Northwestern’s Late Offensive Push Helps Defeat South Dakota State

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It wasn't always pretty, but the Wildcats finished strong to close out their home opener with a win. Northwestern (1-0) took down South Dakota State (1-1), 34-18, on Saturday night.

Aidan Chiles impressed in his Northwestern debut, recording 273 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 18 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Griffin Wilde was a reliable target, recording 104 yards on three receptions.

The Wildcats’ offense finished the night with 497 total yards, including 224 on the ground, as Northwestern’s rushing attack consistently created big plays throughout the game.

NU's strong offensive showing marked an impressive start to a new era under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, with the Wildcats finding production both through the air and on the ground.

The game opened with an aggressive defensive start from Northwestern. South Dakota State began with the ball, but linebacker Braydon Brus brought down the quarterback for a sack on the Jackrabbits’ opening drive, forcing them to punt and giving the Wildcats an early defensive stop.

Chiles and the Northwestern offense took over at their own 18-yard line and needed just two plays to find the end zone. 

On the first play of the drive, Chiles connected with wide receiver Griffin Wilde for a 71-yard gain, setting the Wildcats up deep in South Dakota State territory. One play later, Chiles found tight end Alex Honig for an 11-yard touchdown to give Northwestern an early 7-0 lead. The Wildcats needed just 44 seconds to complete the two-play scoring drive.

The Jackrabbits followed their opening possession with another punt, giving Northwestern’s defense back-to-back stops to start the game. 

On South Dakota State’s third drive, defensive back Damon Walters stepped in front of a pass from Chase Mason for an interception, giving the Wildcats another early takeaway. Northwestern’s defense continued to show the aggressive playstyle that helped define the unit last season.

South Dakota State eventually began to move the ball down the field, but the Jackrabbits settled for a 21-yard field goal from Ryan Harrington, cutting Northwestern’s lead to 7-3 with 10:50 remaining in the second quarter.

Both teams traded field goals and Northwestern held a 10-6 advantage going into the break.

The Wildcats’ first offensive drive of the second half was overshadowed by a scary moment, when center Jackson Carsello was stretchered off the field after receiving medical attention.

Northwestern responded by putting together another scoring drive. Chiles connected with Drew Wagner for 22 yards before finding Luke Dehnicke for a 35-yard gain, setting up  Caleb Komolafe for a seven-yard touchdown run. The score pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 17-9 with 7:13 remaining in the third quarter.

A well-executed drive by Chase Mason and the Jackrabbits ended with another field goal from Harrington. The 26-yard kick gave Harrington all of South Dakota State’s points through three quarters as the Jackrabbits entered the fourth quarter trailing Northwestern, 17-12.

The field-goal battle continued in the fourth quarter as Jackson Kleather drilled a 38-yard field goal to extend Northwestern’s lead to 20-12 with 13:32 left.

A sloppy Northwestern drive that featured three penalties gave South Dakota State an opportunity to cut into the Wildcats’ lead. 

The Jackrabbits capitalized as Josiah Johnson found the end zone for a touchdown. However, South Dakota State’s two-point attempt was intercepted by Walters. The pick kept Northwestern in front, 20-18, with 8:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Chiles gave Northwestern some breathing room with his legs, keeping the ball on a read-option play and racing 14 yards for a touchdown. The score extended the Wildcats’ lead to 27-18 with 4:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Harrington missed his first field-goal attempt of the game from 38 yards, giving Northwestern possession with 1:27 remaining and the Wildcats leading 27-18.

Northwestern quickly capitalized on the missed kick, as Joseph Himon II broke free for an 80-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Wildcats ahead 34-18. The explosive run sealed the season-opening victory for Northwestern, which moves to 1-0 on the season.

The Wildcats will now shift their focus to their next matchup, when they take on Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT.

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