A former Spartans starting quarterback looked impressive in leading his new team to a season-opening victory on Saturday night.
Former Michigan State football quarterback Aiden Chiles threw for nearly 300 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns to help Northwestern pick up a season-opening win against FCS powerhouse South Dakota State. This was the first start for Chiles since transferring from Michigan State this past offseason.
Chiles completed 14 of 24 passes for 273 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions against the Jackrabbits. Chiles also had 18 rushing yards and one touchdown -- with his score coming late in the game to seal the Northwestern victory. You can see that impressive touchdown run in the video below:
AIDAN CHILES FOR 6️⃣!@NUFBFamily
leads 27 - 18 with 4:34 remaining in the 4th! Watch BTN pic.twitter.com/tAVpzJLvJR
— Northwestern On BTN (@NUOnBTN) September 6, 2026
Chiles' late score pushed the Wildcats up by two possessions, with Northwestern picking up one more touchdown late for a final score of 34-18.
Chiles played a pair of seasons with the Spartans, but elected to hit the transfer portal after former Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith was let go in December. He won out the starting job with the Wildcats, and will return to Spartan Stadium next month when Northwestern plays against Michigan State.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Former Spartans QB impresses in season-opening win with new team
