The first quarter of the 2025 season is in the books and Northwestern finds itself at 1–2 going into the bye with two major losses against College Football Playoff hopefuls Tulane and Oregon. Wildcat Report’s Matt Shelton joins Zach on the show to discuss whether it’s time to panic about the Wildcats and what fans can reasonably expect over the final nine games. The pair focuses in on the biggest issues, from wide receiver depth to Preston Stone’s costly mistakes, and determines whether or not Northwestern has met expectations, while dissecting just how hard it is to assess the season given the lopsided nature of all three games. Finally, they evaluate Zach Lujan’s performance to start his second campaign as OC and point to some of the positives that could help rally the program in the coming weeks.

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Northwestern flipped the script from an unsavory opener to dominate Western Illinois back at home in Evanston in Week 2. But unfortunately, the Wildcats lost Cam Porter for the season with an injury in the win and Adam Beck of WNUR Sports joins Zach to discuss the impact of the news (2:23). Then, they turn to the good news, discussing what they liked about Preston Stone’s rebound from the Tulane debacle and how there are still positives to be taken, even in a game against an FCS team (11:24). Finally, the pair looks ahead to the difficult task at hand against Oregon, breaking down what the Ducks have done this season with Dante Moore behind center and what about the CFP contender worries them most (24:09). Plus, they make picks and predictions for Saturday’s game.

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Northwestern got off to a horrid start to the 2025 football season on Saturday, losing 23–3 on the road to Tulane. Zach breaks down what went wrong, beginning with Preston Stone’s five-turnover day in his first start as a Wildcat (2:10). He also goes over the expected struggles from the pass-catchers and the unexpected ones of the defense (16:33). Finally, he addresses the uniform drama that emerged postgame and discusses whether Northwestern fans should expect more of the same in the coming months (27:20).

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Let’s play some football. Northwestern goes on the road to face Tulane in the 2025 season opener and Zach is joined by Green Wave sideline reporter Maddy Hudak to talk about the Week 1 matchup. The pair begins by taking a look back at Tulane’s 2024 season before breaking down the Green Wave’s ongoing quarterback competition (2:08). Then, they discuss how Tulane reloaded in the transfer portal in other areas on offense while also adding eye-popping depth along the defensive line (11:54). Finally, Zach and Maddy name their keys to the game for each team and make their final score predictions (25:15).

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College football has arrived! Northwestern is set to play Tulane to kick off the 2025 season, so it’s time to make some predictions. Gavin Dorsey, lead writer for Northwestern Wildcats on SI, joins Zach on the show to make a number of projections about the upcoming year, beginning with how much pressure head coach David Braun and offensive coordinator Zach Lujan should feel coming into Week 1 (2:45). Then, they pivot to talking about the roster, naming their MVPs and x-factors on both offense and defense, while touching on what units might give the ‘Cats problems this season (25:38). Finally, the pair makes definitive predictions for Northwestern’s final record and delves into the pecking order of the Big Ten at large before picking conference champions (54:57).

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Zach opens up the mailbag for a series of questions about Northwestern football’s outlook during the 2025 season, from the hope Preston Stone brings to the offense to the biggest pain point for the roster. He also projects which men’s basketball player will take the biggest leap and gives a rundown of how a trio of ex-Wildcats did in NBA Summer League.

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Northwestern took center stage at Big Ten media days in Las Vegas on Wednesday and head coach David Braun named SMU transfer Preston Stone the starting quarterback, well ahead of Week 1. Wildcat Report’s Matt Shelton, who was on hand in Vegas, joins Zach on the show to give insight into how the decision came to be and why Braun felt compelled to announce this so early (4:15). The two also discuss other story lines from media days, including how Northwestern views it group of skill players (15:20), how Braun has settled into his front-facing role as head coach (18:09) and what the program shared about its approach to the start of revenue-sharing in college sports (22:20). Finally, Matt gives the latest on Northwestern’s stadium ventures, headlined by the construction of the new Ryan Field (37:35).

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The summer may be just getting started but the Northwestern sports news cycle is still spinning. Zach begins by celebrating Brooks Barnhizer being the first Wildcat since 1999 to be selected in the NBA draft, talking about the achievement for both player and program and how Barnhizer might carve out a role with the defending NBA champs (2:59). He then talks about the sudden transfer addition of Gavin Frakes and how the move might shake up the quarterback room (15:35). Finally, he analyzes the recent pickups for the women's lacrosse team as Kelly Amonte Hiller pulled off one of the most impressive transfer hauls in the sport's history (27:18).

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From buzzer beaters to NCAA records to national championships, Zach and Northwestern Wildcats On SI lead writer Gavin Dorsey debate the five best moments of the year in Northwestern sports.

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

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For the fifth straight year, Northwestern lacrosse is headed back to the Final Four after getting past Michigan and Penn in the team's opening NCAA tournament matchups. Broadcaster Noah Coffman joins Zach on the show to discuss Madison Taylor breaking the single-season goals record and what went well in the second-round game against Michigan (3:40). Then, they pivot to talking about the third-quarter struggles for the 'Cats against Penn and why such a lapse will come back to bite the team against Boston College (15:01). Next, the pair previews the Final Four matchups against the defending champion Eagles and how Northwestern will try to limit BC's star attack trio, led by player of the year candidate Rachel Clark (27:59). Finally, they talk about NU softball scratching its way into the NCAA tournament and what the 'Cats chances might be in the Clemson regional (44:49).

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