Gameday Central: ‘Cats Open Season in New Jersey Against Rutgers

Sunday, September 3

Piscataway, N.J.

11 a.m. CT

Northwestern

Rutgers

Tight end Thomas Gordon points the ball against Duke.

Photo by: Ryan Kuttler / NUSports.com

Gameday Central: ‘Cats Open Season in New Jersey Against Rutgers

9/1/2023 11:44:00 AM | Football

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern kicks off its 2023 campaign on the road in New Jersey against Rutgers. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be televised on CBS.

How to Follow

Watch on CBS: Action will be televised on CBS, with Tom McCarthy (play-by-play) and Jason McCourty (analyst) in the booth, joined by Tiffany Blackmon on the sideline.
Direct Link to Watch Online (Sign-In with TV Provider)

Listen on AM 720 WGN: 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. LISTEN HERE

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 Sunday's game? Catch up on all the latest with the Wildcats prior to kickoff with this week's gameday program!
View the Week 1 Digital Program HERE

Five Things to Know

Sunday's opener marks interim head coach David Braun's head coaching debut after spending the previous four seasons as defensive coordinator at North Dakota State, where he won two national titles. He is looking to become the first Northwestern head coach to win their Big Ten opener since 1992, when Gary Barnett's Wildcats downed Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., 28-14. Braun is looking to become the sixth head coach to win his Northwestern debut since 1925.
For the fifth time in the last six seasons, Northwestern will open its season with a matchup against a fellow Big Ten opponent. The Wildcats and the Scarlet Knights' meeting is one of three Big Ten matchups — Nebraska at Minnesota and Ohio State at Indiana — to open the 2022 season. Northwestern is 18-7 in its last 25 season openers and is searching for its third consecutive win against Rutgers.
Braun named Northwestern's five captains — LB Bryce Gallagher, RB Cam Porter, DB Coco Azema, OL Josh Priebe and TE Charlie Mangieri — for the 2023 season. Gallagher becomes the 15th 'Cat in program history to serve as a two-time captain, while Porter, Azema, Priebe and Mangieri are first-time captains.
A quartet of Northwestern football student-athletes have been named to the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl Watchlist: QB Ben Bryant, WR A.J. Henning, DB Garnett Hollis Jr. and LB Xander Mueller. The Reese's Senior Bowl, held annually in Mobile, Alabama, is the preeminent college football all-star game and the first stage in the NFL draft process. The event is entering its 75th iteration and has produced 100 total draft picks for three straight years, including 40 players selected on the first two days this past April.
Rutgers leads the all-time series against Northwestern 3-2, but the Wildcats have won the last two meetings. In 2021 the 'Cats rolled to a 21-7 Homecoming triumph at Ryan Field behind Ryan Hilinski's 267 passing yards and a defense that limited Rutgers to 63 rushing yards. Running back Isaiah Bowser ran for two touchdowns and produced the game-winning score with 8:12 to play in the fourth quarter, as Northwestern won 18-15 in Piscataway in 2018.