Evanston
Northwestern
RECORD
3-1
CONFERENCE
Big Ten
PF / PA
132/67
Last 15 games
9-6 in the last 15 · 26.1 scored · 19.7 allowed LOST 14-34 scored 14 · allowed 34 See game WON 17-14 scored 17 · allowed 14 See game WON 42-7 scored 42 · allowed 7 See game WON 22-21 scored 22 · allowed 21 See game WON 19-0 scored 19 · allowed 0 See game LOST 21-28 scored 21 · allowed 28 See game LOST 17-38 scored 17 · allowed 38 See game LOST 22-24 scored 22 · allowed 24 See game WON 38-35 scored 38 · allowed 35 See game LOST 13-20 scored 13 · allowed 20 See game WON 34-7 scored 34 · allowed 7 See game WON 34-18 scored 34 · allowed 18 See game WON 41-7 scored 41 · allowed 7 See game LOST 23-29 scored 23 · allowed 29 See game WON 34-13 scored 34 · allowed 13 See game
Points scored, win Points scored, loss Points allowed
Data highlights
All-time record
571-710-40
.447 since 1892
Best season
7-1
1936
10-win seasons
5
Latest 2017
Winning seasons
50
of 132 completed
Next games
Ball State 
vs Northwestern
vs Northwestern Northwestern vs 
Michigan State
vs Michigan State Rutgers 
vs Northwestern
vs Northwestern Northwestern vs 
Oregon
vs Oregon Iowa 
vs Northwestern
vs Northwestern Northwestern vs 
Ohio State
vs Ohio State 
Head coach
Head coachDavid Braun Head coach since2023
Record at Northwestern22-20
Seasons4
Bowl trips2
Season stats
Points per game33.0 7th
Points allowed16.8 8th
Total yards per game437.8 7th
Yards per play6.9 5th
Rush yards per game212.8 4th
Season
Unit
Offense
57 players
Defense
60 players
Special teams
7 players| No | Player | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | Jackson Kleather | PK |
| 94 | Henry Helms | PK |
| 98 | Noah Sur | PK |
| 92 | Nikola Dugandzic | P |
| 95 | Marko Dubak | P |
| 59 | Jack Florentine | LS |
| 60 | Evan Boutorwick | LS |
Rosters from CollegeFootballData, by season. Pick a year above.
Recent results
2026-10-02 FINAL W
Penn State 
13 : 34 Northwestern
13 : 34 Northwestern 2026-09-25 FINAL L
Northwestern 23 : 29
Indiana
23 : 29 Indiana 2026-09-05 FINAL W
South Dakota State 
18 : 34 Northwestern
18 : 34 Northwestern 2025-12-26 FINAL W
Central Michigan 
7 : 34 Northwestern
7 : 34 Northwestern 2025-11-29 FINAL L
Northwestern 13 : 20
Illinois
13 : 20 Illinois 2025-11-22 FINAL W
Minnesota 
35 : 38 Northwestern
35 : 38 Northwestern 2025-11-15 FINAL L
Michigan 
24 : 22 Northwestern
24 : 22 Northwestern 
2025-10-18 FINAL W
Purdue 
0 : 19 Northwestern
0 : 19 Northwestern 2025-10-11 FINAL W
Northwestern 22 : 21 Penn State
22 : 21 Penn State The latest 12 games. Every season: Northwestern record by year.
Upcoming
OCT 10 UPCOMING
Ball State vs Northwestern
Game page vs Northwestern OCT 17 UPCOMING
Northwestern vs Michigan State
Game page vs Michigan State OCT 24 UPCOMING
Rutgers vs Northwestern
Game page vs Northwestern NOV 14 UPCOMING
Northwestern vs Ohio State
Game page vs Ohio State NOV 21 UPCOMING
Northwestern vs Minnesota
Game page vs Minnesota NOV 28 UPCOMING
Illinois vs Northwestern
Game page vs Northwestern Points per game
33.0
7th in the Big Ten
Points allowed
16.8
8th in the Big Ten
Total yards per game
437.8
7th in the Big Ten
Yards per play
6.9
5th in the Big Ten
Rush yards per game
212.8
4th in the Big Ten
Pass yards per game
225.0
14th in the Big Ten
First downs per game
21.5
10th in the Big Ten
Third-down rate
41.3%
10th in the Big Ten
Turnover margin
+5
4th in the Big Ten
Takeaways
7
7th in the Big Ten
Sacks
6
15th in the Big Ten
Sacks allowed
8
12th in the Big Ten
Penalty yards per game
64.0
12th in the Big Ten
Time of possession
31:01
10th in the Big Ten
Season by season
Record
3-1
Conference
In progress
Points for / against
33.0 / 16.8
Postseason
In progress
| Season | Record | PPG | PA | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3-1 | 33.0 | 16.8 | In progress |
| 2025 | 7-6 | 23.4 | 19.8 | Won GameAbove Sports Bowl |
| 2024 | 4-8 | 17.8 | 26.3 | No bowl |
| 2023 | 8-5 | 22.1 | 22.5 | Won SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl |
| 2022 | 1-11 | 13.8 | 28.3 | No bowl |
| 2021 | 3-9 | 16.6 | 29.0 | No bowl |
| 2020 | 7-2 | 24.7 | 15.9 | Won Vrbo Citrus Bowl |
| 2019 | 3-9 | 16.3 | 23.6 | No bowl |
| 2018 | 9-5 | 24.2 | 23.2 | Won Bowl game |
| 2017 | 10-3 | 29.2 | 20.1 | Won Bowl game |
| 2016 | 7-6 | 26.0 | 22.2 | Won NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL |
| 2015 | 10-3 | 19.5 | 18.6 | Lost OUTBACK BOWL |
| 2014 | 5-7 | 23.0 | 25.2 | No bowl |
| 2013 | 5-7 | 26.2 | 27.1 | No bowl |
| 2012 | 10-3 | 31.7 | 22.5 | Won TAXSLAYER.com GATOR BOWL |
| 2011 | 6-7 | 28.9 | 27.7 | Lost MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS |
| 2010 | 7-6 | 26.4 | 29.0 | Lost TICKETCITY BOWL |
| 2009 | 8-5 | 25.9 | 24.5 | Lost OUTBACK BOWL |
Who gets the ball: share of plays, 2026 season
The share of Northwestern's offensive plays on which each player threw the ball, ran it or was targeted. College programs do not publish snap counts; this is the closest public measure.
| Player | Pos | All plays | Pass plays | Run plays | 3rd down |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aidan Chiles | QB | 46.9% | 96.9% | 17.6% | 70.2% |
| Caleb Komolafe | RB | 22.9% | 6.2% | 34.6% | 10.6% |
| Gavin Sawchuk | RB | 12.8% | 1.0% | 20.9% | 12.8% |
| Joseph Himon II | RB | 10.5% | 7.2% | 13.1% | 2.1% |
| Drew Wagner | WR | 8.9% | 19.6% | 2.6% | 10.6% |
| Luke Dehnicke | TE | 6.9% | 15.9% | 0.0% | 8.3% |
| Griffin Wilde | WR | 6.6% | 17.5% | 0.0% | 6.4% |
| Marcus Romain | RB | 5.3% | 0.0% | 7.8% | 7.7% |
| Alex Honig | TE | 4.4% | 10.7% | 0.0% | 2.9% |
| Daniel Anderson | RB | 4.0% | 0.0% | 5.9% | 0.0% |
| Ricky Ahumaraeze | WR | 3.9% | 10.3% | 0.0% | 8.5% |
| Hayden Eligon Ii | WR | 1.6% | 4.9% | 0.0% | 8.7% |
| Robby Preckel | TE | 1.5% | 2.8% | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| Nicco Marchiol | QB | 1.3% | 0.0% | 2.0% | 7.7% |
| Frank Covey IV | WR | 1.3% | 4.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Pass plays and run plays: the share of those plays that went through the player. Source: CollegeFootballData via our data hub.
Strength of schedule
Opponents by win total, week by week, with remaining-schedule difficulty
Avg opponent wins, 2025
7.8
FBS average
6.4
Played
7.5
Remaining
8.0
2026 weekly schedule
H · 1 BYEWk 2
H · 3 A · 4 H · 5 H · 6 A · 7 H · 8 A · 9 H · 10 A · 11 A · 12 H · 13 BYEWk 14
BYEWk 15
Tougher than average Easier than average · number = opponent's win total
Northwestern 2026 opponents
| Wk | Opponent | Site | Opp wins | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota State | vs | 4 | Played |
| 3 | Colorado | vs | 3 | Played |
| 4 | Indiana | @ | 16 | Played |
| 5 | Penn State | vs | 7 | Played |
| 6 | Ball State | vs | 4 | Upcoming |
| 7 | Michigan State | @ | 4 | Upcoming |
| 8 | Rutgers | vs | 5 | Upcoming |
| 9 | Oregon | @ | 13 | Upcoming |
| 10 | Iowa | vs | 9 | Upcoming |
| 11 | Ohio State | @ | 12 | Upcoming |
| 12 | Minnesota | @ | 8 | Upcoming |
| 13 | Illinois | vs | 9 | Upcoming |
Opponent strength = each opponent's win total in 2025, its last full season (records-based, no betting win totals are used). Schedule and records from CollegeFootballData. See the full conference strength-of-schedule ranking.
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Frequently asked questions
What conference is Northwestern in?
Northwestern plays in the Big Ten.
Has Northwestern ever won a national championship?
No. Northwestern has not claimed a national championship.
Who is the Northwestern head coach in 2026?
David Braun is the Northwestern head coach for the 2026 season.