For the first time this season, Northwestern football lived up to its expectations by dismantling Western Illinois.
The game was never close. Never a doubt. The ‘Cats made it a long night for Joe Davis and company, as was expected from the college football world.
The true value of this game doesn’t lie in the win-loss column, of course. It’s found in how Northwestern defeated the Leathernecks on Friday. With the result of the game being a near formality from the end of the first quarter on, it’s time
to dissect the Wildcats’ play from Week Two as they head into an extremely steep battle against their first top-10 opponent in 2025.
1. Preston’s Stone looks more comfortable
Last season was a disaster in the passing game. A total of seven passing touchdowns to 11 interceptions explains half of NU’s 4-8 record in 2024.
2025 seemed like it would be much of the same after Tulane week. Many were quick to hit the panic button after Stone struggled in his first game in purple threads, forgetting that the graduate student hadn’t started a football game in over a year heading into Week One — a game against a team that was not nearly the caliber of a Tulane program.
The WIU game said more about Stone than his Tulane struggles ever could. Was it a lesser opponent compared to what’s to come? Yes.
But the truth is that Stone needed this game more than anyone on the Northwestern roster. Week One, he was thrown right into the fire pit, having to run a brand new playbook against one of the most dangerous Group of Five teams in the nation. Week Two was his first true introduction to the Northwestern offense, as he had a real opportunity to get a feel for how Lujan utilizes his personnel in the pass scheme.
Stone seemed comfortable in the pocket on the majority of his reps, going through his progressions smoothly and making the right decisions based on what the zone defense gave him. 21 completions to nine different receivers is a sign of Stone settling into his role as the leader of the offense.
Two plays come to mind that emulate this point exactly.
Stone’s 46-yard pass to Griffin Wilde in the first quarter shows the progression in his decision-making between Week One and Week Two — he doesn’t hesitate to air it out to his favorite target once he sees separation between him and the defender. Yes, it was underthrown, but Stone’s deep ball ability was never a question when he came to Northwestern, and it’ll be polished up as the season goes on.
The second play I think about is Stone’s touchdown pass to Hunter Welcing inside two minutes of the first half, capping off what I think was the ‘Cats best offensive possession of the season thus far. Many will say Welcing had his man beat, but Stone’s ball placement on the pass was incredible, ensuring that the Leathernecks’ Buju Aumua-Tuisavura had no chance at breaking up the pass.
In Week One, Stone had issues with underthrowing many of his targets, especially under duress. Not in Week Two.
2. Offensive line needs to trend upwards
Picking on the O-line in a game where NU put up well over 500 yards of offense seems outrageous, but with the ever dangerous Oregon defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei looming, the offensive line will need to make a huge leap between now and Saturday.
There were a couple of instances in the red zone where the ‘Cats lost the battle in the trenches and were later bailed out by the passing game. For example, on first and goal on Northwestern’s second drive, the A-gap is left wide open for Christian Pierce to nail Cam Porter for a loss of two. Later in the half, on third-and-1 with just over 40 seconds left, WIU blows up the run off both edges of the line and forces NU into an undesirable fourth down situation.
Although these instances may seem nitpicky, it’s hard to overlook the fact that Oregon won’t be as kind to Northwestern. A loss on first down may all but guarantee a turnover for the ‘Cats — or at best, settling for a field goal in the red zone — giving possession to an offense that rides the momentum of a 66-point victory into Evanston
With Porter’s injury status in question, the run game on Saturday will most likely become a two-man mission between Joesph Himon II and Caleb Komolaffe, two backs that produce the most in the open field. To have a shot at pulling the upset next week, the men up front need to get pushing, or else Himon and Komolaffe might become Duck food for Dan Lanning’s squad.
3. Northwestern’s defense is legit
Say what you will about WIU being a lesser opponent, the truth of the matter is that Northwestern played a better pass defense against the Leathernecks than No. 11 Illinois did against them in Week One. Western Illinois quarterback Christian Irvin completed 14 passes against the Illini compared to a measly five against the Wildcats. He threw for five times the yardage he got in Week Two against Illinois in Week One.
The new look DB group is meshing well, and it’s soothing to see if you’re a Northwestern fan.
Robert Fitzgerald and Josh Fussell are clearly the best players on the field for NU on the defensive side (which says a lot, considering Aidan Hubbard’s production against Tulane, Carmine Bastone’s role in pressuring Irvin and the linebackers making receivers’ lives difficult all game in the home opener). Fussell is rarely ever tested because he’s spot-on and true to his assignments 99% of the time and Fitzgerald denies anything that’s deep over the middle. Once Damon Walters returns to the field, NU will have a sleeper secondary core that can cause trouble for any QB in the Big Ten.
Jack Sadowsky V made great strides between weeks and seems to be growing into the transfer that Northwestern fans expected him to be. Pair his smarts with Mac Uihlein manning the middle, and the ‘Cats have a firm defensive unit all around.
Notice that Anto Saka’s name hasn’t even been mentioned. He’s been quiet, but won’t be for much longer.
The only questions that arise with this defense surround CB2: Fred Davis II. He’s been thrown towards consistently, and it’d be safe to assume that Oregon wide receiver Dakorien Moore will be his toughest assignment of 2025. Tim McGarigle needs a scheme that rotates the safeties over whenever Dante Moore looks Davis’s way.
Looking Ahead: Week Three vs. No. 6 Oregon
PFF ranked Northwestern’s schedule the seventh toughest in the nation for a reason. Not only does Big Noon Kickoff come to Evanston for the first time ever, but the ‘Cats begin a conference slate that contains four AP Top 25 opponents — three of whom will be ranked in the top 15 once the Sept. 8 poll drops, and two of whom rank in the top 10.
In a year that’s perceived by many as “bowl game or bust,” Northwestern has an uphill battle from here on out. Few Big Ten opponents are a true “underdog” to the ‘Cats, meaning that 2025 is one of Northwestern’s most unpredictable seasons ever.
One cannot overstate how difficult Saturday is going to be. But if NU shows flashes of what we saw against Western Illinois, then postseason play may be well within reach for the ‘Cats.
