Northwestern had one of the most anemic offenses in college football last season. Their average of 17.8 points per game ranked 128th in the country. They couldn’t run the ball and their passing game was among the most inefficient in the country. But what made matters much worse was the Wildcats’ complete ineptitude in the […]
Northwestern had one of the most anemic offenses in college football last season. Their average of 17.8 points per game ranked 128th in the country. They couldn’t run the ball and their passing game was among the most inefficient in the country.
But what made matters much worse was the Wildcats’ complete ineptitude in the red zone. When they were able to get the ball inside the opponents’ 20-yard line – no small feat – they were the third-worst team in the nation in converting those chances into points.
For the season, Northwestern turned just 26 of 38 red-zone chances into points. That 68.4% conversion rate ranked 132nd out of 134 FBS teams. Just Rice and Houston were worse.
It also means that 12 times the Wildcats came up empty, with no points to show for a possession deep into enemy territory. That’s way too many for an offense that struggled as much as that one did.
To make the picture even bleaker, Northwestern also ranked 132nd in turning red-zone trips into touchdowns. The Wildcats earned six points just 15 times in those 38 chances, a 39.5% average that also ranked 132nd.
On the bright side, Northwestern’s 29% field-goal conversion rate ranked 25th. But that’s not the number you want to excel in.
Maybe no single game illustrated Northwestern’s failures in the red zone more than Washington. The Wildcats recovered a fumbled snap at the Huskies 33 and had a first-and-goal at the 4. They couldn’t score on three plays and opted for an 18-yard field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 1 instead of going for the touchdown.
Later, in the fourth quarter, Joseph Himon II had a 96-yard kickoff return to put the ball on the Washington 2. A penalty moved the ball to the 1, but the Wildcats failed on four attempts from the 1, including three passes, and they turned the ball over on downs in what ended as a 24-5 drubbing.
But this year, some new personnel at quarterback and on the offensive line should make the Wildcats more potent.
TEN QUESTIONS SERIES: 1. Can Preston Stone return to form? | 2. Does Northwestern have enough depth at wide receiver? | 3. Will Anto Saka be an elite pass rusher? | 4. Can an influx of transfers boost the defense? l 5. Can Northwestern find production at tight end? | 6. Will Northwestern’s corners be better this season after losing Johnson? | 7. Can the offensive line find consistency? l 8. Can Northwestern restore home-field advantage?
Why the running game should be better
Northwestern’s problems in the red zone last season were the same as the ones that plagued them between the 20s.
On the ground, they averaged a miniscule 3.3 yards per carry, good for 120th in the nation. When the field shrinks in the red zone, the going was that much tougher. Through the air, things were worse. The Wildcats ranked 132nd in passer rating and their seven touchdowns through the air was better than only one team: Air Force, a triple-option offense that treats the forward pass like COVID.
But Northwestern should be significantly better for several reasons.
For one, offensive coordinator Zach Lujan is in his second year, meaning the team should be much more comfortable with his offense, and he should be a better play caller. Fans remember some curious calls near the goal line last season, including a designed quarterback run call in double overtime against Duke that still causes teeth to clench in Evanston.
Lujan talked during spring practice about how much he learned as a play caller in his first trip through the Big Ten. He should be sharper this season.
The offensive line that struggled in short-yardage situations throughout last season has been rebuilt. Head coach David Braun made the position a point of emphasis this offseason, bringing in run game specialist/offensive assistant Ryan Olson to help OL coach Bill O’Boyle.
The Wildcats have one of the best tackles in the nation in Caleb Tiernan, but the players around him should be better. Jackson Carsello, the starting center, had issues snapping and blocking last season, but reports out of camp say the grad student has improved going into his fifth year. Ezomo Oratokhai had an impressive true freshman campaign in 2024, making two starts; he should be stronger in his second year.
The Wildcats also picked up at least one starter and much more depth from the portal. Evan Beerntsen, out of South Dakota State, is a mauler at guard and should help get a push inside. At right tackle, Xavior Gray from Liberty, Martes Lewis from Minnesota or the homegrown Deuce McGuire will win the starting job. Gray was an All-Conference USA pick, Lewis played five years in the Big Ten and McGuire is in his fourth year at NU.
Braun has talked ad nauseum about the “competitive depth” in the offensive line room after fielding just seven OL last spring. If iron truly sharpens iron, the Wildcats will be significantly improved.
Why the passing game should be much improved
The biggest reason the Wildcats should be better is No. 8, Preston Stone. The grad transfer quarterback knows how to score. He has 35 touchdown passes in his career, with 28 of them coming in his lone year as the full-time starter in 2023.
He’s thrown for more than 4,000 yards in his career and has seen just about everything a defense can throw at him. Braun has raved about his ability to process quickly. He knows where the ball is supposed to go, and he has the tools to put it where it needs to go.
Stone is athletic enough to present a threat as a runner, but where he is most dangerous is making off-platform throws outside of the pocket. He has that ability to flick the ball and throw a bullet, a skill that elite QBs have.
While there are still many question marks about an inexperienced wide receiver room, one thing they have in spades is size. Transfer Griffin Wilde, the one proven performer at the position, is 6-foot-2. He had 12 TD catches for South Dakota State last season, five more than the Wildcats had as a team. That’s a big number, even if it came at the FCS level.
Returning receivers Hayden Eligon II and Ricky Ahumaraeze are 6-foot-4 and Frank Covey IV is 6-foot-1. Converted tight end Camp Magee is 6-foot-5. All will present big targets for Stone around the end zone.
Northwestern’s tight ends are again short on production but have plenty of size. Grad transfer Alex Lines is the biggest of the bunch at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds.
We’re not saying that the Wildcats will be last year’s Indiana squad, which led the Big Ten and finished second in the country with a 79.7% touchdown rate. But Northwestern should be significantly better in the red zone this season. And that could be enough to steal a couple more wins.
Category: General Sports
