NU is faced with a tough but manageable challenge in its opening matchup
The clock ticks ever closer to the college football season, as Northwestern gears up for an opening road match against Tulane. This marks the first Big Ten game the Green Wave have hosted in New Orleans since 1955, where they coincidentally faced the Wildcats in a 21-0 thumping.
70 years later, the Wildcats hope for a different result. While Tulane enters as six-point favorites with a 71.7% percent win chance, according to ESPN analytics, NU is by no means a serious underdog in this one. With a brand new QB and polished roster, the ‘Cats are hoping to make a statement against a difficult conference foe, a Tulane team poised to lead the Group of Five.
Both schools enter the season on the heels of disappointing 2024 campaigns. As they embark from the locker room, each team will have something to prove. Many expect this game to be a dogfight that could come down to final possessions, major and minor slip-ups and the stronger team in the trenches. To eke out a victory, both the imperative strategies and the little things remain crucial. Let’s analyze how Northwestern can find success and what shortcomings may await in this highly anticipated matchup.
Why Northwestern will beat Tulane
The Preston Stone + Griffin Wilde connection has a magical debut
Northwestern’s top transfers weren’t shipped as a tandem, but they are slated to become one this season.
To showcase his QB skills, new transfer quarterback Preston Stone will need viable options to throw to, and the receiving room depth isn’t as profound nor powerful compared to other skill positions. However, there’s one receiver Stone has already forged a connection with: Griffin Wilde.
Wilde stands above all as one of the crown jewels of the transfer portal. At South Dakota State, he had 1,154 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 71 receptions, the former two statistics good for top 10 in the FCS. Wilde is by far NU’s most talented pass catcher, and offseason practices indicate he’ll serve as Stone’s primary target. He has a resume of proven production, and quickly developing chemistry with Stone will be crucial against a Tulane defense that ranked second in the AAC last year.
Beating opponents like Tulane requires a polished offense, and in college football, the anchor of that is an explosive, consistent passing attack — something Northwestern lacked last year. NU has to establish one in this game, and the Stone + Wilde pairing provides the strongest odds to do so. Wilde’s success as a receiver stems from being a deep threat, and Stone connecting with Wilde on a big play or two could be pivotal down the stretch in this matchup. Tulane’s secondary is also a weaker point in its lineup, as it lost six players from the 2024 unit who together totaled 136 tackles, and will be heavily relying on unproven young talent this year. It’s a critical part of the roster for Stone and Wilde to exploit.
The revamped offensive line protects and enables a steady offense
Building an effective offensive scheme starts up front. Without adequate protection, it’s impossible for anything to work — Stone won’t have time in the pocket to make the right reads and facilitate the passing attack, while the running backs won’t be able to carve out holes and move the ball downfield (more on this later).
Thankfully, Northwestern’s protection is far better suited to handle the challenge of Tulane’s exceptional defensive line. It will be the perfect opportunity for transfers Xavior Gray, Evan Beerntsen and Martes Lewis to make strong first impressions, with the latter guards given the tall task of defending against Tulane’s star lineman Santana Hopper. Caleb Tiernan should hold down the left side of the line, while Jack Bailey’s snaps and protection could pay dividends, particularly in the run game.
Amid an exciting new QB and fresh offensive playbook, a strong performance from the line could be all it takes for Stone and company to shine.
Why Northwestern won’t beat Tulane
NU’s running backs struggle against Tulane’s feisty defense
This is essentially a reversal of what was mentioned above. If the offensive line fails to protect against a Tulane defense that fields numerous stars — including Hopper, senior Kameron Hamilton and the linebacker duo of Sam Howard and Disckson Agu — it could be a long day for Northwestern.
Unlike other positions, NU’s running back room is headlined by three returning players with a niche carved out. Cam Porter’s success will largely dictate how much offensive coordinator Zach Lujan sticks to the run game. If he struggles to gain ground, it will put significant stress on the passing offense — including the Stone + Wilde pairing — to not just succeed, but carry Northwestern. Even though it may be most effective, given the weakness of the Green Wave’s secondary compared to its linemen, it’s tough to envision a Wildcat victory if the running game gets completely shut down.
Undesirable weather conditions hurt Northwestern
New Orleans has been dubbed by many as the most humid city in America, and its 86% relative humidity percentage indicates that. On Saturday, the weather is predicted to peak at 84 degrees with 78% humidity and a chance of rain.
Simply put, the weather will be hot and sticky, not ideal conditions for any sporting event — better yet a road football game against a team with experience playing in this climate. NU will have to work almost twice as hard to stay focused and keep the energy up conditioning-wise. Unfortunately, the temperature will increase alongside the game, meaning the warmest temperatures will occur in the fourth quarter. That could easily hurt NU’s plans down the stretch, especially if it needs to string together a fourth-quarter comeback or fight off a valiant Tulane push. It’s an uncontrollable factor, but one that may be equally as harmful to Northwestern as football mistakes or bad play.
Category: General Sports
