Wildcats – COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOUR

September 30, 2023December 11, 2023

NORTHWESTERN – RYAN FIELD

Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois is known as the “Wrigley Field” of college football. It doesn’t quite have the history of the Cubs, but it boasts a very classic and old-school stadium atmosphere. For a while now, NU has been calling themselves Chicago’s Big Ten Team. Attempts to market this slogan are popping up around the city, and the evidence is beginning to show with more rumps in the seats in Evanston – perhaps because Chicagoans are slowly realizing that Northwestern is no longer The Big Ten’s little brother.

September 30, 2023December 11, 2023

Game #339: #9 Penn State @ Northwestern

A summer of tumult in Evanston set the football program on shaky ground. Hazing allegations resulted in the ousting of legendary head coach, Pat Fitzgerald and the hiring of interim coach, David Braun. However, the Wildcats have already exceeded expectations. After suffering a 12-game losing streak, Northwestern has notched impressive victories over UTEP and Minnesota. But, highly ranked Penn State stood as a formidable obstacle on this Saturday.

September 9, 2023September 20, 2023

KANSAS STATE – BILL SNYDER FAMILY STADIUM

Just about a two hour drive west of Kansas City lies Manhattan, Kansas. Playfully nicknamed The Little Apple, this vibrant college town is home to the Kansas State Wildcats. The epicenter of the athletic facilities is Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Named after the coach who resurrected K-State football into relevancy, “The Bill” is a rambunctious venue that explodes in purple.

November 5, 2022November 17, 2022

Game 326: #2 Ohio State @ Northwestern

Blustery conditions in Evanston became the best defense for Northwestern. It stifled the Buckeye passing game. The Wildcats took advantage of the home weather and with the wind behind their backs, they managed to score first thus stunning every onlooker. Along with struggles in the passing game, Ohio State also stumbled when working to move the ball on the ground. The 21-7 Buckeye victory urged many critics to ask the question, “What’s wrong with Ohio State?”
The answer is – nothing. The question is flawed because the Buckeyes are unfairly being compared to the juggernaut that they have created.

October 8, 2022October 10, 2022

Game 322: Wisconsin @ Northwestern

A week of turmoil ended blissfully for the Badgers, while Northwestern has now found themselves in a free fall.

In a stunning move six days prior to this game, the Badgers fired their successful head coach, Paul Chryst. Overall, Wisconsin has maintained a strong level of winning consistency. However, victories in the critical games have been a daunting hurdle, such as Big Ten title games or regular season games against Ohio State. When former Wisconsin head coach, Bret Bielema, brought his Illini into Camp Randall and decimated the Badgers, that became the final nail. Paul Chryst was on the chopping block.

October 30, 2021November 2, 2021

Game 310: Minnesota @ Northwestern

These Wildcats are not reminiscent of the 2018 and 2020 teams that won the Big Ten west. The defense has taken the hardest hit with the departure of their highly regarded defensive coordinator, Mike Hankwitz. The Gopher ground game would take advantage of Northwestern’s defensive rebuild all afternoon sending the purple closer to bowl ineligibility.

September 14, 2019September 19, 2019

Game 288: UNLV @ Northwestern

Two quick-strike rushing touchdowns from Charles Williams and a Chucky doll were the highlights for UNLV on Saturday. It was Northwestern’s moment to bounce back from a lackluster loss at Stanford two weeks ago. Clemson transfer QB Hunter Johnson scored his first career rushing and passing touchdown, thus injecting some hope into an offense full of questions. He did throw one interception, however, which prompted UNLV to introduce the world to Chucky.

December 1, 2018August 28, 2019

Game 284: #21 Northwestern vs. #6 Ohio State

The surprise of the Big Ten, Northwestern, took a rocky start to the season and transformed it into a Big Ten West title. Ohio State did what they do – reload and conquer. As Big Ten East champs, they were a heavy favorite to beat the Wildcats. A Rose Bowl prize awaited the victor as a packed Lucas Oil Stadium eagerly anticipated kickoff.

November 17, 2018January 20, 2019

KENTUCKY – KROGER FIELD

Even though Lexington lies on the northern portion of SEC country, southern flavor still lives strongly in Kentucky. The scenery toward Lexington is what one might expect with rolling hills giving way to fenced-in horse pastures. Fans tailgate around the stadium as sections of the Kentucky band visit random tailgates for a private show. The wide mass of fans dressed in blue moves like ocean waves toward Kroger Field to watch the band perform as the team makes their entrance during the pregame Catwalk. Kentucky’s band bangs out “Kentucky Fight” while fans welcome the team.

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November 17, 2018January 20, 2019

Game 282: Middle Tennessee @ #17 Kentucky

Wildcat enthusiasm took a huge hit as dreams of an SEC title game appearance evaporated with losses to Georgia and Tennessee. Kentucky has still produced a record setting season including its first win over Florida in 31 attempts. Senior day descended upon Lexington today with a deceptively tough Middle Tennessee team coming into Kroger Field and records that still needed breaking.