Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 9 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Coach David Braun was hired to be Northwestern's defensive coordinator before being put in charge of the entire program following Pat Fitzgerald's sud- den ouster ahead of the 2023 season. Given Braun's background, it makes sense that the Wildcats have been much better on defense than on offense dur- ing his two seasons in Evanston. You can get away with that sometimes, as the Wildcats did when they produced a sur- prising 8-5 record in his debut season. What you can't get away with is hav- ing one of the worst offenses in college football. Last season, Northwestern av- eraged 17.8 points and 284.4 yards per game, ranking 128th and 130th, respec- tively, in the FBS. Those shortcomings caused the Wildcats to lose four more games than they did in Braun's first sea- son. Northwestern is hoping that the ar- rival of quarterback Preston Stone, along with reinforcements for the of- fensive line and receiver corps, will ele- vate a unit that scored in single-digits in four of its nine Big Ten games last year. Stone had seemed like he was on the fast track at SMU, throwing for 3,197 yards, with 28 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions as a redshirt sophomore two years ago. But then he lost the start- ing job to Kevin Jennings four games into the 2024 season and entered the por- tal just ahead of the Mustangs' College Football Playoff contest at Penn State last December. Now, the senior is looking to revive his career in the Big Ten. The offensive line returns a pair of seniors in left tackle Caleb Tiernan and center Jack Bailey, and the Wild- cats have also brought in guard Devan Beernsten from South Dakota State and tackle Xavior Gray from Liberty, both likely starters. The receiver corps welcomes another South Dakota State transfer, Grif- fin Wilde, who totaled 71 catches for 1,147 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Jackrabbits last season. Northwestern's other new wideout, Chase Farrell, red- shirted in his lone season at Stanford. True to form, the defense features a wealth of homegrown talent. Six start- ers are back, including three members of last year's front four. Edge rusher Aidan Hubbard is a rising star after leading the team with 7 tackles for loss and 6 sacks as a redshirt junior. Behind that veteran front, linebacker Mac Uihlein was last year's leading tackler with 84 stops, and the Wildcats also bring back two starters from the secondary in cornerback Josh Fussell and nickel Braden Turner. On special teams, kicker Jack Olsen returns after playing in only five games due to an injury last year. Punter Luke Akers filled in for Olsen and hit 10 of 14 field goal attempts, but he'll most likely focus on his primary duties after aver- aging 43.2 yards per punt in 2024. The schedule is going to make it hard to build some early-season momentum, even with four of the Wildcats' first five games taking place in Evanston. They open with Tulane, which played for the American Athletic Conference title last year, and their first three Big Ten op- ponents include Oregon and Penn State. That's not a formula for immediate suc- cess. — Matt Herb O C T . 1 1 | T I M E T B A | T V T B A | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | S T A T E C O L L E G E Linebacker Mac Uihlein was an honorable mention All- Big Ten choice after leading the Wildcats with 84 tackles last season. PHOTO COURTESY NORTHWESTERN ATHLETICS GAME 6 NORTHWESTERN QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads, 16-5 Last Meeting: PSU held the host Wildcats to 175 total yards and amassed 6 sacks in a 41-13 romp on Sept. 30, 2023 Head Coach: David Braun (12-13 in two seasons at Northwestern; career coaching record: same) 2024 Record: 4-8, 2-7 Big Ten Returning Starters: 11 (5 offense, 6 de- fense) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Cam Porter (501 yards, 6 TD) Passing: QB Jack Lausch (1,714 yards, 7 TD) Receiving: RB Cam Porter (174 yards) Tackles: LB Mac Uihlein (84) Sacks: DE Aidan Hubbard (6) Interceptions: S Robert Fitzgerald, CB Evan Smith, S Damon Walters (1) 2025 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2024 Result Aug. 30 at Tulane — Sept. 5 Western Illinois — Sept. 13 Oregon — Sept. 27 UCLA — Oct. 4 Louisiana-Monroe — Oct. 11 at Penn State — Oct. 18 Purdue W, 26-20 (OT) Oct. 25 at Nebraska L, 23-15 Nov. 7 at USC L, 41-7 Nov. 15 Michigan* L, 50-6 Nov. 22 Minnesota* — Nov. 29 at Illinois L, 38-28 * at Wrigley Field, Chicago BEST-CASE SCENARIO If QB Preston Stone returns to his 2023 form, when he led SMU to the top of the American Athletic Confer- ence before suffering a leg injury prior to the league title game, the Wildcats will be more potent on offense and could have a real shot at a bowl game. WORST-CASE SCENARIO A tough early-season schedule could make it difficult to build any momen- tum, forcing the Wildcats to fight for bowl eligibility against a November slate that includes trips to USC and Il- linois and a date against Michigan at Wrigley Field that could end up being a de facto road game.