Aidan Chiles faked a handoff on Northwestern’s first offensive snap, then hit Griffin Wilde crossing from the slot for 71 yards. An 11-yard touchdown pass to Alex Honig followed. Chiles said the Wildcats had anticipated South Dakota State’s safeties crashing against play action, so Chip Kelly’s opening call turned preparation into an immediate explosive play.
Northwestern went on to beat South Dakota State 34-18. Chiles took every Wildcats pass attempt, completing 14 of 24 for 273 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions; he also ran for a 14-yard score. The clean turnover line is the most portable part of his debut. The opening strike was designed to exploit one defense, but sound decisions can travel into Big Ten play.
Northwestern is idle in Week 2, and no result elsewhere will materially change its outlook. What matters before Colorado is whether the Wildcats can get healthier, stabilize the punt operation and sustain offense between explosive plays.
Keep the ball security, demand steadier drives
Kelly’s first game as offensive coordinator produced 497 yards on 55 plays, split between 273 passing yards and 224 rushing yards, with no turnovers and three rushing touchdowns. Yet Northwestern converted only 5 of 12 third downs and went six possessions between its first and second touchdowns. Nine yards per play looks spectacular; the long scoring drought explains why one average cannot settle the argument about this offense.
Northwestern did eventually finish the job. The Wildcats scored on their last four possessions, and Chiles answered South Dakota State’s only touchdown with a nine-play, 71-yard scoring drive before Joseph Himon II broke an 80-yard touchdown run. That sustained response deserves more trust than the final burst alone. It showed the offense could regain control after the game tightened.
Kelly and Chiles need to connect those two versions of the debut during the open week. The opening play showed that Kelly could scheme a receiver open; the nine-play fourth-quarter drive showed that Northwestern could score without one enormous gain. Better third-down execution would help the offense sustain that production.
The red-zone defense cannot live there
Northwestern allowed 432 yards and 27 first downs across 88 South Dakota State plays, which carried the Jackrabbits into the red zone seven times. The Wildcats still conceded only one touchdown on those trips, while the defense added two sacks, 13 pass breakups and an interception. Damon Walters made that interception on South Dakota State’s failed two-point attempt.
Stopping touchdowns is a real strength until repeated entries overwhelm it. Northwestern can value the communication and execution that held up near the goal line while recognizing that Big Ten offenses are unlikely to waste six of seven red-zone chances. The next step is fewer long drives reaching scoring territory, not an expectation that the defense can reproduce an extreme conversion rate every week.
Health matters more than anybody else’s score
Starting center Jackson Carsello left during the third quarter on a stretcher after a blow around his head and neck. Northwestern later announced that he had returned to the team facility, was walking and was feeling well overall, although no return-to-play timetable was reported. His improved condition was welcome news; his football availability remains a central question for an offensive line trying to build continuity in a new system.
The uncertainty extends beyond Carsello. Guard Ezomo Oratokhai and defensive lineman Michael Kilbane did not play, and David Braun said he was very hopeful both could return against Colorado. Receiver Hayden Eligon II also exited early with a lower-body injury, with no subsequent status reported. Any favorable update there would do more for Northwestern’s prospects than a convenient result elsewhere this Saturday.
Give the freshman punter a better second impression
Redshirt freshman Nikola Dugandzic averaged 24 yards on five punts, and a 10-yard punt handed South Dakota State possession at Northwestern’s 26. Braun retained confidence in Dugandzic afterward. One debut should not define a freshman, but Northwestern cannot routinely ask its defense to protect a short field while also allowing opponents to sustain long drives.
Northwestern’s Week 2 priorities are straightforward. Let Carsello continue recovering. Get Oratokhai, Kilbane and Eligon closer to returning. Help Dugandzic find a repeatable punt. Preserve Chiles’ care with the football while building enough down-to-down rhythm that Kelly does not need a 71-yard opener or an 80-yard closer to make the offense work.
The interactive guide has the full Week 2 slate, and the methodology explains the Fan Watch probabilities.