Bleav in Northwestern

Northwestern football saw its hopes of making a bowl effectively come to an end over the weekend against Michigan and Inside NU's Adam Beck joins Zach to lament a rather disappointing season for the Wildcats. The two discuss how it's been to watch this team struggle to look competitive and maintain any consistency this season (2:23) while also breaking down the jobs done by head coach David Braun and Zach Lujan (9:07). They also revisit the decision to bench Mike Wright in favor of Jack Lausch and whether or not Northwestern will seek to stick with the latter going into 2025 (16:22). Next, they look ahead to the rivalry week game against Illinois and talk about what can be salvaged in a game against an impressive Illini team (23:35). The pair ends with their initial thoughts on the start of the Northwestern men's basketball season and how the team has navigated nonconference play thus far (37:25).

Northwestern football heads to Ann Arbor for a high-stakes matchup this weekend and Zach is joined by Aaron McMann of MLive.come to talk about the matchup. The pair begins by discussing the disappointing season for Michigan before getting into the Wolverines' 2024 quarterback carousel (2:20). Then, they point out the talented tandem in Michigan's backfield and how tight end Colston Loveland could be a matchup problem for the Wildcats (10:01). They pivot to the defense and discuss how much the unit has improved over the course of the season, even if it is a far cry from last year's national championship group (17:40). Finally, they go over their (eerily similar) keys to the game for each team and make predictions (24:50).

Zach took a trip to catch two Northwestern sporting events in less than 24 hours over the weekend, beginning with a narrow victory over Eastern Illinois for men's basketball. He talks about the scare the team got due to a poor second half on offense before lauding Jalen Leach for taking over in his first signature sequence as a Wildcat (1:46). Then, he discusses the end of game rotation for Chris Collins and what that might tell us about this team and stresses the importance of Brooks Barnhizer's return (8:28). Next, he pivots to football's loss to Ohio State, focusing on the lack of consistency and how that further separates Northwestern from the top teams in the Big Ten (14:44). He also dissects a strong start for the offense quickly getting sidetracked by self-inflicted mistakes (22:57). Finally, he discusses how Ohio State’s defense got much better over the course of the game while Northwestern’s defense struggled to keep the talented Buckeyes' skill players in check (30:19).

It's a massive sports weekend in Evanston (and at Wrigley Field) and Zach is joined by Big Ten Plus and ESPN+ broadcaster Noah Coffman to preview Northwestern field hockey ahead of the NCAA tournament. The two discuss what happened in the Wildcats' first and only loss of the season to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament (2:31) before talking about how Tracy Fuchs has turned this program into one of the most dominant in the country (8:53). Then, they pivot to breaking down the depth and key pieces on the roster (13:38) before previewing the bracket, including the looming presence of powerhouse North Carolina and the challenges awaiting the Wildcats ahead of the possible title matchup (18:19).

The Wildcats kicked off the men's basketball season with a bang, cruising past Lehigh in their opener on Monday. Zach overreacts to the game, discussing the identity of this year's team and highlighting the individual performances of Nick Martinelli, KJ Windham and more (1:26). Then, he welcomes on Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney to dive deeper into the biggest questions facing NU this season (16:15). The pair discuss how Brooks Barnhizer will lead the charge to replace Boo Buie and what exactly Leach brings to the table from his days at Fairfield (19:33). They also discuss the parity in the Big Ten and how the 'Cats stack up (28:27). Finally, Kevin gives his thoughts on where NU ranks nationally and where Chris Collins and co. might expect to be when it comes time for Selection Sunday (34:09).

Northwestern is back in the win column! The 'Cats overcame a never-say-die Purdue team and a number of self-inflicted mistakes to get their fourth win of the season and Zach is back to break down it all down. He begins with an overview of the game (1:29) before talking about how the running back pair of Joseph Himon II and Cam Porter revitalized NU's offense (6:45). Next, he discusses how Northwestern was able to get the most out of Jack Lausch (12:07) before critiquing some of the game management decisions made by the coaching staff (17:44). Finally, Zach touches on how the defense bent but didn't break against a surprising Purdue passing attack (22:28) and talks about how the game sets up NU for a difficult three-game stretch to end the year.

Wildcats basketball is finally here! Zach breaks down everything there is to know about this year's Northwestern team, beginning with a brief reflection on what Chris Collins and co. have been able to accomplish the last two seasons (2:30). Then, he goes deep on this year's roster, breaking down each and every player expected to be in the rotation and how they might make an impact after the departures of Boo Buie and Ryan Langborg (8:45). Next, he discusses some of the biggest questions surrounding this group, including whether or not there's enough shooting in the rotation or if the defense can be as competitive as it has been in years past (33:54). Finally, he dives into his predictions, including where the 'Cats will finish in the Big Ten and whether or not this Northwestern team will make a historic third NCAA tournament in a row (50:35).

Contact info—Twitter: @ZachKoons, Email: [email protected]

Northwestern dropped its fifth game of the season in disheartening fashion to Iowa Saturday and Zach takes a look at how this program got to the brink of bowl elimination. He begins by assessing the head-scratching coaching decisions made by David Braun and Zach Lujan, focusing on the lack of consistency and the uncertainty in the decisions (6:25). Then, he breaks down the play of Jack Lausch and how the young quarterback's development and growth doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction (22:55). After pointing to some numbers on the offense's futility (27:20), he pivots to the play of the defense (30:12) and the injuries that are plaguing a thin group (36:20). Finally, he looks ahead to the Purdue matchup on Saturday, pointing to a weak Boilermakers' defense that will give Northwestern's offense its best opportunity to get back on track (41:06).

Contact info—Twitter: @ZachKoons, Email: [email protected]

Northwestern (3–4) needs to quickly turn the page after a dreadful loss to Wisconsin, so Zach welcomes on KCRG TV-9’s Jack Lido to take a look at the 'Cats eighth opponent of the season: Iowa. The pair discuss how the Hawkeyes' season took a rather dour turn with a surprise loss at Michigan State (2:28), before diving in on some individual scouting reports—beginning with Iowa's QB Cade McNamara (13:00). Next, they talk about the impressive rise of running back Kaleb Johnson (20:06) and what's happened with a usually stout Kirk Ferentz defense (26:40). Finally, they move into discussing the various keys to the game for both teams coming off disappointing losses (37:20) and make their picks for the Saturday mid-afternoon showdown in Iowa City (42:46).

Northwestern heads back to Evanston for its final game of the season at the lakeside stadium against Wisconsin and Matt Perkins of the Bleav in Badgers podcast joins the show to give insight into Luke Fickell's program. He and Zach begin by discussing how Wisconsin has gained momentum over the last few weeks behind a strong rushing attack and the play of quarterback Braedyn Locke (1:58). They also discuss how the rest of the roster has improved to complement its quarterback, both on offense and defense (10:48). The pair pivots to discussing what expectations are for Wisconsin this season and going forward (18:40), before rounding out the show with their keys to the game for each team and, of course, picks (26:14).