‘Cats Begin Quick, Throttle Western Illinois, 42-7

EVANSTON, Ill. (September 5, 2025) – Tallying 526 yards of complete offense, Northwestern dominated Western Illinois by a last rating of 42-7 in its house opener on Friday evening at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. The 35-point rating differential marked the Wildcats’ (1-1) largest margin of victory since October 24, 2020.

Northwestern held a 22-0 lead at halftime, recording its first first-half shutout since December 23, 2023 towards Utah within the Las Vegas Bowl. The Wildcats’ 22-point halftime benefit marked their largest since October 24, 2020 versus Maryland.

“Excited about our response,” Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun mentioned. “Adversity showed up last Saturday. The way that our guys responded [on] Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, all week in practice. The way that they performed today, you can say that we got a tough football team.”

 

Preston Stone loved a fruitful efficiency in his first sport on the shores of Lake Michigan, finishing 21-of-29 passes for 245 yards, throwing three touchdowns within the course of. He turned the primary Northwestern quarterback to throw for at the very least three touchdowns since Ben Bryant racked up 4 touchdowns towards Minnesota on September 23, 2023.

 

Griffin Wilde introduced in 5 catches for 94 yards, whereas Ricky Ahumaraeze hauled in three balls totaling 52 yards, each of which marked profession highs. Wilde’s 158 receiving yards over the season’s first two video games are probably the most by a Wildcat since 2022.

“Griff just stands out to me. He’s a competitor, he’s savvy, he’s instinctual,” Braun mentioned. “Ricky, just to see the confidence he’s starting to play with. He’s been such a consistent presence since he arrived.”

 

Cam Porter tallied 12 carries for 91 speeding yards and a landing, highlighted by a 43-yard landing run on the Wildcats’ first drive. Caleb Komolafe added profession highs with 11 carries for 63 yards, whereas Joseph Himon II picked up 40 yards on eight makes an attempt.

 

On the defensive facet of the ball, Carmine Bastone led the best way with a career-high 1.5 sacks, with Michael Kilbane including a half sack. Mac Uihlein registered Northwestern’s first interception of the season and the primary interception of his profession. Fred Davis II and Josh Fussell every tallied three cross breakups, whereas Robert Fitzgerald and Richie Hagarty every notched 0.5 tackles for loss.

“We stuck to our gameplan, and we just focused on playing fast and making plays,” Fussell mentioned of the protection’s success. “Even at halftime, we came in. We were up by a little bit. We immediately said the score was 0-0.”

 

Northwestern’s 526 yards of complete offense marked its most because it had 528 towards Nebraska on August 28, 2022.

“It was consistency — establishing a run game, playing complementary football, multiple three-and-outs from our defense. It showed that our offense was able to find some rhythm today.” Braun mentioned.

 

The ‘Cats put up their first landing of 2025 on the sport’s opening drive. On the sixth snap from scrimmage, Porter broke a number of tackles and rushed up the left facet of the sector for a career-long 43-yard landing.

“Coming out tonight and scoring on that first drive, I think that definitely did open the floodgates for us to have a great night as a whole,” Stone mentioned.

 

After forcing a Leathernecks (0-2) three-and-out, Northwestern shortly prolonged the result in two possessions halfway by the primary quarter. Stone’s third throw of the day got here within the type of a 46-yard completion to Wilde. To cap off the drive on third and objective, Stone threw his first landing as a Wildcat, connecting with Hayden Eligon II — who notched his first profession landing. Northwestern went on to transform a two-point conversion try, with Lawson Albright making it a 15-0 affair.

 

By scoring touchdowns on every of its first two drives, Northwestern registered touchdowns on its opening two drives for the primary time since November 11, 2023 towards Wisconsin.

 

The Wildcats regained possession of the ball with their first compelled turnover of the season, as Uihlein corralled a cross tipped by Braden Turner on Western Illinois’ subsequent drive.

 

By the time the first quarter concluded, Stone had accomplished all 9 cross makes an attempt for 120 yards. He turned the primary Northwestern sign caller to finish all of his first quarter passes since Brendan Sullivan on October 28, 2023 towards Maryland. Porter recorded seven makes an attempt for 67 yards, accounting for all of Northwestern’s speeding, whereas Wilde registered 74 receiving yards on his three receptions. Northwestern’s 15 first-quarter factors marked its most since October 29, 2011 towards Indiana.

 

After forcing punts on Western Illinois’ first three drives within the second body, Northwestern put collectively a 12-play, 83-yard drive over 3:34 to shut the primary half. With 28 seconds remaining, Stone discovered Hunter Welcing in the suitable nook of the tip zone to push the hole to 22-0.

 

Northwestern’s momentum continued into the second half, as a 10-play, 53-yard drive resulted in a 35-yard discipline objective from Luke Akers that stretched the result in 25-0.

 

On their ensuing drive, the Wildcats marched into the purple zone after chunk performs from Welcing and Himon earlier than Akers booted by a 25-yard kick to make it a 28-0 lead.

 

Northwestern went to work on the bottom to start the fourth quarter, pounding the ball on 9 straight performs, a stretch that included a 24-yard sprint by Komolafe. Drew Wagner capped off the drive with a landing on a large receiver movement, discovering the tip zone from 4 yards out.

 

After substituting into the sport, Ryan Boe put an exclamation level on the evening with a 58-yard scramble to stretch the result in 42-0.

 

Braun has led the Wildcats to a win in every house opener he has been on the helm. He is the primary Northwestern coach to win his first three house openers since Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf did so from 1935-1937.

 

Northwestern welcomes No. 6 Oregon to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium for the second sport of a season-long four-game homestand on Saturday, September 13 at 11 a.m. CT. The sport will air on FOX and might be heard on WGN Radio 720.

 

Gallery: (9-5-2025) Football vs. Western Illinois