It’s a fresh start of a new season for Northwestern football as they look to bounce back from a 3-9 season. It was one of the worst statistically under Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald. This is a team that is in the midst of a quarterback competition between 3 Star quarterback Brendan Sullivan and South Carolina transfer Ryan Hilinski. Hilinski led the Wildcats in passing yards last year but was part of a disastrous offense.
According to reports, the two quarterbacks are neck and neck for the starting job. Whoever is the starting quarterback for the team will have third year starter Peter Skoronski protecting their blind side.
Skoronski has been gaining a lot of attention from national media. Don’t be surprised when Skoronski’s name is called in the first round of the NFL Draft when that time comes.
The team is also led by defensive back Cam Mitchell, a junior, who has gotten more and more playing time each year. He is filling the shoes of Cleveland Browns defensive back Greg Newsome II.
As for their schedule, it is a favorable one. After facing Nebraska in Ireland on August 27, they play 4 out of 5 games at home. These include winnable opponents in Duke, Southern Illinois, and Miami (Ohio).
That stretch of games also includes Penn State, on the road and Wisconsin at home. The game against the Badgers will be huge if they want to win the Big Ten West.
The second part of their schedule includes playing 4 out of their last games on the road. Also, they will face a national championship contender in Ohio State at home on November 5.
The second part of their schedule includes teams like Maryland, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue, and Illinois. They will play these games at home at Ryan Field.
Since 2018, the program has had a trend of being good a year, then having a down year the next. After being 9-5 in 2018, the team went 3-9 in 2019. In 2020, the team went 7-2 (COVID Year), then 3-9 last year.
That means the trend should point upwards after last year. This is a team that should be at least 9-3 but has the potential to go 10-2.
Whatever their record is, DO NOT count this team out one bit as Coach Fitzgerald will have his guys playing hard all the time, all season.
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