EVANSTON-Northwestern opened up their temporary stadium on Saturday in traditional, heart-racing style with a 13-6 win over Miami (Ohio).
After a first half where quarterback Mike Wright fumbled two snaps, including once on the goal line, they needed every bit of a dominant defensive performance that held Miami to six points with four sacks and two interceptions.
Even with three injured starters and safety Coco Azema missing the game's final possession with cramps, the Wildcats didn't miss a beat with their next-man-up mentality.
Miami's sixth-year senior quarterback Brett Gabbert threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Redshirt freshman Evan Smith, starting for the injured Ore Adeyi, struck first, snagging a Gabbert pass to cut off a promising drive with 12:45 left in the game.
Redshirt sophomore Robert Fitzgerald, rotating in throughout the game at nickel but playing safety after Azema was injured on a kick return, struck last, icing the game with 57 seconds left.
A three-yard rush from Cam Porter and a first-down scamper from quarterback Mike Wright left Wildcats 1-0.
Wright finished with 243 total yards and accounted for Northwestern's only touchdown on a 13-yard scamper early in the third quarter.
Here are our takeaways from Northwestern's opening win and virtuoso performance on defense.
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Wildcats win with inconsistent offense: You could almost hear the murmurs and grumbles as Northwestern headed into halftime with nearly as many lost fumbles as points: New year, new coach, new quarterback, same result.
Head coach David Braun wasn't fazed, telling his quarterback and coordinator to keep plugging away.
"Take a deep breath. We're moving the ball, we've got good things going, we just have self-inflicted wounds," Braun said. "Protect the football, stay ahead of the chains, don't hurt ourself and the rest will take care of itself."
With a quarterback battle just concluded, some coaches and fans would have pulled Wright, even after just a half. Not Braun.
"No," he answered succinctly on if there was any consideration of swapping in backup Jack Lausch.
Wright, under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Zach Lujan, heeded Braun's advice. He accounted for 58 of Northwestern's 62 yards, on the ground or in the air, in the touchdown drive to open the second half that put the Wildcats back in the lead for good.
Crisis averted, Wright was exuberant in the postgame presser. He owned the goal line fumble in full.
"That's called being too excited to score a touchdown," he said with a rueful grin. "We work center-quarterback exchange every single day. I could sit and argue all day that I had the ball [in the pile] but there's no point arguing that... Get the snap first, then go score, simple as that."
Wright was exceptional in the third quarter, throwing for 98 yards on 6-for-7 passing, as well as scrambling for a touchdown from 13 yards out.
The rest of his game was a mixed bag. He delivered early and often to graduate wide receiver Bryce Kirtz, who finished with six catches for 91 yards, but struggled to connect down the field, finishing with 178 yards in the air and 18-of-30 passing.
He finished as Northwestern's leading rusher with nine carries for 65 yards and the team's lone touchdown.
Braun is a coach of convictions and has been adamant about Wright, just as he was with Ben Bryant in 2023, even through he had a rocky start of his own. Wright won the game and lived to start another game.
Defense was elite: Miami hasn't been held to six or fewer points since they lost their 2023 opener, 38-3, to Miami (FL). Granted, this is a MAC program, but their offense is no slouch.
Gabbert is a seasoned operator, and the RedHawks returned plenty of players from their 11-3, 2023 MAC conference championship squad.
The Wildcats' defense essentially erased them from the field.
Twenty-two different Wildcats recorded tackles and Northwestern showcased its depth, even after season-ending injuries to projected starting cornerback Ore Adeyi and defensive end Richie Hagarty. The Wildcats' pass rush harried Gabbert all day long, sacking him four times, hurrying him twice and wrecking play after play.
Linebacker Mac Uihlein, occasionally spelled by redshirt sophomore Braydon Brus, was exceptional, finishing with five tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss.
"He embodies who we are as a program and a defense," Braun said. "He's so passionate, he plays so hard and he's a student of the game."
The secondary, filled with youth, was lockdown. The Wildcats continued to uphold the standard they set last season, now with Tim McGarigle as the defensive coordinator and play caller.
Braun pulled double duty as the defensive coordinator and head coach last season. But this year, he's only the head man, which will take some adjusting.
"There were times where I was honestly like, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing with myself," said Braun. "But I tried to be intentional, take notes and interject where I felt like I was bringing value without knocking those guys out of their rhythm...
"My position is about putting us in a position to succeed and maximize our team in the margins."
Have defense, will travel. There's plenty of uncertainty and room for improvement on offense, but if this Northwestern defense can show up every week they'll have a puncher's chance in almost any game they play.
Chicago becoming a sweet home for Wright: Northwestern's quarterback donned his second jersey of the day for his press conference: Justin Fields' Harrison High School Hoyas No. 1.
Wright and Fields both group up in Atlanta, but Wright said that he has made himself a home at Northwestern and welcomed his family to the Windy City this weekend.
"The city of Evanston and Chicago are beautiful," he said. "My mom is here, she's staying the weekend and we're going to tour the city. Shout out to Mom, we're gonna go driving around. I'm just excited to be here and I feel amazing right now.
"We could be having a totally different conversation right now, but we got the win, and that's the most important thing."
Despite just arriving in Evanston in May, the fifth-year college QB already feels comfortable in the locker room.
"It's really easy to make that transition when you're surrounded by great people," he said.
Wright's energy Is infectious and he spent the back half of his time at the podium trying to make Kirtz or the assembled journalists laugh, with a very high completion percentage.
A football season is just 12 games, now 11, and can be filled with epic highs and lows throughout. Wright's story has yet to be written, but it's obvious to see how much he's embraced his last season of college football, as well as the Wildcat program.
Northwestern tried to recruit Wright out of high school, but he wound up at Vanderbilt. Then, last year, the Wildcats reached out again before he transferred to Mississippi State.
The third time proved to be the charm.
