The 3-2-1 heading into the offseason

Here are three things we learned from the Las Vegas Bowl, two questions we have moving forward and one bold prediction about the future as the Wildcats head into the first offseason of the David Braun era.

1. Ben Bryant put on the cape.

Ben Bryant only started nine games in a Northwestern uniform, but he forever etched a place in Wildcat history on Saturday night in Las Vegas with a performance that could only be described as heroic in a 14-7 win over Utah.

After dominating much of the game, Northwestern's defense showed some chinks in their armor when Utah's Micah Bernard scored with 12:38 remaining in the game to knot the score at seven. To make matters worse, on Northwestern's ensuing drive, Bryant scrambled for a gain of nine yards but hit his head hard on the turf and had to come out of the game.

To everyone watching, it seemed like Bryant's night, and college career, was over. But, like Superman emerging from a phone booth, Bryant came out of the medical tent for Northwestern's next drive.

And he didn't miss a beat.

After an incompletion on first down, Bryant lofted a ball downfield despite a rusher in his face and AJ Henning made a beautiful diving catch for a 34-yard gain to the Utah 19. On the next play, Bryant floated a ball to the end zone and Bryce Kirtz ran underneath it despite being held early in his route. Just like that, Northwestern had gone from having no momentum and playing with a third-string quarterback, to up seven and in the driver's seat.

Bryant's heroics weren't done there. After a fourth-down stop from Northwestern's defense, the Wildcats needed one more first down to seal the win. After a pair of Cam Porter runs netted only three yards, offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian dialed up a screen that was blown up by the Utah defense. Bryant, hardly known for his running ability, took off, and, after a head-first dive, he had a first down and a win secured. He gingerly walked off the field holding his shoulder after another hard fall; he had, literally, left it all out there for his team at Allegiant Stadium.

Replacing Bryant will be near the top of Northwestern's offseason to-do list, if not No. 1 on the list. Northwestern will miss not only Bryant's ability and production, but maybe even more so his competitive fire and knack for making big plays when his team needed them most.

2. Northwestern's defense had one final masterpiece up their sleeve.

In head coach David Braun's last game pulling double-duty as the defensive coordinator, his unit played maybe their best game of the season. The Wildcat defense was in complete control for the entirety of the game on Saturday.

Utah didn't score in the first three quarters and netted only 211 yards of offense. Only 73 of those came through the air.

Northwestern also forced three turnovers, increasing their turnover margin to +13, the third-best in all of college football. Jaheem Joseph, who was starting in place of the injured Coco Azema, picked off a pair of first-half passes from Utes' quarterback Bryson Barnes. Early in the third quarter, Xander Mueller ripped the ball free from Utah running back Jaylon Glover and the loose ball was jumped on by Rod Heard II.

The improvement in turnover margin for the Cats was maybe the biggest reason for the massive improvement in the win column from 2022 to 2023. Last season the Wildcats struggled their way to a -19 turnover margin, dead last in America, and finished 1-11. The +32 swing this season was the largest in the nation and propelled Northwestern to its 8-5 final record.

In addition to turnovers, Northwestern's D came up with a pair of huge fourth-down stops in the final minutes of the game. After Bryant's injury, Utah had mounted a bit of a drive and faced fourth-and-2 from the Wildcat 47-yard line. The Utes handed it to Glover going right, but senior leader Bryce Gallagher came flying downhill and met Glover at the line of scrimmage to get the Cats the ball back and set up the game-winning drive.

On Utah's final possession, the Utes had a fourth-and-3 from Northwestern's 38-yard line. Barnes tried to find Money Parks at the sticks, but Garnett Hollis Jr. got his hand on the ball and sealed one final stop for a defense that had carried the team all night, and all season.

3. An improbable season ended on a high note.

It's hard to truly put into words Northwestern's 2023 season. After the disastrous results on the field of the last two seasons and the turmoil of the summer, Vegas' preseason win total of 2.5 seemed apt. Fittingly, Northwestern put their final stamp on proving everyone outside the program wrong in Sin City on Saturday.

Northwestern won twice as many games this season as they had in the previous two years combined, and they did it on the back of a tight-knit locker room that never backed down from the numerous challenges that were thrown their way.

"I'm never going to forget about this season," Joseph said. "We stuck together, honestly. A lot of people say that, but we showed it."

Maybe the most stark example of the Wildcats' bond was their 21-point comeback win against Minnesota in late September. It seemed like Northwestern was barreling towards a third lopsided loss in four games, but a furious fourth-quarter rally led to one of the best comeback wins in Ryan Field history and turned the season around. It was hard not to notice the change in attitude around the program after that game. The team played with more confidence and fans started to believe this season could be a lot different than the previous two.

Now Braun and Northwestern are tasked with building on all the positives that came from the 2023 season. Braun, in his first offseason as a head coach, will have to replace key players who are out of eligibility, and departing staff members.

What will never be replaced are the bonds and memories created in 2023.

"Tonight is going to feel great, but at some point that stuff fades away," Braun said after the win. "What doesn't fade are the friendships you forge forge in that locker room, the relationships you forge with your coaches. Those are lifelong."

1. How many staff changes will Braun make?

After the game, Braun declined to confirm reports from ESPN's Sean McDonough that offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian would be let go after the conclusion of the Las Vegas Bowl, and that linebackers coach Tim McGarigle would be promoted to defensive coordinator. While Braun would not provide complete certainty, it is incredibly likely both those moves will be made, especially after DC target North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz opted to become the linebackers coach at USC.

A number of other changes could be in store, especially on offense, if there is indeed a coordinator switch. Holdovers such as offensive line coach Kurt Anderson and tight ends coach Jeff Genyk are the most likely departures. On defense, safeties coach Matt MacPherson could opt to depart after coaching under former head coach Pat Fitzgerald since 2006 and being named in a hazing lawsuit, and defensive assistant DJ Vokolek will likely look for a more defined role, whether that be at Northwestern or elsewhere.

Off the field, Braun lost two of his three recruiting directors since the summer and has talked about eliminating the director of player personnel position and reorganizing the recruiting staff. He could also make more changes off the field in the strength and conditioning department, an area where Northwestern has seemingly lagged behind its peers in recent years.

Braun will have no shortage of decisions to make in the immediate aftermath of putting a bow on the 2023 season, but they will all allow him to start to shape the program to align more closely with his vision.

2. Who steps up to fill vacated roles on offense?

Northwestern was a veteran-laden team this season and could lose a large number of contributors if players opt not to use all of their remaining eligibility.

Two key cogs of the 2023 offense that are out of eligibility are Bryant and leading receiver Cam Johnson.

Bryant finished his sixth and final season of college football competing 62.5% of his passes for 1,807 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also added a quartet of rushing scores.

Johnson, likewise in his sixth season, paced the Wildcats with 54 catches, 715 yards and six touchdowns, including one in each of the last five games of the season.

Replacing both Bryant and Johnson will be essential to giving Northwestern's offensive coordinator, whoever it is, a fighting chance to field a competent operation in 2024.

On the roster, the leading candidate to replace Bryant is Brendan Sullivan, who went 2-2 in four starts in 2023. Across 13 games (eight starts) the last two seasons, Sullivan has completed 68.7% of his attempts for 1,303 yards, 10 touchdowns and five picks. Known as more of a runner than Bryant, he's run for 257 yards and three scores. Sullivan showed flashes at times in 2023 of potentially being a viable replacement for Bryant, but also struggled immensely to get the offense moving at other junctures. The Wildcats are expected to bring in a QB from the portal to compete for the starting job.

As for replacing Johnson, the leading in-house candidate is Frank Covey IV. The suburban native suffered an injury in the Cats' season-opening loss to Rutgers, and finally was able to return in the regular season finale against Illinois. Covey didn't record any stats in his true freshman season, but showcased quickness and strong route running ability as an early enrollee in the spring and was someone Northwestern's coaches were excited about before most of his season was lost to injury. Covey has the inside track to be a starter when 2024 rolls around.

Of course, Northwestern will also look to the transfer portal, where they picked up both Bryant and Johnson, for potential replacements on offense.

Kenny Soares Jr. is the next great Northwestern linebacker.

Historically, linebacker is a position where Northwestern has had some of its strongest players. From Pat Fitzgerald to Napoleon Harris to McGarigle, and then Anthony Walker Jr. to Paddy Fisher, to the Gallagher brothers and Mueller, it's something of a tradition to have strong linebacker play in Evanston.

Despite not playing a ton of snaps in 2023, redshirt freshman Kenny Soares Jr. showed he has what it takes to be the next in line. Soares made 37 total tackles and dragged the quarterback down twice for sacks. He also recovered a fumble back in September against Rutgers. He flashed his versatility all season, looking comfortable both in coverage and being used as a speed rusher on obvious passing downs

Soares saved his best game for the finale in Vegas. He made a career-best seven tackles, including his first quarter sack in the Cats' win.

Both Gallagher and Mueller are seniors with remaining eligibility, but if they choose to move on, Soares will have a lot of responsibility on his plate. He showed Saturday that he's ready.