Friday, September 5
Evanston, Ill.
6:30 p.m. CT
Northwestern
1-1 , 0-0
42
vs
7
Western Illinois
0-2 , 0-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Western Ill.
0
0
0
7
7
Northwestern
15
7
6
14
42
'Cats Start Fast, Throttle Western Illinois, 42-7
9/5/2025 9:54:00 PM | Football
Northwestern piles up 526 yards of total offense in resounding victory
EVANSTON, Ill. (September 5, 2025) - Tallying 526 yards of total offense, Northwestern dominated Western Illinois by a final score of 42-7 in its home opener on Friday night at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. The 35-point score 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 against Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Wildcats' 22-point halftime advantage marked their largest since October 24, 2020 versus Maryland.
"Excited about our response," Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun said. "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 enjoyed a fruitful performance in his first game on the shores of Lake Michigan, completing 21-of-29 passes for 245 yards, throwing three touchdowns in the process. He became the first Northwestern quarterback to throw for at least three touchdowns since Ben Bryant racked up four touchdowns against Minnesota on September 23, 2023.
Griffin Wilde brought in five catches for 94 yards, while Ricky Ahumaraeze hauled in three balls totaling 52 yards, both of which marked career highs. Wilde's 158 receiving yards over the season's first two games are the most by a Wildcat since 2022.
"Griff just stands out to me. He's a competitor, he's savvy, he's instinctual," Braun said. "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 rushing yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 43-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats' first drive. Caleb Komolafe added career highs with 11 carries for 63 yards, while Joseph Himon II picked up 40 yards on eight attempts.
On the defensive side of the ball, Carmine Bastone led the way with a career-high 1.5 sacks, with Michael Kilbane adding a half sack. Mac Uihlein registered Northwestern's first interception of the season and the first interception of his career. Fred Davis II and Josh Fussell each tallied three pass breakups, while Robert Fitzgerald and Richie Hagarty each notched 0.5 tackles for loss.
"We stuck to our gameplan, and we just focused on playing fast and making plays," Fussell said of the defense'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 total offense marked its most since it had 528 against 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 said.
The 'Cats put up their first touchdown of 2025 on the game's opening drive. On the sixth snap from scrimmage, Porter broke multiple tackles and rushed up the left side of the field for a career-long 43-yard touchdown.
"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 said.
After forcing a Leathernecks (0-2) three-and-out, Northwestern quickly extended the lead to two possessions midway through the first quarter. Stone's third throw of the day came in the form of a 46-yard completion to Wilde. To cap off the drive on 3rd and goal, Stone threw his first touchdown as a Wildcat, connecting with Hayden Eligon II — who notched his first career touchdown. Northwestern went on to convert a two-point conversion attempt, with Lawson Albright making it a 15-0 affair.
By scoring touchdowns on each of its first two drives, Northwestern registered touchdowns on its opening two drives for the first time since November 11, 2023 against Wisconsin.
The Wildcats regained possession of the ball with their first forced turnover of the season, as Uihlein corralled a pass tipped by Braden Turner on Western Illinois' next drive.
By the time the first quarter concluded, Stone had completed all nine pass attempts for 120 yards. He became the first Northwestern signal caller to complete all of his first quarter passes since Brendan Sullivan on October 28, 2023 against Maryland. Porter recorded seven attempts for 67 yards, accounting for all of Northwestern's rushing, while Wilde registered 74 receiving yards on his three receptions. Northwestern's 15 first-quarter points marked its most since October 29, 2011 against Indiana.
After forcing punts on Western Illinois' first three drives in the second frame, Northwestern put together a 12-play, 83-yard drive over 3:34 to close the first half. With 28 seconds remaining, Stone found Hunter Welcing in the right corner of the end zone to push the gap to 22-0.
Northwestern's momentum continued into the second half, as a 10-play, 53-yard drive resulted in a 35-yard field goal from Luke Akers that stretched the lead to 25-0.
On their ensuing drive, the Wildcats marched into the red zone after chunk plays from Welcing and Himon before Akers booted through a 25-yard kick to make it a 28-0 lead.
Northwestern went to work on the ground to begin the fourth quarter, pounding the ball on nine straight plays, a stretch that included a 24-yard dash by Komolafe. Drew Wagner capped off the drive with a touchdown on a wide receiver motion, finding the end zone from four yards out.
After substituting into the game, Ryan Boe put an exclamation point on the night with a 58-yard scramble to stretch the lead to 42-0.
Braun has led the Wildcats to a win in each home opener he has been at the helm. He is the first Northwestern coach to win his first three home 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 game of a season-long four-game homestand on Saturday, September 13 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will air on FOX and can be heard on WGN Radio 720.
Gallery: (9-5-2025) Football vs. Western Illinois
Northwestern held a 22-0 lead at halftime, recording its first first-half shutout since December 23, 2023 against Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Wildcats' 22-point halftime advantage marked their largest since October 24, 2020 versus Maryland.
"Excited about our response," Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach David Braun said. "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 enjoyed a fruitful performance in his first game on the shores of Lake Michigan, completing 21-of-29 passes for 245 yards, throwing three touchdowns in the process. He became the first Northwestern quarterback to throw for at least three touchdowns since Ben Bryant racked up four touchdowns against Minnesota on September 23, 2023.
Griffin Wilde brought in five catches for 94 yards, while Ricky Ahumaraeze hauled in three balls totaling 52 yards, both of which marked career highs. Wilde's 158 receiving yards over the season's first two games are the most by a Wildcat since 2022.
"Griff just stands out to me. He's a competitor, he's savvy, he's instinctual," Braun said. "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 rushing yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 43-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats' first drive. Caleb Komolafe added career highs with 11 carries for 63 yards, while Joseph Himon II picked up 40 yards on eight attempts.
On the defensive side of the ball, Carmine Bastone led the way with a career-high 1.5 sacks, with Michael Kilbane adding a half sack. Mac Uihlein registered Northwestern's first interception of the season and the first interception of his career. Fred Davis II and Josh Fussell each tallied three pass breakups, while Robert Fitzgerald and Richie Hagarty each notched 0.5 tackles for loss.
"We stuck to our gameplan, and we just focused on playing fast and making plays," Fussell said of the defense'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 total offense marked its most since it had 528 against 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 said.
The 'Cats put up their first touchdown of 2025 on the game's opening drive. On the sixth snap from scrimmage, Porter broke multiple tackles and rushed up the left side of the field for a career-long 43-yard touchdown.
"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 said.
After forcing a Leathernecks (0-2) three-and-out, Northwestern quickly extended the lead to two possessions midway through the first quarter. Stone's third throw of the day came in the form of a 46-yard completion to Wilde. To cap off the drive on 3rd and goal, Stone threw his first touchdown as a Wildcat, connecting with Hayden Eligon II — who notched his first career touchdown. Northwestern went on to convert a two-point conversion attempt, with Lawson Albright making it a 15-0 affair.
By scoring touchdowns on each of its first two drives, Northwestern registered touchdowns on its opening two drives for the first time since November 11, 2023 against Wisconsin.
The Wildcats regained possession of the ball with their first forced turnover of the season, as Uihlein corralled a pass tipped by Braden Turner on Western Illinois' next drive.
By the time the first quarter concluded, Stone had completed all nine pass attempts for 120 yards. He became the first Northwestern signal caller to complete all of his first quarter passes since Brendan Sullivan on October 28, 2023 against Maryland. Porter recorded seven attempts for 67 yards, accounting for all of Northwestern's rushing, while Wilde registered 74 receiving yards on his three receptions. Northwestern's 15 first-quarter points marked its most since October 29, 2011 against Indiana.
After forcing punts on Western Illinois' first three drives in the second frame, Northwestern put together a 12-play, 83-yard drive over 3:34 to close the first half. With 28 seconds remaining, Stone found Hunter Welcing in the right corner of the end zone to push the gap to 22-0.
Northwestern's momentum continued into the second half, as a 10-play, 53-yard drive resulted in a 35-yard field goal from Luke Akers that stretched the lead to 25-0.
On their ensuing drive, the Wildcats marched into the red zone after chunk plays from Welcing and Himon before Akers booted through a 25-yard kick to make it a 28-0 lead.
Northwestern went to work on the ground to begin the fourth quarter, pounding the ball on nine straight plays, a stretch that included a 24-yard dash by Komolafe. Drew Wagner capped off the drive with a touchdown on a wide receiver motion, finding the end zone from four yards out.
After substituting into the game, Ryan Boe put an exclamation point on the night with a 58-yard scramble to stretch the lead to 42-0.
Braun has led the Wildcats to a win in each home opener he has been at the helm. He is the first Northwestern coach to win his first three home 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 game of a season-long four-game homestand on Saturday, September 13 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will air on FOX and can be heard on WGN Radio 720.
Team Stats
WIU
NU
Total Yards
181
526
Pass Yards
110
245
Rushing Yards
71
281
Penalty Yards
13
54
1st Downs
10
24
3rd Downs
2
8
4th Downs
0
1
TOP
24:06
35:54
1st Quarter
WIU 0, NU 7
NU - Porter,Cam 43 yd run (Akers,Luke kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:02
WIU 0, NU 15
NU - Eligon II,Hayden 5 yd pass from Stone,Preston (Albright,Lawson rush) 6 plays, 78 yards, TOP 03:09
2nd Quarter
WIU 0, NU 22
NU - Welcing,Hunter 6 yd pass from Stone,Preston (Akers,Luke kick) 12 plays, 83 yards, TOP 03:34
3rd Quarter
WIU 0, NU 25
NU - Akers,Luke 35 yd field goal 10 plays, 53 yards, TOP 04:13
WIU 0, NU 28
NU - Akers,Luke 25 yd field goal 8 plays, 64 yards, TOP 04:17
4th Quarter
WIU 0, NU 35
NU - Wagner,Drew 4 yd pass from Stone,Preston (Olsen,Jack kick) 10 plays, 57 yards, TOP 05:27
WIU 0, NU 42
NU - Boe,Ryan 58 yd run (Olsen,Jack kick), 3 plays, 67 yards, TOP 01:32
WIU 7, NU 42
WIU - Anaya,Christian 8 yd pass from Carswell,Carson (Chadha,Antonio kick) 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:20
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
21
TD
3
YDS
245
INT
0
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballFootball - Western Illinois at Northwestern Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, September 06
Football - 'Cats Roll Western Illinois, 42-7 in Home Opener (9/5/25)
Saturday, September 06
Football - Week 2 Monday Press Conference (9/1/25)
Monday, September 01
Football - Northwestern at Tulane Postgame Press Conference (8/30/25)
Saturday, August 30
