Nikola Dugandzic’s 10-yard punt handed South Dakota State the ball at Northwestern’s 26-yard line in the opener. His five punts averaged 24 yards. Northwestern’s defense allowed just one touchdown in seven red-zone chances, but surrendered 432 yards and 27 first downs getting there. The Wildcats kept protecting the end zone while giving themselves too little room to defend.
Colorado visits Saturday, September 19, at 6:30 p.m. Central on FOX, for Northwestern’s final scheduled game at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Fan Watch gives Northwestern a 78% chance to win, a home opportunity fans should expect the Wildcats to convert. See the interactive guide for the forecasts and the methodology for how they’re calculated.
Northwestern had a bye after its September 5 opener. That supplied preparation time, but no second game to show whether the punting had improved. Against Colorado, longer punts and stops before the red zone would let the defense protect a lead without repeatedly defending a short field.
Tim McGarigle returns as defensive coordinator after his 2025 unit allowed 19.8 points per game, sixth in the Big Ten. There is an established scoring standard to trust. This week, watch whether his defense can force Colorado to punt before the Buffaloes get within scoring range.
Colorado can threaten more than one part of the field. Against Weber State, Julian Lewis threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns in roughly two and a half quarters. Joseph Williams and DeAndre Moore Jr. each topped 100 receiving yards, while Micah Welch rushed for 106; Colorado scored on its first and third offensive snaps. Northwestern needs to make those receivers work through sustained drives while still accounting for Welch. A defense cannot count on making a red-zone stand if the touchdown comes from farther out.
Chip Kelly’s offense can help by staying on the field. Aidan Chiles handled all the passing in Kelly’s debut, giving Northwestern a clear starter to build around. The Wildcats gained 497 yards, split between 273 passing and 224 rushing, without a turnover. But the Wildcats converted only five of 12 third downs and went six possessions between their first and second touchdowns. More third-down conversions would give Northwestern chances to score while keeping Lewis on the sideline.
The late possessions showed how that can look. Northwestern scored on its final four, including Aidan Chiles’ touchdown run to finish a nine-play, 71-yard response immediately after South Dakota State’s lone touchdown. Joseph Himon II followed with an 80-yard touchdown run. The sustained answer matters alongside the explosive finish. Northwestern needs to keep converting opportunities before a Big Ten opener at Indiana for which Fan Watch gives it just a 2% win chance.
Offensive-line continuity deserves attention, too. Starting center Jackson Carsello left the opener on a stretcher; Northwestern’s subsequent announcement that he was walking and feeling well was welcome personal news, but included no return-to-play timetable. Guard Ezomo Oratokhai and defensive lineman Michael Kilbane missed that game, and receiver Hayden Eligon II exited with an injury. David Braun afterward expressed optimism about Oratokhai and Kilbane returning against Colorado. Those reports do not confirm any of the four players’ availability for Saturday, so fans cannot yet count on restored options in protection, up front on defense or at receiver.
After Colorado comes the trip to Indiana, then the scheduled opening of the new Ryan Field against Penn State on October 2. Northwestern’s best lakefront farewell would include punts that push Colorado back, defensive stops before scoring range and offensive possessions that give those stops value. Those are the habits worth taking into the new stadium.