Northwestern resumes conference play Saturday as they head on the road to take on Michigan State in East Lansing at 11 a.m. CT.
The Wildcats and Spartans will meet for the first time since quarterback Aidan Chiles departed Michigan State and former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald took the reins of the Spartans’ program.
Michigan State currently sits at the bottom of the conference as they are on a four game losing streak, only recording two wins in Fitzgerald’s inaugural season at the helm.
Last weekend, their close overtime finish against Illinois ended in defeat as the Fighting Illini secured the 38-37 victory.
Northwestern, on the other hand, has only one loss on the season, a narrow loss to the defending champion Indiana on the road.
After last weekend's dominant 45-14 win over Ball State, the program is now ranked for the first time since 2020, sitting at Number 25 in the AP poll.
Since their debut at the new Ryan Field against Penn State, Northwestern has been an offensive force. Quarterback Aidan Chiles has continued to impress, passing for 272 yards and 3 touchdowns last week, earning him a nod on the PFF Big Ten Team of the Week.
Chiles is atop the Big Ten in completion percentage with a 71.4% completion rate while throwing for over 1,000 yards on the season.
Also wide receiver Griffin Wilde had an impressive performance recording 144 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Northwestern’s defensive efforts came up big in their win against Ball State, as they held the Cardinals to just 14 points, which all came in the first half of action.
Defensive-back Robert Fitzgerald earned a nod on the PFF National Team of the Week for his performance with seven tackles and a pick six, the first for the Wildcats this season. Linebacker Braydon Brus also recorded a team-high eight tackles.
The Northwestern defense, which ranks 22nd in the nation, will have to keep up its impressive play as it faces a Spartans offense led by quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who has also thrown for over 1,000 passing yards this season.
Additionally, running back Jaziun Patterson has been key for the Spartan offense,
as he has notched 255 rushing yards and six touchdowns this season.
Northwestern’s offense, which has thrived under Chip Kelly’s play-calling this
season, could face a formidable challenge against a Michigan State defense that
has surrendered just 197.8 passing yards per game.
Michigan State leads the all-time series against Northwestern 40-20, with
Saturday’s upcoming contest marking the first meeting between the two programs
since 2021.
The Wildcats will look to maintain their winning momentum and offensive success
as they seek their first victory over the Spartans since 2018.
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