What to know about the Northwestern Wildcats ahead of their clash with Penn State in November
Though they were never in the same division, Penn State and Northwestern have faced off consistently since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten. First meeting in 1993 and playing as recently as 2023, the two have met 21 times with Penn State holding a 16-5 lead. Penn State will put its three-game winning streak on the line when it hosts the Wildcats in October, a game the Nittany Lions will be heavy favorites.
Here's a look at Northwestern as the 2025 season steadily approaches.
2024 in review
The Wildcats tumbled back below .500 last season, finishing with a dismal 4-8 record in David Braun's second year as head coach. They started the season 2-1, including a double-overtime loss to Duke, before struggling through conference play. Wins over Maryland and Purdue - the only Big Ten schools with a worse conference record than Northwestern - were the highlights of the season, while every conference loss came by 10-plus points. The defense was particularly poor, with Iowa dropping a 40-bomb and Michigan recording a 50-piece on the Wildcats. The offense had its moments but also came out flat in several games, including single-digit point totals in four games.
Head coach profile
Braun took over as the interim coach after Pat Fitzgerald was fired prior to the 2023 season, rallying the Wildcats to an 8-5 record capped off by a Las Vegas Bowl win over Utah. All the momentum vanished as Northwestern plunged to 4-8 last season with two wins over power conference foes. Prior to taking over the program, Braun served as a coordinator in the FCS and Division II ranks, working his way up.
Top offensive player
Left tackle Caleb Tiernan was a bright spot on a struggling offense last season, earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention after coming on strong down the stretch. He's started 30 games over the last three seasons and returns for another year, making him an experienced veteran at a key position.
Top defensive player
Defensive end Aidan Hubbard returns for his fifth season at Northwestern after two consecutive years as an All-Big Ten honorable mention. Over the last two seasons, Hubbard has totaled 60 tackles while leading the team with six sacks each year. Entering his final season with the Wildcats, Hubbard is poised for a bigger role.
2025 schedule
- Aug. 30 at Tulane
- Sept. 5 (Fri.) vs. Western Illinois
- Sept. 13 vs. Oregon
- Sept. 27 vs. UCLA
- Oct. 4 vs. UL Monroe
- Oct. 11 at Penn State
- Oct. 18 vs Purdue
- Oct. 25 at Nebraska
- Nov. 7 (Fri.) at USC
- Nov. 15 vs. Michigan
- Nov. 29 at Illinois
Northwestern will make a trip from one of the smallest college football stadiums to one of the largest, visiting Beaver Stadium in October. The Wildcats have only won in State College twice, 14-7 in 2004 and 29-6 in 2014. Given the recent trajectories of both programs, Penn State will be favored by multiple scores and will hope to avoid a major upset sandwiched between road games to UCLA and Iowa. For Northwestern, it'll be the toughest road game of the season but comes between home games against UL Monroe and Purdue.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Scouting the Northwestern Wildcats ahead of 2025
Category: General Sports
