After a disappointing season-opening loss to Michigan State last week, Northwestern will try to get back on track on Saturday against Indiana State (11 a.m., BTN).

Saturday is Heroes' Day at Ryan Field, and the Wildcats will honor first responders and commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Northwestern will wear purple helmets with an America flag in the N for the game.

The Sycamores (1-0) are an FCS program from the Missouri Valley Conference. Most Wildcat fans will remember the last time a lower-level opponent from the MVC came into Evanston: it was in Week 2 in 2016, when Illinois State stunned Northwestern and walked out with a 9-7 win.

Could lightning strike again on Saturday? Here are our staff's predictions.

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My take: Northwestern couldn’t handle Magic Johnson’s alma mater, and now they take on his rival, Larry Bird’s, alma mater. This season is off to an eerily similar start to 2016. Disappointing week one loss at home to a team from Michigan. Check. Week two at home against an FCS team who can be abbreviated to ISU. Check. All that remains to see is if Northwestern will fall to the Sycamores just as they did to the Redbirds.

The concern in this game is Northwestern’s defense. The Wildcats defense couldn’t stop a parked car last week, and it’s hard to imagine they could have gotten that much better in just one week. This is a very Northwestern game to lose. They come out flat and never recover. They’ve done it incessantly for years.

Fearless forecast: Indiana State 34 Northwestern 17

Confidence level: 10 (out of 10). Northwestern didn’t inspire much confidence with their performance last week. Indiana State is going to be hungry to knock off a Power Five team. This seems like a game, much like last week, where Northwestern coasts into the game and never recovers from a slow start.

My take: This game will be an open-and-shut case. The Wildcats should be completely focused on this matchup after a disappointing Week 1 and take care of Indiana State from the start. Northwestern will use this game to build confidence. Specifically on offense, they will take advantage of their speed on the outside in Bryce Kirtz and Stephon Robinson, Jr., to continue to make Hunter Johnson comfortable as the starter, and comfortable taking deep shots down the field.

Against Michigan State, outside of a long run by Evan Hull, the rushing attack was uninspiring. Look for that to change against the outmatched Sycamores, and for the trio of Hull, Anthony Tyus III and Andrew Clair to be increasingly effective as the defense wears down. Ideally, this is an opportunity for both the offense and defense to settle in and get back on track. Maybe the Sycamores sneak a score or two in with a big play, but there won’t be much more than that.

Fearless forecast: Northwestern 41 Indiana State 7

Confidence level: 10. The only chance that Indiana State would have in this game is if Northwestern was looking past it. The Michigan State loss should have the team locked in, and if that happens then this is a wrap.

My take: This is a no-win situation for the Cats. Win it by 40, and that's what you were supposed to do. Win by less than three scores and fans will be disappointed. Lose, and it's Armageddon. Beating the Sycamores isn't going to redeem last week's thumping, but it can enable the Cats to get their legs back under them.

More than the score, I'll be looking for the following on Saturday: Can the Cats just run the ball down the throat of the smaller Sycamores and their begging-to-be-pounded 3-2-6 alignment? Will the defense play disciplined football, fill their gaps and tackle well? Will the offense make big plays at will?

Fearless forecast: Northwestern 34 Indiana State 13

Confidence level: 8. I'm not sure about the score, but Northwestern will take care of business. Last week's loss embarrassed the Wildcats and eliminated any chance Indiana State may have had of pulling off the upset.