ESPN
Bonagura: Nashville vs Auburn
Schlabach: Phoenix vs Kansas

CBS (Jerry Palm)
Detroit vs NIU (boo! hiss!)

CFN
Detroit vs Ohio

247
Phoenix vs Kansas

Saturday Blitz
Phoenix vs Iowa State

Athlon
Detroit vs EMU

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane. My first NU game was;

September 14, 1991
Northwestern 7, Rice 36

Owl RB Trevor Cobb ran roughshod over the Cats that day. Thanks fully this was pre-OwlVision so no recorded history of this beat down at Dyche Stadium.

Williams and Maye look terrible and have for weeks. Stock dropping like a rock. JJ McCarthy emerging as top QB. Harbaugh and McCarthy to Bears???

Thanks to Uber for hosting Little Hungry and I for the last bash at Dyche. I took my last piss in the small bathroom outside section 230 after the third quarter. I won't miss that bathroom.

After watching Ryan Browne, a freshman, give us fits with his running, I think we might have been better off facing Hudson Card. I thought Browne's runs kept our defense off balance much of the day. It's the main reason we gave up 443 total yards.

We saw what happened, though, when the field got really short and the run defense had a lot less space to worry about. Kudos to the defense for locking down. We pitched a shutout for the first 41 minutes thanks to some great sequences by the defense (and PU mistakes).

I think the biggest play may have Hollis hawking down Tyrone Tracy on that long run late in Q4. That forced PU to burn another 2 minutes before they finally punched it in. They got the ball back with 1:59 and no timeouts left.

PU has two good DEs who caused a lot of trouble. I was hoping we would see more screens and jet action against them. Bryant was uncharacteristically slow in getting the ball out of several of those sacks. And he telegraphed that throw to Kirtz on the play action that led to the late pick.

Does anyone know the terms of Braun's deal? Did he get any concessions for admissions or was able to get enough to pay his staff competitive Big 10 salaries?

…it will be too soon. He is the worst. But loved his answer to the trivia question: “Don’t ask me. I don’t know anything about Northwestern football.” Never truer words spoken!

Northwestern (4-0) plays Mississippi State (4-0) today at 12 p.m. CT for the Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament championship. The game will air on ESPN2 and the Wildcats are underdogs, +3.5, for the first time this season.

This could be an NCAA Tournament preview as both teams made the Dance last season. The Wildcats advanced to the Round of 32, while the Bulldogs lost in the First Four to Pitt.

Much to the dismay of Coral Cat, TheC was not arrested in Uncasville, CT yesterday afternoon as he took in the Cats at Mohegan Sun Arena in the Hall of Fame TipOff Classic. These are some of his.... ok... wait... this third person thing is stupid. Here are some of my impressions from finally getting to see this team in person.

1. The day started off nicely with a meetup with BosCat and SDakaGordie and his wife to watch the first half of the NU-Purdue game. Simpson-Elmwood joined us to say hello as well as he was there with his family all decked out in purple! Gordie was kind enough to buy me a beer, which means I will be taking his side from now on in the great PWB-Gordie debates!

2. Man, today's team is much more athletic than when I went to school. Everyone was dunking in the layup line, throwing alley-oops off the backboard and otherwise putting on a bit of a show.

3. What you appreciate much more in person is how hard our guys play on defense. I was a bit surprised at first, but really impressed with the effort and communication. Watching the way they seem to instinctively switch or not switch depending on the movement of the opponent's offense was artistic. The guys were in the ball handler's grill and reacted quickly to the drive or shot.

4. Matt Nicholson is a big man in the middle. He really clogged up the paint and protected the guys on the perimeter if they got beat off the dribble. Preston didn't quite have the same effect when he was in. The unfortunate part is that Matt was almost non-existent on the offensive end. However, there was one glimmer of hope midway through the second half where the Cats actually dumped the ball inside to him and he actually made a move, put the ball on the floor and made a layup!! That should have been there all day and I hope they keep working that into the offense.

5. The Cats jumped all over Rhode Island early and with 7:52 left in the first half, were leading 22-2! I texted my kids as it was so incredible. Then, RI exploded on a 15-4 run and suddenly there was a bit of a sinking feeling as the lead was only 7 at the break. Fortunately, this disappointment was balanced by the football Cats finishing up their win to clinch a bowl as SimpsonElmwood and I shared a high-five.

6. Brooks is fun to watch. He is just in such control. He is not shy about finding his shot, but doesn't badly force things. The thing that surprised me in person was how athletic he was. His rebounding was impressive and he really has some hops to get up there for those boards.

7. Clayton was impressive as a freshman. He seemed to get the defensive rotations well and played a nice, composed point guard. He wasn't that aggressive looking for his shot, but did have one pretty drive to the basket for a layup.

8. The Cats were teetering between opening the game up and having Rhode Island put on some serious pressure for much of the second half. The mostly pro-Rhode Island crowd got pretty loud whenever the lead went into single digits and they thought a run might be coming. However, midway through the second half, the Cats seemed to figure something out. They had Martinelli post up his shorter man deep in the middle of the paint and dumped the ball into him. He easily overpowered his man for a layup. I think this happened twice in a row before Rhode Island made a switch. Then, the Cats smartly ran the exact same play for Barnhizer who also got an easy bucket. The lead went back into double digits and pretty much stayed there.

9. I'm still a huge Ty Berry fan. While he missed a few open 3's, he also made a few that were big including the capper near the end. His energy on defense included some tipped balls and a great steal and coast-to-coast layup. He ended up our third leading scorer, which would be huge if he can do that consistently.

10. In 2017, the Cats were coming off a surprise NCAA tournament appearance. They returned a lot of players and big things were expected. They came to Mohegan Sun for the Hall of Fame classic and TheC attended the Saturday game, which the Cats won. Excited by the chance to see them play, I came back for the Sunday game where they proceeded to get battered by Texas Tech and looked terrible doing so. That was the first sign that something wasn't quite right with that team. The body language was horrible. In 2023, the Cats are once again coming off a surprise tournament appearance and once again are back in Connecticut for the Hall of Fame classic. Once again, TheC attended the Saturday game to cheer them on. However, in an attempt to break the pattern, I have decided not to attend today's championship in order to shake things up a little. Let's hope the Cats go on to victory and you can all buy me a beer (except Gordie, who I owe!!).

@mikefitz77 has three things we learned, two questions we're asking and one bold prediction heading into Illinois week.

RI is not a good team. Their offensive is highly disorganized, resulting in poor shot selection and a high number of turnovers. This plays directly into NU's defensive strengths. RI's defensive performance was not exceptional either. However, they do have a few skilled shooters among their ranks which lets them get on some nice scoring runs.

Buie just keeps doing Buie things. He flashed some energy and effectiveness on the defensive end, acquiring several impressive steals. He possesses a knack for drawing fouls and frequently finds himself at the free-throw line.

Langborg was quiet for a long time. Despite not scoring, he consistently delivers plus plays. It would be beneficial if he focused more on drawing fouls when his shooting is off.

Preston had some good boards. Additionally, he showcased a delicate touch around the basket. However, the lazy pass was a source of frustration that led to some more sloppy play. All in all, he performed well in today's game.

Barnhizer continues to demonstrate his defensive value. It is good to his 3-point shots finding the mark. He has the potential to be a very good catch-and-shoot player. I say this every game, but he truly presents a mismatch for opponents due to his quickness, strength, and exquisite footwork. Furthermore, he consistently contributes with numerous small plays that accumulate over the course of a game.

Nicholson delivered some nice passes to Berry. Although not known for scoring, he greatly benefits this offense by setting screens and creating opportunities for slashing guards. He even collected more than one rebound this game!

Martinelli's left-handed touch is quite impressive. He has a knack for offensive rebounds and has significantly improved his defensive positioning. However, he still needs to refine his footwork and enhance his speed on defense to become a formidable defender.

Berry had some promising scoring opportunities. It was satisfying to witness him convert some shots. Moreover, his defense was much improved compared to the previous game. He also managed to secure some steals and displayed a strong presence on the boards. Although he can be inconsistent at times.

Clayton certainly possesses the potential to become a solid player for the team.
His jump shot is smooth and he shows promise defensively, especially considering he is only a freshman.

I truly hope Mullins can bring all his skills together. He undeniably possesses immense potential, but frequently finds himself involved in poor plays. He is undoubtedly an athletic player, but he needs to make smarter decisions on the court. By tidying up his game and taking better care of the ball, he can earn more playing time and showcase his abilities.

There was a significant increase in energy compared to the entire WMU game. The team made significant improvements in their effort levels, resulting in fewer basic mistakes. Considering the depth of the guard position in this team, it would be nice to have shorter leash over the 1-3 positions when playing against weaker opponents. With consistent scoring contributions from Buie and Barnhizer, along with the impressive performance of either Berry or Langborg, this team has promising offensive potential. Additionally, Martinelli's delicate touch and scoring ability off the bench contribute to the team's offensive potential. Throughout Collins' tenure, they have consistently executed well-designed out-of-bounds plays, and this trend continues. It’s good to keep winning. Onto the next one.

@mikefitz77 has three things we learned, two questions we're asking and one bold prediction heading into Illinois week.

I see on Twitter/X that Jen Marr, FT admin of the Men’s BB program, has had her position eliminated. She loved her job.

With a large athletic department, it’s odd that such a position got eliminated and wondering what else, if anything, got cut. The donation spigot is now a trickle. Have other positions also been eliminated?

I’ll add as I hear more, but for now I can confirm that Alex Green and Hayden Eligon will both be visiting on OVs for Purdue.

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I can add that CB Trey Thomas will also be visiting. He plays for Blue Valley Southwest in the Overland Park area, for those who remember, Nick Herzog played for Blue Valley.

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I have the subscription so I'm going to start trying to do some more postgame analysis and posting with their info. Better late than never, right? Phenomenal day for the defense and Carmine Bastone came away with one of the best player grades in the entire country at DT.

I am excited to see what changes Braun makes with his assistants. I would like to see Braun get the chance to pick his staff. With us going to a bowl game when is the earliest we will see changes? We need a new OC to recruit us a QB and find us a QB in the portal as well.

Finally!

With under 6 minutes to go in the game and after a gift 1st down because of a personal foul penalty, a pass play was called which ended up as an interception, The game was basically over as just running 3 plays would have taken 2.5-3 minutes off the clock which even if stopped would have given Purdue the ball down 16 pts with only about 3 minutes to go (they did still have timeouts but unusual to use them with that much time left)

When you don't have a case, you don't have a case. Adult decision.

..till daddy took the tbird away.
What an entertaining game...lots of great plays, lots of horrible plays.
1. Highlite was getting on the field after the game with the grandson....he had a blast running into the end zone...him not me
2. Players looked genuinely excited, you forget how young they are till you see them w/o their helmets....
3. KICKING GAME What's up with our punter? Some of the punts turned out ok.. is that the plan...high and short no returns. I know some were into the wind but still. and do we intentionally not kick the ball into the end zone? The Purdue guy did it into the wind? On the other hand Olson has been pretty solid all year.
4. Did we target a tight end all day? seemed like Purdue was sending the linebackers all game...and the middle was open?
5. Saw Coach Anderson walking off the field and I would describe his look as somber.
6. The first down throw to Kurtz from the end zone was one of the gutsiest calls I have seen ...
7. Was a little disappointed that we did not get a big enough lead to let the seldom used seniors into the game..
8. Thought Kennedy did a good job when he had to go in for Joeseph at safety who was already in for Ozema....
9. WERE GOING BOWLING...what is the latest on possibilities?
10. Illinois will be playing us to get eligible for a bowl game.
11. Rewatched telecast today...announcer never mentioned the wind once! thought it was a factor.

It was another week of 5-0 football for Northwestern and its four remaining commits in their senior seasons. Check out how each of them did in this week's roundup.

It was another week of 5-0 football for Northwestern and its four remaining commits in their senior seasons. Check out how each of them did in this week's roundup.