Northwestern football does something legitimately exciting.Good morning or afternoon, wherever you are. One bit of news, then off to the open thread.
You’re not drunk, I’m not drunk, that’s a real NCAA football headline in the year of our Lord 2025.
The last time I can count being legitimately excited when Northwestern’s offense got the ball was maybe a blip in 2018—the last Clayton Thorson season, with Isaiah Bowser gamely picking up where Justin Jackson the Ball Carrier left off, Flynn Nagel the latest
in a string of undersized-but-talent wide receivers like Austin Carr and Solomon Vault, and an offense still under Mick McCall at least nominally committed to some spread principles. Even that, though, wasn’t like early days McCall under Pat Fitzgerald, when the ‘Cats would go five wide with someone like Dan Persa, Mike Kafka, or Brett Basanez in the shotgun, and defenses couldn’t manage to stop the same slant routes over, and over, and over, before—BAM!—there’s a heave to Eric Peterman down the sideline.
There were the dual-quarterback years of Trevor Siemian and Kain Colter, the “I dunno, run around, Dan” years of #PersaStrong debacles and chins that could crack coconuts, even one brief spell in which Evan Watkins reportedly dispatched felines nocturnally.
It was fun, is my point.
Northwestern’s hire of Chip Kelly to be the offensive coordinator cannot possibly live up to that, because those are just memories. They are surely overblown in my mind; I am old, for one, and I remember using several profanities each time McCall dialed up a Mike Trumpy speed option. More to the present, Kelly’s last go-’round, as OC of the Las Vegas Raiders, was a disaster. He has enjoyed talent advantages at stops like Ohio State and Oregon and even UCLA, where Dorian Thompson-Robinson was a four-star recruit and transfers like Wilton Speight and Ethan Garbers were what they were.
But those UCLA offenses? They were fun.
In SP+ by year (I can’t find 2018), beginning in 2019 and through the end of Kelly’s tenure, the Bruins’ offense ranked 71st (DTR’s frosh year), 23rd, 12th, 3rd, 47th.
Of course, “Have a DTR at QB” is much easier said than done. Recruiting—something Kelly is not necessarily known for—that kind of talent across offensive skill positions to Northwestern will be a challenge. It’s also not 2007—going five wide or just running around with your hair on fire doesn’t work as an offensive scheme anymore.
Squint, though, and you’ll see some pieces: Griffin Wilde is a legit Big Ten receiver. Hayden Eligon II is a big body who came into his own as the season wore on. Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II are two exciting backs who—to the best of my knowledge, are coming back. Help bring a quarterback in here—one that Chip Kelly can develop, not just a rental—and there’s actual optimism around the Wildcats’ offense.
It would be…a welcome change. In my lifetime as a ‘Cats fan, the offensive coordinators have been Mick McCall, Mike Bajakian, and Zach Lujan. Since Thorson left at quarterback in 2019: TJ Green, Hunter Johnson, Andrew Marty, Aiden Smith, Peyton Ramsey(!), Ryan Hilinski, Johnson and Marty again, Brendan Sullivan, Cole Freeman, Jack Lausch, Ben Bryant, Mike Wright, Lausch again, Ryan Boe in mop-up duty, and Preston Stone.
The bar is low, my memory is good. Welcome to Evanston, Chip—you’ll recall you were here in 2006, when you led the New Hampshire Wildcats to a 34-17 pasting of first-year Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.
You might not know yet, but in 2026 you’ll head to East Lansing and take on first-year Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald.
I wouldn’t mind a similar result.
