Written By: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Hoosier Huddle’s ‘At First Glance’ series continues on as this week we preview the Hoosiers’ week six clash against the former Big Ten West’s Northwestern Wildcats. Stay tuned with us all summer long as we preview each opponent on Indiana’s 2024 schedule – and catch back up with any previews you may have already missed at the bottom of this article.

Week Six: Northwestern Wildcats

Date & Time: Saturday, October 5th, 2024, Time: TBA

Venue: Martin Stadium, Evanston, IL

TV: TBA

Wildcats at a Glance

Head Coach: David Braun

Entering his 2nd year as Northwestern’s Head Coach

Overall Record: 8-5

Last Season: 8-5 (5-4) 2nd in Big Ten West

Wildcats Returning Leaders

Passing: Ryan Hilinski (2-4 (50% comp.), 88 yards, 1 TD)

Rushing: Cam Porter (166 carries, 651 yards, 3.9 avg, 4 TD)

Receiving: Bryce Kirtz (49 rec, 701 yards, 14.3 avg, 5 TD)

Tackles: Xander Mueller, LB (110 tackles, 55 solo, 5 sacks, 3 INT, 1 FF)

Wildcats Preseason Predictions

Athlon: 16th in the Big Ten

Lindy’s: 13th in the Big Ten

Phil Steele: 16th in the Big Ten

Impact Newcomers for the Wildcats

Nigel Glover, LB from Ohio State
Matt Keeler, OL from Texas Tech
Jack Bailey, OL from Colorado
Mike Wright, QB from Mississippi State

Biggest Questions Facing the 2024 Wildcats

1. Is the only rebuild necessary the stadium?

2. The Wildcats are well accustomed to quarterback roulette, but who starts off the year as QB1?

3. Can the defense win them games again this year?

Program Preview

The 2022 Northwestern Wildcats finished the season 1-11 and amidst a player hazing and harassment scandal by their longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald. By the time the dust was settling entering the next season, it was sure to be too late; Fitzgerald was let go just weeks before the 2023 season kicked off, the Wildcats program rushed into a hire of David Braun, and three weeks into the season, Northwestern’s sole win came against a lowly UTEP team. Clearly, the rebuild was on.

Until it wasn’t.

Northwestern finished the regular season 6-3, including three straight wins to finish the year against Big Ten West foes Wisconsin, Purdue, and Illinois. They were able to finish the year second in the Big Ten West and earned a bowl bid to the Las Vegas Bowl; their hot streak continued, as their defense stifled Kyle Whittingham’s Utes, and somehow a program that seemed lost just a few weeks before had finished the year 8-5 with a postseason victory.

So now, the question is: is the only rebuild necessary for this Northwestern program their stadium?

Offensive Preview

Despite the record and the 2023 season that can only be described as a success, David Braun was self-aware enough to see that continuing to run the same offense they did last season was likely not going to work. The 1-11 2022 team finished the year with 4,025 yards of total offense in 12 games; last year’s 8-5 team, in one additional game, finished the year with just 3,951. This ranked the Wildcats as the 124th total offense in FBS last year – 121st in rushing and 96th in passing. So, offensive change was needed; Braun landed on Zach Lujan, formerly the offensive coordinator at back-to-back FCS champion South Dakota State, for the same position at Northwestern. The 28-year-old OC uses wide zone concepts to get ball carriers in space and take pressure off the offensive line – which will also be under new leadership (Bill O’Boyle, Deion’s Offensive Line Coach at Colorado last season).

Lujan and O’Boyle are fortunate to have experienced guys returning along the offensive line and at tailback. Twice the team’s leading rusher, Cam Porter returns along with Joseph Himon II, who has big-play ability. Behind returning offensive lineman Ben Wrather and two transfer tackles Matt Keeler and Jack Bailey, Northwestern should be able to get the ground game going this season, though the loss of Josh Priebe (Michigan) was difficult to swallow.

Through the air, the top two receivers will carry the load – Bryce Kirtz and AJ Henning. The duo each had 400+ yards and 4+ receiving TDs last year on a team that only threw for 2,600 total yards. Depth will be an issue at receiver if these two are unable to replicate their success; the next 3 receivers combined to catch just 5 of their 13 targets last year.

The elephant in the room is we have gotten this far into an offensive preview and yet to mention who will be playing quarterback. That is because at this point it still is a bit of an unknown. The presumed starter with two years of eligibility remaining, Brendan Sullivan, opted to enter the transfer portal at the end of the spring season and move on to the backup role at Iowa. This leaves sixth-year senior Ryan Hilinski and Mississippi State transfer Mike Wright left to battle it out. Hilinski has started 11 games over his career, but he threw just four passes last season, while Wright has 14 career starts, 11 at Vanderbilt and 3 at MSU. Braun and staff could also opt to go with a less experienced player, in which redshirt sophomore Jack Lausch could have a shot at playing time.

No matter what happens at quarterback, Northwestern will have to be better on offense this season. They no longer have the protection of the Big Ten West on their side and miracle runs can only last so long.

Defensive Preview

If you’re wondering how the Wildcats were able to pull off what they did last season, look no further than their stellar defense. They finished the year 36th in total defense (340.8 yards per game allowed) anchored by their stout pass defense. Braun was pulling double duty as defensive coordinator and head coach last season, so during the offseason this year he promoted linebackers coach Tim McGarigle to the DC spot. McGarigle served in the LB role for six seasons and was a star linebacker himself in the Chicago area growing up and then at Northwestern in college – he held the FBS career tackle record (545) for more than a decade. Now, he’ll assume the reigns of the defense for his alma mater.

A big question that McGarigle will have to answer is whether his defense was truly elite, or if they just had incredible turnover luck. The 2023 Wildcats finished the year with 22 takeaways (27th nationally) and a +13 turnover margin; this was a 31-turnover improvement from the previous season, in which they finished the year -18 in the same category. The offense lost one fumble all year, while three of their eight interceptions came in the first three games. The team finished third in turnover margin nationally.

At the front lines of producing these turnovers will be returning linebacker Xander Mueller, who needs to become the star of the defense. He finished last season with 110 tackles and 3 interceptions. He’ll have the help of last season’s sacks leader Aidan Hubbard along the defensive line, along with most other pieces of their line from last season.

Replicating 2023’s success in the secondary will be more difficult after losing Rod Heard (Notre Dame), Garnett Hollis Jr. (West Virginia), and Jaheem Joseph (West Virginia). Redshirt junior Theran Johnson and junior safety Devin Turner are back after each recording five PBUs and nagging one interception last year. Coco Azema is a hard-hitting playmaker in the defensive backfield as well.

There are certainly pieces at McGarigle’s disposal in 2024 – it is all about how he is able to get them to produce and whether or not the defensive success can continue with a more difficult schedule looming.

Special Teams Preview

Northwestern brings back all of their specialists from 2023 into 2024. Jack Olsen will return as the place kicker this year after hitting 14-of-19 field goals last season and all 33 of his extra points. Hunter Renner will assume punting duties – though he did finish last in the Big Ten last year after averaging just 38.6 yards per punt. And returning kicks will be wide receiver AJ Henning, mentioned previously in the offensive preview section, who averaged 6.9 yards per punt return and 22 yards per kick return last season.

The Huddle

2024 AT First Glance: Week Six Northwestern Wildcats

Hoosier Huddle