Northwestern’s season has undoubtedly been about ups and downs. From suffering a crushing defeat to Group of Five power Tulane, to coming out of Beaver Stadium with a win, to suffering a three-game losing streak, the Wildcats’ (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) postseason chances have never been certain. Down by 15 in the third quarter against Minnesota on Saturday, NU decided to put any chatter to bed, mounting a comeback led by a perfect second-half passing performance from graduate student quarterback Preston Stone to clinch its sixth win of the season. “So excited for our guys, for this program, for our fan base, to be bowl eligible,” coach David Braun said postgame. “One of the goals that we do talk about is dominating in the postseason.” With Saturday’s win, Braun became the first coach in program history to earn bowl eligibility in two of his first three seasons. With Braun as an interim coach in 2023, the expectation for the team from outside the program was likely not a good one. Yet, he defied the odds and led the ’Cats to an eight-win season and a Las Vegas Bowl victory. 2024 proved to be a more difficult challenge, as NU only earned half as many wins as the year prior. So, Braun loaded up his squad with key transfers in Stone and junior wide receiver Griffin Wilde, who played instrumental roles in clinching bowl eligibility in the program’s first win at Wrigley Field. Stone completed 25 of his 30 pass attempts for 305 yards and two touchdowns. Wilde was on the receiving end of a good bunch of those throws, hauling in 11 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. While it wasn’t a perfect game, and Braun acknowledged that there is still work to do, he said getting to six wins and going to a bowl game feels good. “We have been tireless in just trying to continue to push the needle of how we can continue to grow as a football program in this new landscape,” Braun said. “We got a lot of work to do, but ultimately we only get one opportunity with this group of young men, and the validation that you’re talking about, securing a bowl game, you can’t understate that.” For junior defensive lineman Michael Kilbane, earning the validation of postseason play is the product of setting the standard in January and upholding it through November. He said “everything” went into this, including having great leadership on the team. To see this come into fruition is quite the sight for the NU veteran. The moment doesn’t just mean something for NU’s players and coaches. It is also an emotional accomplishment for their families. Braun said postgame that anyone working in college football wouldn’t be able to do that without “an absolute warrior at home.” For the ’Cats’ skipper, that person is his wife. “This time of year, I’m sure there’s a lot of days she feels like a single parent,” Braun said. “We do this together, we do it as a family, and when you get to share those moments. words can’t express it effectively, but what I will tell you is there’s no way that I could do what I do without Kristin Braun being just the ultimate teammate in all this.” Before the ’Cats go live out their postseason dreams, another test awaits in Champaign, Illinois. On Nov. 29, NU will go head-to-head with rival Illinois for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Even with Saturday’s noise, Braun hasn’t lost sight of the end goal. “We’ve got to carry this momentum and make sure that we finish what we started with this group,” Braun said. “I couldn’t be happier for our players, especially our seniors and our leadership.” Email: [email protected] X: @adub_sports Related Stories: Rapid Recap: Northwestern 38, Minnesota 35 Football: Former Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka brings ‘calm demeanor’ to NFL interim coaching job.
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2025/11/23/lateststories/football-braun-shores-up-second-bowl-bid-in-3-seasons/
Football: Braun shores up second bowl bid in 3 seasons
