the Wildcats have barely allowed anything in the run game using the 4-3 Tampa 2 spying the middle linebacker to keep him from dropping too deep into pass coverage.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Shawn Boyett 6 pancakes, 0 sacks; Corey Capobianco 5-0; Simon Silva 4-0; Jordan Knox 4-0; Jaelen Camarda 3-0; Anthony Birsa 3-0; Reggie Fleurima 2-0; Deuce McGuire 1-0; Hayden Eligon 1-0; Julius Hazel 1-0; Jakori McFarland 1-0.

[BDawg35]

2025 SEASON - GAME 4




Northwestern strong safety Devin Turner dives in the end zone for one of his two interceptions.


Northwestern strong safety Devin Turner grabs his first interception.


Northwestern receiver Jaylen Love runs two yards for a touchdown.


Northwestern linebacker Kenny Soares gets a sack and forces a fumble.


Northwestern defensive tackle Zack Cobb sacks UCLA quarterback Justyn Martin.


Northwestern defensive tackle Zack Cobb scoops up a fumble.


Northwestern cornerback Cole Shivers intercepts a pass.


Northwestern defensive end Anto Saka gets one of his three sacks of UCLA quarterback Justyn Martin.


Northwestern’s Enrique Swaim was 5-for-5 kicking field goals.

UNWATCHABLE
Wildcats, UCLA set college football
a century in abomination of a game

EVANSTON, Ill. — If you want to sell the sport of college football to someone who has never watched a game, please don’t show them video of the UCLA-Northwestern game from Sept. 20, 2025. (Though, as an aspiring influencer, I always appreciate the YouTube views.)

It was an utter abomination all the way around.

If you like field goals and turnovers, then this was your game. But most normal people don’t watch football to see that stuff. Perhaps the fans who showed up at Ryan Field should’ve been offered refunds for being subjected to this atrocity.

Northwestern was able to beat UCLA 29-7 by kicking five field goals of 40 yards or less. Three of the field goals were kicked after the Wildcats failed to cash in from inside the 6-yard line.

There were more turnovers (six) than touchdowns (three). There were also six penalties, which is on the high side for a video game.

Strong safety Devin Turner had two interceptions, while cornerback Cole Shivers had one for Northwestern, which is off to a 4-0 start.

UCLA looked like it would make this an offensive showcase, scoring on its second play from scrimmage on a 55-yard pass from Justyn Martin to J Michael Sturdivant with 4:39 left in the first quarter. The Bruins wouldn’t score again.

“If we can just limit the big play, we seem to be good at patiently letting teams’ drives fizzle out,” B-Dawg said.

Northwestern was in a 3-3-5 defense for UCLA’s two longest pass plays of the game. B-Dawg ditched that defense after a 34-yard catch by Grant Gray.

Northwestern’s issues with running back injuries continued. Caleb Komolafe was knocked out of the game after gaining 36 yards on six carries, resulting in a running back by committee that included freshman fullback Jaelen Camarda.

Camarda was getting running back carries, as No. 3 running back Jakori McFarland was also knocked out of the game from time to time. Camarda, who runs like he’s going through two feet of mud, had 47 yards on 18 carries.

Five different backs had carries, as did receiver Jaylen Love. Love scored on a 2-yard play that went down as a run, but which B-Dawg swore was a touch pass.

Reggie Fleurima caught a 1-yard touchdown pass with 2:16 left when B-Dawg went into a hurry-up after converting on third down.

“We weren’t showing an ability to punch it in on the ground, so why not throw it?” B-Dawg said.

Defensive end Anto Saka had three sacks for the Wildcats.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Simon Silva 8 pancakes, 0 sacks; Corey Capobianco 6-0; Anthony Birsa 5-0; Camp Magee 3-0; Shawn Boyett 2-0; Nick Herzog 2-0; Julius Hazel 1-0; Jordan Knox 1-0.

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2026 RECRUITING UPDATE






Northwestern has landed its first two commits in the Class of 2026.

Neither one is a program-changer, as defensive tackle Tony Gideon of Lemont, Ill. and cornerback Jayvon Hope of Davison, Mich. are only two-star prospects.

The fun part for coach B-Dawg is landing someone from Davison, a team he covered for nearly 30 years in his previous real-life sports writing job.

“The value in landing these guys is filling roster spots and not having to spend resources on them anymore,” B-Dawg said. “We have bigger fish to fry. Speaking of fish, Whitey’s is an amazing fish and chips place in Davison if you’re ever there.”

[redsox907]

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

stringing some wins together with the ragtag group of guys!

What's the record now?

[BDawg35]

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

stringing some wins together with the ragtag group of guys!

What's the record now?

We are about to go 5-0 with the win I'm about to post. The games are tough, we have to get out of our own way sometimes, but it feels like a special season is brewing.

[BDawg35]

2025 SEASON - GAME 5




USC running back Quinten Joyner is stuffed by Northwestern linebacker Braydon Brus on third-and-goal from 2
early in the game.


Jakori McFarland scores the winning touchdown on a 19-yard run late in the third quarter.


USC’s Garrison Madden makes a leaping interception that nearly spelled disaster for Northwestern.


Jakori McFarland takes off for a 37-yard run on fourth-and-inches.


Northwestern’s Jakori McFarland ran 11 times for 109 yards and one touchdown.


USC running back Quinten Joyner celebrates a touchdown that gave the Trojans a 16-15 third-quarter lead.


Northwestern’s Tyler Gant sacks backup USC quarterback Jayde Maiava for a safety late in the first half.

BRICK WALL ‘D’
USC latest victim of NW’s run defense,
totaling -3 yards in loss to Wildcats

LOS ANGELES — Maybe it’s time to come up with a nickname for the Northwestern run defense.

What the Wildcats are doing to opposing rushing attacks is downright criminal.

USC was known back in the day as Tailback U, but even the 13th-ranked Trojans were no match for Northwestern’s run defense on Aug. 23, 2025.

With only two sacks factoring into the equation, USC was held to minus-3 yards on 19 carries in a 21-19 loss to unbeaten yet still-unranked Northwestern.

Northwestern has held its last three opponents to only 20 rushing yards on 50 carries. In the last two games, against quality UCLA and USC teams, the total is minus-1 yard on 32 carries.

Only one of five opponents has rushed for more than 40 yards against Northwestern. Tulane got to 100 yards because of a 61-yard touchdown run by Makhi Hughes in the first quarter. That touchdown seemed to ignite a passion deep within the Wildcats to stop the run at all costs.

“We sit in a 4-3 Tampa 2 defense, spy the middle linebacker to keep him closer to the line of scrimmage and pray the CPU doesn’t throw a deep ball,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “If we are susceptible to anything, it’s the quick strike through the air. I have never been more comfortable in my coaching career with my team’s ability to shut down the run. It’s truly a joy to behold.”

Cornerback Braden Turner played a major role in the success against USC, making five tackles for losses.

USC running back Quinten Joyner had 34 yards on 14 carries, scoring on a 3-yard run with 4:53 left in the third quarter to put the Trojans ahead 16-15 after they trailed 15-3. Heisman hopeful Miller Moss of USC had three carries for minus-23 yards and was 14-for-20 for only 195 yards and one touchdown.

A tone was set when Joyner was stopped on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line by linebacker Braydon Brus on the first drive of the game, forcing USC to settle for a field goal.

Leading 13-3, Northwestern got to do the safety dance when Tyler Gant sacked backup quarterback Jayden Maiava in the end zone with 55 seconds left in the first half. Maiava was in briefly when Moss was shaken up.

USC’s offense showed life in the third quarter with two touchdowns to take the lead, 16-15.

While the Trojans had trouble running the ball, the ground game was a strength for Northwestern. The Wildcats nearly had two 100-yard rushers, with Jakori McFarland running 11 times for 109 yards and Caleb Komolafe running 17 times for 91 yards.

McFarland entered the season as the third-stringer, but he showed he wants a bigger role in the absence of Joseph Himon. He broke off some big runs, including a 19-yarder for a touchdown to put Northwestern up 21-16 with 1:58 left in the third quarter. McFarland had a 37-yard run on fourth-and-inches on the drive, bouncing off a teammate behind the line of scrimmage, finding a hole and taking off to the left.

Disaster nearly struck when Ryan Boe’s second interception of the game on third-and-22 wound up in the hands of Garrison Madden, who returned it to the Northwestern 32-yard line with 4:39 left in the game. McFarland made a touchdown-saving tackle that proved to be huge, because USC wound up settling for a field goal on fourth-and-11 with 2:46 left in the game.

The Wildcats were able to run out the clock after Jaylen Love gained eight yards on a touch pass on third-and-five with 1:44 left in the game.

Northwestern is off to a 5-0 start and should finally crack the top 25. USC fell to 4-2.

“This feels like a special team,” B-Dawg said. “We are overachieving, but there’s a lot to be said for a close group of guys who believe in themselves. I’ll take that over a bunch of five-star bums who have one foot already in Madden.”





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Jordan Knox 11 pancakes, 1 sack; Corey Capobianco 4-0; Anthony Birsa 4-0; Shawn Boyett 4-1; Reggie Fleurima 3-0; Camp Magee 2-0; Jaelen Camarda 1-0; Jaylen Love 1-0; Simon Silva 1-0; Frank Covey 1-0.

[djp73]

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

I expected 3-0, 5-0 is a surprise! team of destiny!

[RyanLeaf16]

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

Quite the run to start the season. I know you categorized some of those "W's" as ugly wins, but they only read one way in the standings - style points not needed.

I say stay disciplined. It's easy to want to get aggressive the more success you have in game. That's when EA humbles you. Remember, it is a game about points. Like Tom Brady has said, doesn't matter if it's 3 or 6, the game is about accumulating the most points you can. Take what you can get and rely on that D.

Keep playing old school. Size does matter in this game. I always build a BIG DLine. I go power rusher on my ends and run stopper for my nose. I like my ends at 280+, but no smaller than 275 and I like them to be 6'3"+. The size helps to bat balls down at the line and to stuff the run. If you can stuff the run, the AI/human opponents become one-dimensional and you can rack up sacks.

Keep playing that disciplined defense and don't veer off from it.