Northwestern

6–2 · 3–2 Big Ten · David Braun, 4th season

Lost to Oregon 34–26, Oct 31 · Next: vs No. 21 Iowa, Sat, Nov 7 · analysis

Best by position: quarterbacks · running backs · wide receivers · tight ends · defenders · kickers · punters

Against the closing line

Northwestern has beaten the line in 1 of its last 4, by 0.1 points a game. Over the season it’s 9.0 a game over, 7th of 136.

Of the 7 teams at 6–2 against a schedule this hard, Northwestern’s +9.0 is 2nd.

last 4

+0.1

before

+17.9

0102030

Oct 10, 2026 vs Ball State −3.5
Oct 17, 2026 @ Michigan State −4.5
Oct 24, 2026 vs Rutgers +12.5
Oct 31, 2026 @ Oregon −4.0

every game, with the line

Lately

Won 8 straight at homestreak

Sep 27, 2025 vs UCLA +3
Oct 4, 2025 vs Louisiana Monroe +35
Oct 18, 2025 vs Purdue +19
S Sep 5 vs South Dakota State +16
Sep 19 vs Colorado +34
Oct 2 vs Penn State +21
Oct 10 vs Ball State +31
Oct 24 vs Rutgers +28

the games, with the score

Northwestern has won 8 straight at home. Every game of it.
Date	Game	Result	Score
Sep 27, 2025	Northwestern vsUCLA	W	17–14
Oct 4, 2025	Northwestern vsLouisiana Monroe	W	42–7
Oct 18, 2025	Northwestern vsPurdue	W	19–0
Sep 5, 2026	Northwestern vsSouth Dakota State	W	34–18
Sep 19, 2026	Northwestern vsColorado	W	41–7
Oct 2, 2026	Northwestern vsPenn State	W	34–13
Oct 10, 2026	Northwestern vsBall State	W	45–14
Oct 24, 2026	No. 24 Northwestern vsRutgers	W	42–14

Covered 8 of its last 10 at homecount
- Nov 18, 2023 vs Purdue +5.5
- Sep 13, 2025 vs Oregon +5.5
- Sep 27, 2025 vs UCLA −3
- Oct 4, 2025 vs Louisiana Monroe +22.5
- Oct 18, 2025 vs Purdue +15.5
- S Sep 5 vs South Dakota State +3
- Sep 19 vs Colorado +30.5
- Oct 2 vs Penn State +24
- Oct 10 vs Ball State −3.5
- Oct 24 vs Rutgers +12.5
Beat 8 of its last 10 unranked opponentscount
- Nov 22, 2025 vs Minnesota +3
- Nov 29, 2025 @ Illinois −7
- Dec 26, 2025 vs Central Michigan +27
- S Sep 5 vs South Dakota State +16
- Sep 19 vs Colorado +34
- Oct 2 vs Penn State +21
- Oct 10 vs Ball State +31
- Oct 17 @ Michigan State +3
- Oct 24 vs Rutgers +28
- Oct 31 @ Oregon −8
Won 7 of its last 10count
- Nov 29, 2025 @ Illinois −7
- Dec 26, 2025 vs Central Michigan +27
- S Sep 5 vs South Dakota State +16
- Sep 19 vs Colorado +34
- Sep 25 @ Indiana −6
- Oct 2 vs Penn State +21
- Oct 10 vs Ball State +31
- Oct 17 @ Michigan State +3
- Oct 24 vs Rutgers +28
- Oct 31 @ Oregon −8

every kind

More at College Football Streak King

Against expected,

Against expected, this season, a game
a game	offense	defense
Points	+7.2 · 23rd	−6.2 · 30th
Total yards	+58 · 24th	+4 · 72nd
Touchdowns	+0.8 · 30th	−0.7 · 28th
Passing efficiency	+30.7 · 7th	−14.4 · 26th
3rd downs	+8.4% · 20th	+0.3% · 71st
Turnovers	−0.7 · 7th	+0.5 · 18th
Sacks	+0.3 · 99th	−0.5 · 99th
Penalty yards	−4.8 · 50th

Over (+) or under (−) what its opponents usually allow, a game, and where that stands among 136 teams, the best first. Lit is the top ten or the bottom ten. Penalty yards read against the league’s mean, since nobody allows them.

every stat, every team

Northwestern’s splits

Rushing yards, at home / away last 25 games

Seasons

2026 6–2
2025 7–6
2024 4–8
2023 8–5
2022 1–11
2021 3–9
2020 7–2
2019 3–9
2018 9–5
2017 10–3
2016 7–6
2015 10–3
2014 5–7
2013 5–7
2012 10–3
2011 6–7
2010 7–6
2009 8–5
2008 9–4
2007 6–6
2006 4–8
2005 7–5
2004 6–6
2003 6–7
2002 3–9
2001 4–7
2000 8–4
1999 3–8
1998 3–9
1997 5–7
1996 9–3
1995 10–2
1994 3–7–1
1993 2–9
1992 3–8
1991 3–8
1990 2–9
1989 0–11
1988 2–8–1
1987 2–8–1
1986 4–7
1985 3–8
1984 2–9
1983 2–9
1982 3–8
1981 0–11
1980 0–11
1979 1–10
1978 0–10–1
1977 1–10
1976 1–10
1975 3–8
1974 3–8
1973 4–7
1972 2–9
1971 7–4
1970 6–4
1969 3–7
1968 1–9
1967 3–7
1966 3–6–1
1965 4–6
1964 3–6
1963 5–4
1962 7–2
1961 4–5
1960 5–4
1959 6–3
1958 5–4
1957 0–9
1956 4–4–1
1955 0–8–1
1954 2–7
1953 3–6
1952 2–6–1
1951 5–4
1950 6–3
1949 4–5
1948 8–2
1947 3–6
1946 4–4–1
1945 4–4–1
1944 1–7–1
1943 6–2
1942 1–9
1941 5–3
1940 6–2
1939 3–4–1
1938 4–2–2
1937 4–4
1936 7–1
1935 4–3–1
1934 3–5
1933 1–5–2
1932 3–4–1
1931 7–1–1
1930 7–1
1929 6–3
1928 5–3
1927 4–4
1926 7–1
1925 5–3
1924 4–4
1923 2–6
1922 3–3–1
1921 1–6
1920 3–4
1919 2–5
1918 2–2–1
1917 5–2
1916 6–1
1915 2–5
1914 1–6
1913 1–6
1912 2–3–1
1911 3–4
1910 1–3–1
1909 1–3–1
1908 2–2
1905 8–2–1
1904 8–2
1903 10–1–3
1902 6–6
1901 8–2–1
1900 7–2–3
1899 7–6
1898 9–4–1
1897 5–3
1896 6–1–2
1895 6–5
1894 4–5
1893 2–5–3
1892 6–4–2

Method

Against the line is each game’s points of margin less what the closing line expected, from College Football Streak King’s lines. A game nobody lined sits out, and a push hasn’t beaten it. Lately is the last 4 games with one.
A schedule this hard means the mean rating of the opponents it’s played is within 5.2 points of the team’s, two thirds of a standard deviation of the league’s schedules, and a rating is what the season’s games say about a team’s margin against an average team. The teams beside it have its record.
Against expected is each game against what the opponent usually gave up in its other games, with half the home edge, averaged. A game against a team with no other game here sits out.
Passing efficiency is the NCAA’s passer rating. Turnovers on offense are the ones it lost, and on defense the ones it forced. Sacks on offense are the ones its quarterbacks took, and they start in 2024.