A second-half slide nearly jeopardized what was poised to be a Northwestern win early on, but when it mattered most, the hosts held firm against UCLA.
The Wildcats (2-2, 1-1 Big Ten) jumped to a 17-0 lead by halftime, which slowly evaporated to a narrow three-point game late in the fourth quarter. With three minutes remaining in the game, the Bruins’ (0-4, 0-1 Big Ten) offense took the field with a chance to pull off a comeback.
On the first play of the visitors’ drive, redshirt junior safety Robert Fitzgerald met running back Jaivian Thomas in the backfield for a two-yard tackle-for-loss. That play set the tone for the remainder of the game, as NU’s defense made stops on UCLA’s final two drives. Fitzgerald led the ’Cats with nine tackles and said the team showed its strength by how it bookended the game.
“It shows us how resilient we are,” Fitzgerald said. “We got up on them early, and then they came back, and we found a way to win. That’s what it comes down to, finding a way to win, and that was a huge game for us.”
NU stopped the Bruins on both 3rd down attempts in the fourth quarter, including graduate student cornerback Ore Adeyi’s second pass breakup of the game to force a UCLA three-and-out with under two minutes left.
The Bruins found third-down success throughout the second and third quarters, converting 6-of-9 3rd down attempts in that span. Coach David Braun said the ’Cats need to find more answers defensively on third downs, but was encouraged by their ability to close out a game.
“That’s how you’ve got to win games in the Big Ten,” Braun said. “There’s gonna be close games in the fourth quarter, and our group showed today that they can do it, and we’re proud of them for that.”
NU dominated the line of scrimmage for much of the game, combining for 199 rushing yards compared to UCLA’s 131. Redshirt sophomore running back Caleb Komolafe had 27 carries for 119 yards, both career highs, and a touchdown. Redshirt junior running back Joseph Himon II also added 58 yards on the ground, including two carries of at least 20 yards.
The ’Cats’ first two drives of the second half bled out a combined 15:52 minutes of game clock, but resulted in no points. A 16-play, 67-yard fourth-quarter drive set Braun’s group up to take a 14-point lead with 7:48 remaining in the game, but graduate student kicker Jack Olsen’s 20-yard field goal was blocked.
NU had two more offensive possessions in the fourth quarter, each resulting in punts and gave the Bruins chances to score late in the one-possession game.
“We had an opportunity there in the second half to really pull away from a team and close out a football game and didn’t do that,” Braun said.
NU looked to be off to a strong drive to start the second half, including a 15-yard catch from junior wide receiver Griffin Wilde, before the offense stalled out, forcing a punt in UCLA territory.
Through the air, graduate student quarterback Preston Stone found a rhythm early through his connection with junior wide receiver Griffin Wilde. Stone completed 12-of-18 passes for 115 yards, including seven catches, 98 yards and a touchdown for Wilde.
“There were some sustained drives there in the second half that you’re really excited about the way that we’re moving the ball,” Braun said. “But whether it be a negative play or a penalty that just gets us out of rhythm, (those are things) to improve upon.”
Although the passing attack slowed down in the second half. Stone was very efficient to start the game. Stone closed the first half, completing 9-of-11 pass attempts, and finished the game with a season-high 12 rushing yards. While the ’Cats largely leaned on their run game in the second half, Stone’s final four passes resulted in incompletions.
“We weren’t capitalizing on opportunities when we had an advantageous look,” Stone said. “As we move forward, a big point of emphasis for us as an offense is when we’ve got them on their heels, we’ve got to keep our foot pinned on the gas and keep it rolling.”
NU will stay home Saturday to take on Louisiana-Monroe in its final non-conference game of the season, looking to climb above .500 after a 2-2 start.
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