Bleav in Northwestern

It’s mailbag week! You’ve got questions, the Bleav in Northwestern podcast has answers. To help go through the questions, Zach is joined by Wildcat Report’s Matt Shelton and the pair covers a number of topics in football and men’s basketball. Was Nebraska the most disappointing loss of David Braun’s tenure? Is Preston Stone not what we all thought he was? Will Northwestern still make a bowl game? What will Chris Collins’s lineup be on opening night? Who’s the x-factor for basketball this season? Zach and Matt cover all of these questions and more on this week’s episode.

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Northwestern improved to a shocking 5–2 by dominating Purdue in the final game at the lakeside stadium this past weekend, setting up a showdown with Nebraska in Lincoln. Zach begins by lauding the defense for its effort in the shutout of the Boilermakers, particularly pointing to the defensive line’s dominance (1:44). He then explains why this was Preston Stone’s worst game since Oregon, but why the offense has been able to maintain some momentum during this four-game win streak. Next, he touches on the end of an era for Northwestern’s temporary stadium (21:11) before breaking down what he’s seen from a vulnerable Nebraska team. Finally, he makes his predictions and pick for this Saturday’s showdown.

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Anything is possible! Northwestern went on the road and downed a reeling Penn State team with a complete team performance on Saturday for one of the program’s most shocking wins of the past decade. Zach breaks down the game, lauding Preston Stone for his best game as a Wildcat and Zach Lujan for his masterful game plan (1:15). He then emphasizes NU’s resiliency and how David Braun rallied his guys after an up-and-down start to the season (9:48). Finally, he goes over the defense’s complete team effort and the one area of improvement for the ‘Cats (17:38) before contextualizing what this win means for the program and for the future of Braun and the coaching staff (25:43).

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Northwestern dominated its homecoming opponent, Louisiana-Monroe, last weekend and Zach was boots on the ground to witness another stride forward the Wildcats. Andrew Bowen and Henry Ettinger, former WNUR Sports broadcasters who were at the game alongside Zach, join the show to discuss their thoughts on the penultimate game at the lakeside stadium (2:15) before emphasizing what they liked about the offense’s showing and the playcalling on Saturday (6:28). They debate whether or not they should be concerned about the defense after the Warhawks’ opening drive and second-half comeback attempt from UCLA, before diving in on Penn State (17:51). The trio breaks down what’s happening with the Nittany Lions and makes picks for Northwestern’s trip to Happy Valley (23:15).

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Northwestern escaped a second-half scare against UCLA to nab its second win of the season and first against an FBS opponent. Zach breaks down what he liked about the Wildcats, starting with the offense’s ball control and Caleb Komolafe’s career day (1:30). He then pivots to discuss what allowed the Bruins to climb back into the game, laying the blame on the coaches for their confounding approach to putting the game away (16:57). He then defends the defense from criticism, takes a look at Anto Saka’s production and makes a score prediction for Northwestern’s homecoming game against Louisiana Monroe (28:52).

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Coming out of the bye week, Northwestern is back at home against UCLA—a program navigating significant upheaval and off to an even worse start than the Wildcats. USA Today reporter and Bleav in UCLA Football podcast host James H. Williams joins Zach on the show to break down the Bruins, beginning with the recent firing of head coach Deshaun Foster and why the program has struggled to adjust to the start of a new era in the Big Ten (2:35). The two then discuss UCLA’s on-field product in 2025, starting with the underwhelming play of highly touted transfer QB Nico Iamaleava, the lack of support around him and an inconsistent defense (22:54). Zach then helps provide context for Northwestern’s 1–2 start, focusing on the mistake-ridden football of Preston Stone and the lack of early production for a well-regarded defensive line (44:49). Finally, the pair makes their predictions for the final score (1:02:30).

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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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