It’s okay to admit it. Last week sucked.

For those who may not know, Penn State lost its Big Ten opener to Wisconsin 24-20 under the lights of Beaver Stadium after relinquishing a 17-point advantage. 

From the worst performance of Rocco Becht’s career to questionable coaching decisions, the Nittany Lions squandered all positive momentum in their 2026 season and now sit unranked in the AP Poll.

But a new week means a new opportunity.

For Matt Campbell and Co., that opportunity will come against the Northwestern Wildcats at the site of (brand) New Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois, on Friday night. 

Penn State has the honor of christening the new stadium, a 35,000-seat, $875 million state-of-the-art facility that will replace Northwestern Medicine Field at Northwestern Stadium, the Wildcats’ current humble abode.

The blue and white lead the all-time series 16-6, but are riding a one-game losing streak. The Nittany Lions are just 2.5-point favorites, per FanDuel.

The Team

Don’t write off Northwestern, folks.

The Wildcats have gotten off to an impressive start to 2026, throttling Colorado 41-7 and going toe-to-toe with the defending National Champions, ultimately losing to No. 4 Indiana by just six points. Week 1 featured a victory over South Dakota State of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Through three games, the purple and white have averaged 32 points on offense and allowed 18 on defense.

Despite these respectable statistics, Northwestern’s average yards per game on both sides of the ball rank among the lowest in the Big Ten, particularly its 417.3 yards allowed. That being said, a difficult strength of schedule could certainly play a role in this number, especially early in the season. 

Last season, Northwestern finished 7-6, defeating Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl to cap off the year. 2025 was a bounceback from the year prior, when the Wildcats racked up just four wins.

The team’s most significant win was, well, a 22-21 victory over the Nittany Lions on Penn State’s Homecoming, a game that would wind up being the final nail in James Franklin’s coffin.

David Braun is Northwestern’s head coach, a man who took over in an interim role in July 2023 before officially being promoted in November of that year. This month, he signed a contract extension that will presumably keep him in Evanston, Illinois, through the 2031 season.

Before getting the job with the Wildcats, Braun was the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at North Dakota State from 2019 to 2022.

The offensive coordinator is a familiar face for Penn State and a well-known name across the football world. Chip Kelly was hired for the position this offseason, making the jump once again from the NFL.

He served as the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator last season, but was fired after an abysmal season that resulted in the team clinching the No. 1 overall pick.

In 2024, Kelly worked in the same role at Ohio State, in addition to being the quarterbacks coach, and helped lead the Buckeyes to a national title under one of the nation’s most explosive offenses.

It’s also worth noting that Jerry Neuheisel joined the Northwestern coaching staff this offseason as a quarterback coach. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it is.

Neuheisel was the interim play caller for UCLA last season, the team that defeated Penn State as 25.5-point underdogs. 

On defense, Tim McGarigle has been the coordinator since the 2024 season, when he was promoted from the team’s linebackers coach. Like Kelly, McGarigle also has NFL experience, having worked with the Green Bay Packers in 2017 as their defensive quality control coach.

The Offense

Senior quarterback and Michigan State transfer Aidan Chiles leads Northwestern and has provided the Wildcats with immense consistency throughout the young 2026 season.

Chiles has racked up 807 yards through the air, throwing for six touchdowns in the process, and boasts a completion percentage of just over 70%. He has yet to throw an interception this season on 75 pass attempts.

For the second week in a row, Penn State will have to deal with a signal caller who can make things happen with his legs. Chiles has four rushing touchdowns this season, which leads the team. His 20 yards on the ground are nothing to write home about, but his ability to fill multiple roles in Kelly’s offense makes him a true threat.

Griffin Wilde is by far the most proven offensive talent. The wide receiver has tallied 245 yards on 14 receptions this year and previously accounted for 1,154 yards at South Dakota State in his sophomore season.

Three running backs spearhead the ground game. Caleb Komolafe leads the team in carries with 27, but fifth-year senior Gavin Sawchuk has been more successful on fewer touches. 

Sawchuk spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Oklahoma before transferring to Florida State, and then to Northwestern. He averages 5.7 yards per carry on 25 touches.

Joseph Himon II is not only second on the team rushing yards chart with less than half as many carries as his teammates, but he also leads the team in receiving touchdowns with four.

The offensive line lost much of its production from last season, with starting offensive tackle Caleb Tirnan and guard Evan Beernsten drafted to the NFL.

Jackson Carsello was one of the more talented members of this year’s group, but is still sidelined after suffering a scary neck injury in the season opener. Overall, the men in the trenches are holding their own, but the group as a whole is nothing special.

The Defense

On the other side of the ball, defensive back Robert Fitzgerald leads the team in tackles by a substantial margin, recording 38 on the season, 14 more than the closest teammate. Thirty-eight total tackles is also good for first in the Big Ten.

Safety Damon Walters is that closest teammate, with 24 tackles attributed to his name. The redshirt junior suffered a season-ending injury last year, but has bounced back in a big way. Walters has a pass deflection and an interception through the first three games.

Linebackers Kobie McKinzie and Braydon Brus each have at least one sack and over 20 total tackles of their own. 

Edge rusher Michael Kilbane was one of the team’s top returning talents and remains a huge part of the Northwestern defense. Last season, he was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and brings a unique blend of size and agility to the team.

If there’s one thing the Wildcats have struggled with, it’s run defense. Their 199.3 rushing yards allowed per game are 128th in the nation.

Part of the reason for this is a transitional period in the Northwestern defensive tackle room. Brendan Flake and Tyler Gant represent returning talent who have found their place as starters, but more inexperienced guys like Mason Mayne and Dylan Roberts make for a shallow room overall. 

Special Teams

Northwestern’s special teams room has a lot of fresh faces following All-Big Ten Honorable Mention kicker Jack Olsen’s decision to transfer to Miami and punter Luke Akers’ graduation.

Bowling Green transfer Jackson Kleather has taken over as the team’s placekicker. He is perfect on field goals and extra points this season.

Kleather is yet to attempt a kick over 50 yards this year, but the longest made field goal of his sophomore season was a 56-yard boot.

Nikola Dugandzic is the punter, averaging just 36 yards per kick in 2026. That said, his longest kick traveled an impressive 72 yards.