An offense that needed rescuing
Northwestern averaged 23.4 points and 346.1 yards per game last season. Neither number belongs to a team with ambitions, and the response was to hire one of the more restless offensive minds available.
Chip Kelly arrives as first-year coordinator after head coaching stops at Oregon, UCLA and in the NFL. The Wildcats open against South Dakota State on Saturday night at Martin Stadium in Evanston, their temporary home while the renovated Ryan Field waits for its October 2 unveiling.
“You get excited to come here every day because the people in this building get you excited about being around them,” Kelly said. “You want to be around them. They’re good people, and they have the same shared common goal.”
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Chiles takes the job, Wilde faces his old school
Aidan Chiles won the quarterback competition and starts on Saturday. He brings 20 starts across two seasons at Michigan State, plus a spell as an Oregon State backup, and David Braun singled out his “consistency” and “comfort” when explaining the decision.
His most obvious target has a story of his own. Griffin Wilde spent his first two college seasons at South Dakota State before transferring, then made third-team All-Big Ten with 880 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He lines up against the Jackrabbits on Saturday.
The running back room mixes continuity with recruitment. Caleb Komolafe returns after 941 yards and 11 touchdowns, alongside transfer Gavin Sawchuk.
South Dakota State are not the usual opener
The Jackrabbits already have a game on the board, and it was a demolition. They beat visiting Stetson 70-7 last Saturday, rushing for 393 yards at 8.7 per carry. James Basinger and Corey Blair each passed 100 yards on the ground and combined for three scores. Quarterback Chase Mason found Jack Smith for a 73-yard touchdown on the first snap of the game.
“We’re going to be pumped for next week,” Mason said. “Every week, it’s a nameless and faceless opponent, so we’re just planning on executing our game plan, what the coaches do, and trust in that.”
An FCS side that scored 70 points meets a Big Ten side that managed 23.4 a week. Kelly has a fortnight of goodwill and one evening to justify it.
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