Northwestern Wildcats Kick Off 137th Season Against Tulane on Saturday

Strategic Insights -

The Northwestern Wildcats are set to embark on their 137th season of football, opening on the road against Tulane in Yulman Stadium on Saturday, August 30 at 11 a.m. CT. This will be the first time the Wildcats have opened the season on the road against a non-conference opponent since 2019 and the first road matchup against a Group of 5 opponent in a season opener since 2006. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with Matt Schumacker and Dustin Fox on the call, and can be heard on WGN Radio 720 with Dave Eanet and Ted Albrecht.

The Wildcats are led by graduate student captains Carmine Bastone, running back Cam Porter, quarterback Preston Stone, offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan, and linebacker Mac Uihlein. Bastone and Porter are returning captains from last season, with Bastone becoming the 20th multi-year captain in program history and Porter becoming just the second three-time captain in Northwestern history.

The defensive line, which returns 89.1% of its sacks and 58.8% of its tackles for loss from last season, is expected to be a strength for the Wildcats. Aidan Hubbard, who has led the team in sacks over each of the past two seasons, and Anto Saka, who ranked second in sacks last season, will be key players on the line. The offensive line, which boasts competitive depth, will see graduate student Caleb Tiernan starting at left tackle, with redshirt freshman Ezomo Oratokhai at left guard and graduate student Jackson Carsello at center.

Northwestern's head coach, David Braun, expressed his respect for Tulane, citing their physicality, teamwork, and ability to play together. Braun sees the game as an opportunity for the Wildcats to establish their identity early on and has emphasized their mentality of embracing adversity and starting the season strong.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Northwestern Wildcats will open their 137th season of football on the road against Tulane in Yulman Stadium on Saturday, August 30 at 11 a.m. CT.
  • The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and can be heard on WGN Radio 720.
  • The Wildcats are led by graduate student captains Carmine Bastone, Cam Porter, Preston Stone, Caleb Tiernan, and Mac Uihlein.
  • The defensive line returns 89.1% of its sacks and 58.8% of its tackles for loss from last season.
  • Aidan Hubbard, who has led the team in sacks over each of the past two seasons, and Anto Saka, who ranked second in sacks last season, will be key players on the line.
  • The offensive line boasts competitive depth, with graduate student Caleb Tiernan starting at left tackle, redshirt freshman Ezomo Oratokhai at left guard, and graduate student Jackson Carsello at center.
  • Northwestern's head coach, David Braun, expressed his respect for Tulane and sees the game as an opportunity for the Wildcats to establish their identity early on.

Statistics:

  • 89.1% of the Wildcats' sacks return from last season.
  • 58.8% of the team's tackles for loss from last season also return.
  • Aidan Hubbard has led the team in sacks over each of the past two seasons.
  • Anto Saka ranked second in sacks last season.
  • Graduate student Caleb Tiernan will start at left tackle.
  • Redshirt freshman Ezomo Oratokhai will start at left guard.
  • Graduate student Jackson Carsello will start at center.

Sources:

  • Northwestern University Athletics
  • Chicago Sun-Times
  • ESPN.com
  • The Athletic