Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
Gameday Central: 'Cats Ready for Home Finale vs. Purdue
11/16/2023 6:12:00 PM | Football
Evanston, Ill. — Northwestern (5-5, 3-4 B1G) looks to clinch bowl eligibility in its home finale against Purdue (3-7, 2-5 B1G) at Ryan Field at 11:00 a.m. CT on Saturday
How to Follow
Watch on BTN: Action will be televised on Big Ten Network, with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Matt Millen (analyst) in the booth, joined by Elise Menaker on the sideline. Direct Link to Watch Online (Sign-in Required)
Listen on AM ESPN 1000 WMVP: The Voice of the Wildcats, Dave Eanet, returns for his 34th season calling Northwestern Football. Eanet will be joined on the call by 30th-year analyst Ted Albrecht, along with Lauren Withrow on the sideline.
Direct Link to Listen Online
Follow In-Game Updates (NUFBFamily): Stay tuned to Northwestern Football's Twitter and Instagram channels for live highlights, photos and reactions surrounding Sunday's game.
Digital Program: Can't wait for Saturday's game? Catch up on all the latest with the Wildcats prior to kickoff with this week's gameday program! View the Week 11 Digital Program HERE.
Five Things to Know:
- On Wednesday, Northwestern named David Braun the permanent head coach. Braun has a chance to be the first Power 5 coach to take his team from 1 or fewer wins to bowl eligibility in the following season since 2018 (Matt Rhule, Baylor). Last week, Braun became the first Northwestern head coach with five or more wins in his first season since Walter McCornack led his Wildcats to a 10-1-3 record and a Co-Western Conference (now Big Ten) Championship in 1903. = The forward pass wasn't legalized in college football until 1906 and touchdowns were worth five points until 1912. Here are some events that occured in 1903: Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the first airplane in Kitty Hawk, N.C., the Ford Motor Company is founded in Detroit and the first modern World Series is held with the Boston Americans defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in eight games. We were still 25 years away from sliced bread, 11 years away from Wrigley Field opening and four years away from Oklahoma becoming a state.
- Northwestern has allowed its two lowest rushing totals of the season in the last two games, allowing 104 against Iowa before a season-low 86 yards on the ground at Wisconsin. As a unit, Northwestern is allowing an average of 332.1 yards per game this season, which ranks 29th in FBS and seventh in the Big Ten, an improvement 58.5 yards per game over the first 10 games of 2022 (390.6).
- After missing four games, Ben Bryant turned in a dominant performance in his return. Bryant completed 18-of-26 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, and also ran for a score. He is the first NU QB to post two or more passing touchdowns and a rushing score in a conference game since Clayton Thorson in 2018 against Illinois.
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Northwestern scored on its first four possessions and its defense surrendered its only touchdown allowed inside the game's last 30 seconds as the Wildcats defeated Wisconsin 24-10 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison last week. It was NU's largest margin of victory at Wisconsin since winning 21-0 on Nov. 5, 1960. With last Saturday's win, the Wildcats snapped a 14-game road losing streak, their first road win since a 27-20 win at Purdue on Nov. 14, 2020.
- The linebacking duo of Bryce Gallagher and Xander Mueller has been dominant this season, one of two duos in the Big Ten to both post 80+ tackles thus far. Mueller is one of just two defenders in the Big Ten with 80+ tackles and 4.5 sacks.
