Northwestern is up next for Oregon football. A sneak preview
No time to wallow for Oregon’s coaches and players. There’s still lots of football left and against some pretty good teams.
That includes this coming weekend.
The Ducks (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten Conference) will host No. 18 Northwestern (6-1, 3-1) and former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 31.
Kelly, who is in his first season as offensive coordinator on coach David Braun’s staff, has the Wildcats humming. They are third in the Big Ten in total yards per game (435.6) and points (34.7) and are No. 2 in rushing yards per game (204.6).
Northwestern is coming off a 42-14 win against Rutgers, the fourth straight win for the Wildcats since a 29-23 loss to Indiana on Sept. 25.
The Ducks are coming off a 21-10 loss to Illinois that, barring a miracle, has ended their shot at making the College Football Playoff for a third straight season.
On Sunday, Oregon fired first-year offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer.
Here’s an early look at Northwestern.
Who is the Northwestern QB?
The Wildcats have a familiar face at quarterback in Aidan Chiles, who previously played at Oregon State and Michigan State. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound dual-threat senior has been unlocked by Kelly and is having the best season of his career.
Chiles has completed 117 of 164 passes for 1,617 yards and has 12 touchdowns to one interception. He’s also rushed for a team-leading nine touchdowns.
Last week against Rutgers he completed 19 of 25 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He is the only player in the country to have multiple games of at least three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns this season.
Other Northwestern offensive standouts
Junior wide receiver Griffin Wilde has 39 catches for 615 yards and four touchdowns. In the game against Rutgers on Saturday, he had nine receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Caleb Komolafe leads the Wildcats in rushing with 551 yards and five touchdowns on 88 carries. He also had a big game against Rutgers, rushing for 150 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries (11.5 yards per run). Joseph Himon II has been productive as well. He has 371 yards and three scores on 38 carries with an average of 9.8 yards per run.
Defensive standouts for Northwestern
Fifth-year Braydon Brus has been disruptive from his linebacker position, leading the team with 62 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and four sacks. He also has an interception and a fumble recovery. He is the conference co-leader in tackles and No. 2 in TFLs.
Safety Robert Fitzgerald, a second-team all-conference player in 2025, is second on the team with 49 tackles and has a team-leading two interceptions, though he has missed the last two games with an injury. Fitzgerald’s 9.0 tackles per game leads the Big Ten.
The last time the Ducks and Wildcats met
Oregon and Northwestern have played each other just two times, and never before at Autzen Stadium. The Wildcats beat the Ducks in Evanston, Ill., in 1974, and last season Oregon came out on top 34-14. Dante Moore was 16-of-20 passing for 178 yards and a touchdown, and Dierre Hill Jr. had a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter as the Ducks built a 31-0 lead. All of Northwestern’s points came in the fourth quarter after the Ducks pulled most of their starters.
Game time for Oregon football vs. Northwestern
- When: Saturday, Oct. 31
- Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
- Where: Autzen Stadium
How to watch Oregon football vs. Northwestern
- TV channel: No TV
- Streaming: Peacock
- Other viewing options:
- Radio: KUGN-AM (590), KUJZ-FM (95.3)
Betting line for Oregon football vs. Northwestern
Odds courtesy of BetMGM sportsbook as of Sunday, Oct. 25.
- Spread: Oregon by 3.5 points
- Over/under: 49.5
- Moneyline: Oregon -130, Northwestern +160
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com.
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This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Northwestern is up next for Oregon football. A sneak preview
Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.