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The Northwestern Wildcats football team has gained national attention leading up to their Sept. 5 home opener against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, a game that has taken on special significance for head coach David Braun. 

Braun cautioned against the Wildcats looking too far ahead last week during a round of media interviews and appearances, preaching the importance of taking one game at a time leading up to the opening of the team's new stadium on Oct. 2 vs. Penn State. 

With the Wildcats' home opener against SDSU only 10 days away, preparation has started ramping up.

Northwestern defensive coordinator Tim McGarigle and his players are expected to have their hands full with a player who is gaining the attention of NFL scouts headed into the year: quarterback Chase Mason, who has the size, skills and production that could make him attractive to several NFL teams in next year's NFL Draft. 

Chiles vs. Mason on Sept. 5

Sept. 5's game will pit two talented quarterbacks against each other in Aidan Chiles, who was recently named Northwestern's starter, and Chase Mason.

Chiles is hoping for a season of redemption after his career at Michigan State went sour and he was replaced by Alessio Milivojevic. 

At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Chiles has NFL size and a strong arm to go with it.

Opposing him will be Chase Mason, who has caused media to stand up and take notice ahead of his game against the Wildcats.

Mason, a native of Hurley, South Dakota, stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 240 pounds, reminding some of other small school stars who came from the same region like Josh Allen and Carson Wentz. 

"Is South Dakota State the team to beat this year in the FCS? North Dakota State is off to the FBS and defending champion Montana State's only FCS loss last year was to SDSU," journalist Rob Paul wrote about the Jackrabbits on X. 

Mason is up for a major FCS award after going 8-1 as a starter last year. 

"Mason…Is No. 28 on the Freaks List, too, after being clocked at 22.7 mph (running), vertical jumping 40", and throwing the ball 82 yards," Paul wrote of the Wildcats' Week 1 opponent, who is up for the Walter Payton Award as the FCS' most outstanding player on offense. 

"This is a dangerous game for the Wildcats, but no one knows more about how elite FCS teams are than HC David Braun — Who came from one himself," Louie Vaccher of Wildcat report added on X. 

Fitzgerald Leads Wildcats Defense

McGarigle's defense will be led by Bednarik Award Watch List (for the nation's best defensive player) member Robert Fitzgerald, who had 115 combined tackles last season including four tackles for loss. 

Big Ten Network host Dave Revsine noticed that the Wildcats defense was not getting the better of the offense as often as he had seen in previous years, which could read as a bad omen heading into the team's matchup with Mason. 

The Wildcats offense is expected to be much improved this season, which could explain the discrepancy Revsine saw. 

Mason will present a challenge similar to Chiles in Week 1, and could represent one of the best offensive players the Wildcats play all season regardless of division.

Expect the Wildcats to be favored leading up to the game, and on upset alert, as Sept. 5 continues to draw near. 

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