Sports Illustrated

The Northwestern Wildcats went on the road and took down No. 10 Michigan State, who were riding a nine-game winning streak, in a back and forth game without their top player, Pete Nance and Elyjah Williams.

After losing three top receivers that accounted for approximately 61 percent of their passing yards, Northwestern’s offense is in a precarious position. Factor in Cam Porter’s injury and the impact it will have on the Wildcats’ running game and you might even change precarious to another, less optimistic adjective.

Despite the production that they’re losing, the coaching staff is encouraged by the potential of the current roster. “ You just move on to the next group,” wide receiver coach Dennis Springer said. “It's a great opportunity for a lot of guys in the wide receiver room.”

Northwestern came into their week three matchup with a little momentum after their first win of the season against Indiana State last week. That momentum was halted (in the first half at least) in their 30-20 loss against Duke. There was so much more to this game than the final outcome though, so here are five takeaways from the Wildcats’ loss.

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No matter how old you are, being the new kid at school can be difficult. Fifth-year wide receiver Stephon Robinson Jr. is in that exact situation after transferring to Northwestern.

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Robinson has already proven himself as a legit player at the Power 5 level during his three seasons at Kansas University. Although his time there was marred by injuries and the COVID-impacted season, he had a standout year back in 2019 when he posted 45 catches that translated to eight touchdowns and 727 yards, good for seventh in the Big 12. 

The Northwestern Wildcats earned their first win of the season in a 80-56 defensive showcase against the Eastern Illinois Panthers in the team’s season opener at Welsh Ryan Arena. 

The Wildcats were able to control this game from the tip because of the energy they brought on defense. They held the Panthers to only 37% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc while also forcing 19 turnovers, 16 of which were steals.

The Northwestern defense will have a tough match up on its hands when the Wildcats line up against a top offensive team in Nebraska this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. 

Nebraska (2-3) is riding a wave of momentum despite coming off of two tight losses. The first loss came against No. 19 University of Oklahoma who topped the Cornhuskers 23–16, and the second was against No. 17 ranked Michigan State University, who won 23–20 in a game so neck and neck that it went to overtime.