It’s almost time for the main event.
On Saturday, the Northwestern Wildcats take on the No. 4 Oregon Ducks in a highly-anticipated matchup that allows the ‘Cats to be featured on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff before the contest. Oregon has dominated in its first two games this season, and with the national spotlight on Evanston, the Wildcats project to be a heavy underdog.
An upset is highly improbable, but
not impossible. Here are three keys to pulling it off.
Start fast
It sounds cliche, but if the ‘Cats can’t fire on all cylinders from the very first possession, they’re almost certainly going to have lost this game by halftime. Last week, Oregon started off with a two-play, 65-yard touchdown drive to get an early lead against Oklahoma State. After forcing a three-and-out, the Ducks scored again on just one play, effectively putting the game away and beginning a rout that ended with an eye-popping score of 69-3.
Northwestern’s defense looked a lot better (albeit against a weak Western Illinois squad) last week. Still, if Oregon starts with the ball first, surviving that possession with a field goal or punt would be a huge win for the ‘Cats. If NU starts first, it will need to find a way to make a big play early, ideally beginning with a touchdown drive to take an early lead and establish some energy at Martin Stadium.
It’s a tough ask for Preston Stone and the offense — which have been very inconsistent so far — to march down the field against a top-four opponent and score on the first possession. However, such a drive is likely necessary to overcome the big-play firepower that Oregon possesses. If the Ducks take a quick early lead, it will likely be almost impossible for the ‘Cats to climb out of the ensuing hole.
Keep the running backs involved
Oregon’s secondary is devastating, as it limited a Big 12 opponent to just 67 passing yards last week. Even scarier for the ‘Cats is the possibility that former Northwestern cornerback Theran Johnson could make his season debut after missing the start of the season due to injury.
Johnson should be more than prepared to counter many of NU offensive coordinator Zach Lujan’s tendencies on Saturday, and with the depth that the Ducks have at corner, it’s going to be extremely difficult for any Wildcat wideout outside of Griffin Wilde to make an impact. That makes it all the more vital that Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II get some effective early touches to keep the defense on its toes.
Expect Lujan to try to involve Komolafe early while giving Himon plenty of opportunities in the passing game as well as in the running game. Himon’s big-play ability might be the spark the Wildcats need in the short passing game, and they’ll need an even bigger spark following the news that Cam Porter will miss the remainder of the 2025 season with an injury.
The Ducks don’t really have a weakness, but they do seem slightly more vulnerable against the run, allowing 144 rushing yards to Oklahoma State on Saturday. It’ll be up to Lujan to put his players in positions to succeed, letting Stone shine while also making sure he isn’t dropping back to pass every play. Bad play-calling could ultimately doom the Wildcats to some early three-and-outs.
Get consistent pressure from the defensive line
The defensive line was underwhelming in the Wildcats’ loss to Tulane, taking a beating on the ground while rarely managing to pressure quarterback Jake Retzlaff. Things were better against Western Illinois, but the Wildcats still only managed two sacks against the Leathernecks, bringing their total to a meager three sacks on the year.
In particular, Northwestern will need star defensive ends Anto Saka and Aidan Hubbard to step up on Saturday. Saka was practically nonexistent against Tulane, with just one tackle and few meaningful reps throughout the contest. Against Western Illinois, he looked much better but failed to record a statistic despite being involved in the pass rush.
Hubbard has had a decent season so far, recording the lone sack against the Green Wave, and the ‘Cats got some good production from Michael Kilbane and Richie Hagarty against the Leathernecks as well. Defensive tackle Carmine Bastone had 1.5 sacks last Friday, recording perhaps the best performance out of all of the defensive linemen against Western Illinois. Still, neither of the collective performances from the defensive line will be enough against the powerhouse Ducks.
NU’s secondary has flashed at times this season, but it still won’t be able to stop Oregon quarterback Dante Moore unless it can be complemented by a potent pass rush. An early sack or two could be just what the doctor ordered for Northwestern, as the Wildcats need to find ways to force the Ducks into mistakes. However, if Moore is allowed to sit in the pocket all day long, there’s little the ‘Cats can do to stop all of Oregon’s weapons.
