Saturday, December 12
Evanston, Ill.
11 a.m.
Northwestern
vs
Illinois
Photo by: S. J. Carrera, Inc.
Hat Week: 'Cats Battle Illini for The Land of Lincoln Trophy
12/7/2020 1:33:00 PM | Football
| NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL: GAMEDAY INFORMATION | ||||||
| DATE | Opponent | TIME | LOCATION | Live Stats | TELEVISION | RADIO |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Illinois | 11 a.m. CT | Ryan Field | Stats | ESPN2 | AM-720 WGN Radio |
| 2020 VIRTUAL PRESS BOX | ||||||
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern closes out its regular season against in-state rival Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2 and WGN 720 from Ryan Field.
NU earned its second Big Ten West title in three years, which made the 'Cats just the fourth program in conference history to reach the title game on multiple occasions. Wisconsin and Northwestern are the only schools in the West Division to reach the title game twice. The Wildcats have two victories over opponents in the College Football Playoff Top-25 (Wisconsin and Iowa), while no other team in the Big Ten has multiple wins against a CFP Top-25 opponent.
Northwestern has won five straight games against Illinois and seven of its last eight. The Wildcats are 10-4 during the Pat Fitzgerald era (2006-present) when they've faced the Illini. NU's current winning streak over Illinois is its longest in the 128-year history of the Land of Lincoln Rivalry.
Illinois enters its final game of the regular season at 2-4, most recently suffering a loss to Iowa on Dec. 5. The Illini defeated Nebraska on Nov. 21 and Rutgers on Nov. 14.
STORYLINES:
Leading the Way: Northwestern's senior linebacker trio of Chris Bergin, Blake Gallagher and Paddy Fisher each recorded double-digit tackles for the third time this season against Michigan State on Nov. 29, NU's last game. "The Firm" has accounted for nearly 41% of Northwestern's total tackles this season (171-of-412). In addition, two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week Brandon Joseph compiled a career-high 10 tackles against the Spartans. He is fourth on NU in total tackles (38), trailing only Gallagher (59), Fisher (58) and Bergin (54).
Joseph Among Elite Company: Defensive back Brandon Joseph was named as a semifinalist for the 2020 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, which recognizes the nation's top defensive back in on field performance, athletic ability and character. He is just one of four underclassmen to be named on the list of 12 and is one of two Big Ten student athletes to represent the conference.
Count 'Em Up: Wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman matched his career-high in receptions (8) for the second time in his last three games against Michigan State on Nov. 29. The senior has at least one catch of 10 or more yards in every game this season and over the course of his last three outings has 20 receptions totaling 235 yards with four touchdowns.
Picks in Six: Northwestern has snatched 12 interceptions in its first six games, the most through its first six outings in a season since 2016. Eight different Wildcats have recorded an interception, a feat that hasn't been achieved in NU's first six games in a decade.
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballFootball - Oregon at Northwestern Postgame Press Conference (9/13/25)
Saturday, September 13
Football - 'Cats Fall to No. 4 Oregon (9/13/25)
Saturday, September 13
Football - Western Illinois Cinematic Recap (9/5/25)
Monday, September 08
Football - Week 3 Monday Press Conference (9/8/25)
Monday, September 08
