After a season of close, hard-fought battles, the Northwestern Wildcats ended their year with a bowl game blowout.
The ‘Cats took care of business against CMU, securing their second winning season in three
years and giving the program a bowl game win that could not have been anticipated after their season-opening loss to Tulane. Here are three takeaways from the contest — and the year as a whole.
Braden Turner is becoming a big-time player
Early in the season, Turner wasn’t lighting up the stat sheet in a crowded secondary, but as the year went on and injuries accumulated, the redshirt junior was forced into a bigger role. In the end, he made the most of it, and nowhere was that more evident than in Friday’s bowl contest.
Turner had six tackles, an interception and a fumble return touchdown against the Chippewas, single-handedly making an impressive defensive impact. Both of Turner’s turnover plays were incredibly impressive, as he showed great anticipation on the diving interception and flashed his speed and shiftiness in weaving through traffic to score a touchdown.
At the beginning of the season, Turner’s role amid a cohort of talented young cornerbacks wasn’t clear. Now, he’s established himself as a true centerpiece heading into his final campaign.
Griffin Wilde is still his dominant self
In some — though not all — Big Ten games this season, Wilde has been held to a modest performance. Against a Group of Five Central Michigan squad, however, his abilities were unleashed once again.
With 10 catches for 97 yards against the Chippewas, the junior flashed his ability to make tough catches and get open despite a lack of high-end speed. It was an impressive performance for Wilde, and one that elevated him to 71 receptions for 880 yards and eight touchdowns on the year. Ultimately, the South Dakota State transfer was successful in his move to the FBS, and big games against UCLA, Penn State and Minnesota all showed that.
Coming into 2026, it’s unclear whether Wilde will enter the transfer portal or remain with his Wildcat squad, although one positive sign is that head coach David Braun appears confident in his overall team retention. If he does return, he may experience additional changes — according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg — with the reported “offensive reset” that is incoming for the ‘Cats. Whether that indicates a move such as an offensive coordinator change remains to be seen, but regardless, Wilde’s ability to show out even amid shaky quarterback play should give him a huge ceiling in 2026.
Braun and the Wildcats exceeded expectations in 2025
Before the season, Northwestern was almost universally picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten. After the disastrous loss against Tulane, almost every fan was soured on the possibility of a bowl game. Yet despite a bad start to the season, the ‘Cats persevered, picking up four Big Ten victories and winning a bowl game to secure Braun’s second season above .500 in his three years in Evanston.
Major credit must go to Braun and the players for this feat. Just as he did two years ago, the Wildcat head coach guided his squad past a brutal opening-game loss to pick up some big wins and finish the season on a high note.
As a coach, Braun has been far from perfect in terms of his recruiting and in-game decision-making, but it is clear that he knows how to get the best out of his players. Robert Fitzgerald, Caleb Komolafe and Turner — not to mention much of the offensive line — all had big-time breakout seasons in 2025 despite being relatively unheralded players before the year. Of course, the players themselves deserve the most credit, but it’s clear that their success has been improved by NU’s underrated ability to develop and coach its players over time.
