Stock up, stock down for Northwestern’s 41-7 victory against Colorado
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After a strangely early bye week, Northwestern didn’t miss a beat against Colorado on Saturday, burying the Buffaloes by 34 points, riding Joe Himon II’s three touchdown catches, Aidan Chiles dominance as a dual-threat quarterback, and a takeaway-heavy defense that led to a lopsided win in the last game held at Martin Stadium.
Stock Up
Joe Himon II
Himon II could not be stopped Saturday. The graduate student compiled 74 yards against Colorado, with 46 of those coming off three catches. Himon finished the night with three touchdowns, all in the air, including a 25-yard streak where he had nothing but green grass around him. Himon had just 28 yards rushing on four carries, despite running 79 yards for a touchdown, only to be called back for holding.
Aidan Chiles
Simply put, Chiles was incredible in his second-ever game with Northwestern. The transfer did it both in the air and on the ground, throwing for 241 passing yards on 17-for-21 passing (71%) and three passing touchdowns. He was also strong with his legs, picking up two more touchdowns on the ground. Chiles was advertised as a dual-threat quarterback coming into Evanston, and after two games, you certainly can’t argue against that.
Forcing Turnovers
Northwestern’s defense was at it again, forcing some crucial turnovers that led to Wildcat points. The ‘Cats forced four turnovers in the first half via two recovered fumbles and an interception, leading to 17 of Northwestern’s 41 points. The defense also held strong as Colorado tried every angle to find life, going for it on 4th down three times and getting stopped short each time. Even more impressive, the Buffaloes led the Wildcats in total net yards for much of the game, but turnovers proved to be Colorado’s undoing on Saturday.
Honorable Mentions: Red zone efficiency, Griffin Wilde
Stock Down
Run Defense
As much as things went right for the defense, the run defense did not. The ‘Cats allowed 180 rushing yards on Saturday. Luckily, a lot of the Wildcat mistakes that allowed for big gains on the ground were undone by Colorado themselves, with two fumbles falling into the hands of a Wildcat, including when the Buffaloes were knocking on the door of a touchdown in the first quarter before LB Braydon Brus scooped it up at the Northwestern 17-yard line.
Penalty Discipline
Despite the lopsided score, Northwestern didn’t do itself any favors with the flags. The Wildcats committed eight penalties that gave Colorado an extra 60 yards. The most excruciating came in the first quarter, when Himon ran nearly 80 yards to the end zone and was called back for holding on WR Ricky Ahumaraeze. While not a crucial mistake in the end, it’s something to watch moving forward.
Ezomo Oratokhai Injury
For the second game in a row, Northwestern suffered yet another devastating injury on their offensive line. After missing the season debut against South Dakota State due to injury, redshirt sophomore Ezomo Oratokhai exited the game in the first quarter after landing on his ankle. Oratokhai was visibly distraught as he left the field. David Braun said after the game that “we’ll know more in the coming days” regarding how it will affect Oratokhai’s availability.
Honorable Mentions:The weather, false starts
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