There’s plenty to be nervous about, despite the win.
For one half, there were legitimate reasons to be excited about the trajectory of Northwestern football.
At the break, the ‘Cats seemed to be rolling. Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II had already combined for over 100 yards on the ground. Preston Stone looked poised and comfortable, with 104 yards and a batted-down deep ball to Hayden Eligon II that could’ve been a highlight-reel play for six. The Wildcats had scored on all three of their drives, leading 17-0, and UCLA appeared to have no answers.
Who would’ve predicted the ‘Cats would be unable to score again on Saturday?
“Excited about the win, excited about some of the improvements that we’re seeing within our football team,” Wildcat head coach David Braun said. “We had an opportunity there in the second half to really pull away from a team and close out a football game and didn’t do that.”
Braun is certainly right to be excited about a victory. Winning in the Big Ten is never easy, and coming out on top, regardless of the score, is something that can build momentum for the season as a whole. But a narrow 17-14 victory — let alone, 14 unanswered points — over a struggling UCLA defense and a beleaguered interim coaching staff brought far more stress than ‘Cats fans would have hoped for.
UCLA now sits at 0-4, and with this loss, it’s fair to wonder whether the Bruins can win a game at all this season. If the ‘Cats wanted to prove they could make an underdog run to secure a bowl berth, this is one of those games where they simply had to win big.
“It shouldn’t have been as close of a game as it was,” Braun said. “Credit to Tim Skipper and their staff and their team for staying together and making it a game in the fourth quarter, but we’ve got to be honest with ourselves: that shouldn’t have been as tight of a football game as it was.”
Still, while there’s a lot to be concerned about, the sky is never truly falling after a win. The Wildcats did have some true bright spots, between the play of Robert Fitzgerald (nine tackles), Griffin Wilde (98 receiving yards and a touchdown) and others.
And then there was Komolafe.
The redshirt sophomore came up huge on Saturday. Setting a career-high in carries (27) and yards (119), Komolafe bulldozed UCLA defenders with ease, carrying the brunt of Northwestern’s offense and setting the stage for Himon to excel as a change-of-pace back. After the game, before heading to the postgame press conference, Komolafe went for a soak in the cold tub, trying to recuperate after his massive workload.
“I call him, ‘Caleb “The Beast” Komolafe,’” Wilde said.
“I honestly don’t know if it’s going to stick, and it’s an interesting nickname that they came up with,” Komolafe said afterward with a laugh.
Komolafe earned his nickname on Saturday. In Cam Porter’s absence, becoming the starting running back was a rite of passage in many ways for Komolafe, the presumed next man up for years to come. While UCLA’s run defense is — in a word — suspect, fans should still rest assured that the ‘Cats have found their bell cow back.
The running backs were also boosted by a stellar performance from the offensive line.
“They’re probably the best unit we have on the whole team,” Stone said. “Those guys are warriors.”
“Those boys are dominant, and I trust them with my life,” Komolafe said.
And then there was Wilde, a dominant force who continues to perform this season despite the lack of a legitimate number two option for the ‘Cats at wide receiver. After the game, Stone compared his primary wideout to some impressive names at the position.
“Griffin’s the man,” Stone said. “He’s a special dude. I’ve been blessed to play with some really good receivers since I’ve been in college, like Rashee Rice and Danny Gray, and Griffin’s right up there.”
There’s no doubt NU has some breakout players on offense, but depth and consistency are the biggest keys if the Wildcats hope to unlock more potential.
On the defensive side, there were also things to like, as the secondary excelled collectively against Nico Iamaleava. The pass rush, particularly Anto Saka (two half-sacks on Saturday), also improved by leaps and bounds.
“I think there’s a lot of guys that would go stat-chasing, and Anto Saka’s not that,” Braun said. “The last couple snaps that I saw Anto Saka out there, those were pretty d**n good.”
Braun, of course, is referencing Saka’s lack of sacks in 2025, as Saturday’s performance gave the redshirt junior his first sack of the year in total. The Northwestern head coach said it’s tough for Saka — a pure pass-rusher — to rack up sacks while facing the number of draws the team has from opposing offenses. Still, with UCLA down to its final drive, the Baltimore native finally looked like the absolute force and projected first-round NFL Draft pick ‘Cats fans have been looking forward to seeing all year.
It’s not the end-all, be-all, but Saturday was certainly progress. Still, sitting at 2-2, this Wildcat squad has a long way to go.
Category: General Sports
