With only one game left in the 2024 campaign, Northwestern’s coach is looking to end the season in style.
Northwestern got WALLOPED in its trip to Ann Arbor, falling 50-6 to a Michigan squad that had been struggling offensively all season long. Even with a fifth win still possible, bowl eligibility is now just a mirage on the horizon. Despite that, the Wildcats are still hyper-focused on ending a disappointing campaign strong. To do so, Northwestern will have to topple No. 22 Illinois. Here’s everything David Braun had to say about the rivalry matchup at Wrigley Field.
Note: These quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Opening Statement: “I’ll start with a huge congratulations to Tracey Fuchs and women’s field hockey, bringing home another national championship. Incredible opportunity to celebrate Tracey’s program and all those young ladies that did such an amazing job this season. Sundays are long days for all football coaches. It was really neat to be be a part of welcoming them, that group back to Evanston last night. A lot of unique things, incredible things about this place, but to have a group of coaches, head coaches, our athletic director, our band, all part of welcoming Tracey and her team back last night was really special. National champs, excited for Tracey and her team.
Also excited for our team to bounce back after a tough afternoon on Saturday. The product we put on the field is not us. We have to be better. We have to make sure that we send this team, this group, out the right way and perform at a much higher level. And we’re gonna need to against a very good Illinois team. Very well-rounded, playing all three phases. Coach [Bret] Bielema has been doing it for a long time at a really high level. Does a great job of preparing this team and building his roster, that clearly shows up as you watch Illinois throughout the course of the year. Rivalry game, playing for the HAT. There’s a lot on the line. Most important part is making sure that in our last guaranteed opportunity together, that we send this group out the right way, and put a performance together that we’re all really proud of.”
On bouncing back from consecutive blowout losses: “I think it’s really in all areas. And at the end of the day, I mean, when you look at a performance like we experienced on Saturday, you can’t point at, you know, the offense or the defense or special teams. I mean, it was all encompassing, right? So, I mean, the only place to point is at me. How do we rebound? How do we respond? A lot of it comes down to playing complimentary football. We’ve talked about that before, but I think we saw some things spiral with an inability to get off the field on third down defensively. Not allowing our offense more opportunities to get into rhythm. When you only have, I think, 48 gradable snaps on the offensive side of the ball, that’s not a recipe for for a good day. And defensively, we didn’t help our offense out with that. And as a team, I think our group, I’m very appreciative of our group in terms of way that they responded, after a tough week, and the way that they responded, the way that they practice. Our group has proven that the ability to do that after a couple of tough weeks and found a way against Purdue. Where we need to improve is responding in game. You know, we did a good job of responding there in the second quarter, we get Michigan down to a 10-6 game, and have a two minute drive by Michigan that takes us into half with the momentum going the wrong direction. And at that point we were dealing with a similar situation with Ohio State, you know, a couple instances of bad snaps, before we know if the momentum is not on our side. And we need to do a better job, we talked about it this morning, of just focusing on what we can control, and that’s the next play. And that’s cliche, but we got a group of guys that are so prideful, that care so much, get all wrapped up in the result that we can, at times, be worried about three plays down the road or still upset about a poor play that we had before on the snap prior. And that’s where we need to improve. Need to control the football better. Need to get off the field on third down and put ourselves in a situation where we find [complimentary] football, and that’s winning games in the fourth quarter.”
On the importance of defending the HAT: “It’s huge. One of the unique, special parts about college football, is rivalry games, especially in-state. Playing for a trophy that is on the field in the fourth quarter. I mean, you’re truly playing for a trophy that, when you earn it, you get to go get it with your team and celebrate with your team. You know, we cross paths with Illinois in recruiting frequently. I think Coach Bielema does a great job. But that was a big win for us last year, for a lot of reasons. To have the HAT back in our facility is something we take a great deal of pride in. Having bragging rights in-state for a full calendar year is something we take a great deal of pride in, and this is going to present a great challenge. Illinois is playing really well right now, but we got a chance to keep the HAT, win our in state rivalry game, and send our seniors out the right way. There’s plenty of motivation, for sure.”
On the importance of this year’s senior class to the program: “I said it last year after being named permanent head coach here at Northwestern. The reason that I’m in this position and our family has an opportunity to lead this program is a direct result of the young men that make up this football team. And this group of seniors was a critical piece in rallying, in some really difficult circumstances, around one another to do something really special. I just think of guys like Xander Mueller and Bryce Kirtz, and I can just go on and on and on. I mean, Andrew Braun (the head coach’s son) decides that he wants to be Cam Porter for Halloween this year. I told Cam this. Andrew didn’t do that just because Cam is a really good football player. The Braun boys are really observant, like, those two watch the way that our guys move and operate. And Andrew Braun sees things in Cam Porter that he aspires to be. Cam is this great teammate, has great work ethic, the ultimate competitor. And again, we talk about our non-negotiables, about preparing our young men for life and building a brotherhood. That’s where college football, when you’re doing it right, has the ability to stick with you the rest of your life. It’s those relationships that are shared within this team and with our coaching staff. Senior Day is always an emotional day, and we want to make sure that we send those guys out the right way.”
On the team playing for its seniors: “At the end of the day, you know, every decision we make has to be based on what what puts our team in the best situation to be successful on game day and come out with a win. Those decisions will always be based on that, in terms of the way that we look out for one another and support one another. I mean, we’ll always put people first, but we’re playing to win. But dang, we’re playing to win because we want to make sure that this group of seniors walks back in the locker room, for potentially the last time, and has an opportunity to experience a win with their teammates. And I’m excited for this group to do that. You have a group of guys in this in this room earlier today that, you know, are not hanging their heads. They’re certainly edgy and angry and not pleased with the way that we we played Saturday, but we got a group of guys that are hungry to get back out there.”
On defending Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant: “Good player. And you know, Pat’s surrounded by a talented wide receiving corps, good tight ends, good backs, a quarterback that’s playing at a really high level, a veteran offensive line. Where they’ve done a great job offensively is the balance in their attack and their ability to create explosive opportunities. Not just in the run game, not just in the pass game, but in the RPO. I think that’s something that we have to be conscious of, as always against RPO teams, but just be aware of. In our efforts to control the run game, what are we exposing ourselves to an RPO? Been really impressed with the way that this offense is not only structured, but the way that they’ve operated and executed those opportunities.”
On Illinois’ defense: “I think Coach Bielema has done a great job of building this entire football team. And there’s really good personnel on both sides of the ball. I think the defensive linemen, the edges certainly stand out. You know, in the past traditionally, they’ve been very much like a Bear defense that’s going to try and create a bunch of one on one matchups. They still have that in their DNA. They’re playing a little bit more multiple, a little bit more four-down structure than they have in the past. And I think defensively, they’ve done a really good job of evolving. You know, always been really stingy on defense, but are giving you some some different looks, especially from a coverage standpoint. I don’t want to discredit any other part of their defense, but the thing that will make them go is their defensive front, especially when they get into those Bear looks.”
On stopping Illinois’ passing attack: “Again, it sounds like a broken record, but you have to affect the quarterback. There’s things that you got to do pre-snap to affect the quarterback, but post-snap, has to feel pressured. Has to feel affected. Can’t be comfortable. I think the first time you turn on the film on these guys and watch them operate offensively, you notice a talented wide receiving corps, downhill backs, well thought out scheme, but a quarterback that is comfortable in processing at a high level. And for us to have success, we’re gonna have to make him uncomfortable.”
On a season-long evaluation of Jack Lausch: “What I’ll say is Jack has continued to compete his butt off, has shown times where he’s playing at a really high level, and still has a lot of room for growth. You know, you go through a process. You trust the process. You make decisions. Feel very confident that we made the right decision. Excited to continue to be right next to Jack as he continues to put his team in situations to win games. What I will say is, it can be really easy to point out issues at the quarterback position when an offense is not operating at the level that you want it to. That’s what makes that position so great, you get to touch the ball on every play, and there’s a lot that comes with holding that position. But offensive success, that’s the beauty of football, it takes all 11 functioning at a high level for offenses to get the results that you’re looking for. Works a little different than basketball. Not that basketball isn’t a team game, but football, especially the quarterback position, really requires everyone playing at a high level. And what I’ll say is, when Jack has had his best performances, there have been guys around him that have really stepped up and made some big-time plays. Bryce Kirtz’s big play, explosive play against Michigan. It’s not a perfectly thrown ball, but Jack gives him a chance. Bryce makes an incredible play. Some of the plays we saw against Ohio State, Maryland. It’s in this offense, and we’ve got one guaranteed opportunity left. I’m excited for that to show up. I think we’ve seen some improvement in pass protection out of our O-line this season. I’ll also say Jack Lausch’s athleticism and savvy and competitiveness have really helped that protection, in terms of extending plays or taking off. It can be easy to point the finger at the quarterback.I’m very confident we made the right decision, and I’m proud of the way that Jack has competed through all this. Do we need better results? Absolutely. It’s our job to, as a coaching staff, to put that group in positions to do that.”
On giving backup snaps to Ryan Hilinski and not another quarterback: “There’s a lot that goes into that answer, not all that I’ll share right now, but what I will say is Ryan’s skill set. Ryan Hilinski’s skill set, when he’s at his best, is in the pocket, using his arm talent. And situations where we utilize [Hilinski] whether it be against Purdue or down significantly against Iowa and Michigan, we’re putting Hili in a situation. Experienced quarterback, played a lot of college football, and put our team in a situation to see what he can do from a drop-back pass standpoint.”
On a season-long assessment of Zach Lujan: “I think Zach’s battled, competed, tried to be really solutions based. I was in his shoes, in some regards, last year in that transition. At the end of the day, what we’ve got to continue to evaluate is where we’re at from a personnel standpoint versus our competition, and how do we best position our guys to find success on the field. And those are easy things to talk about. They’re hard things to deliver on. What I’m proud of is we’ve had a staff that stuck together and gone to work and tried to find those solutions. We got a team that’s continued to battle for one another, and that’s what the offseason will provide, is an opportunity to really take a deep breath, take a step back, evaluate everything, and make sure that we position ourselves for a ton of off-field and on-field success moving forward. And just to be honest with you, in the landscape of college football, that’s a process that I have to be mindful of every single day. And it’s not just offense, it’s not just the defense, it’s not just special teams. It’s in how we do everything as a program. It’s got to be true to Northwestern values. But the landscape of college football is getting flipped on its head. This House settlement goes through in April. It’s a totally different ballgame. How do we stay true to Northwestern values? How do we continue to really value a world class education and amazing experience and find ways to win Big Ten championships? And not that the structure prior was wrong, but the game is changing. So we have to evaluate everything, and we all have to check our egos at the door and say, what positions the program for success moving forward while delivering on our non-negotiables? And that ego starts with me. Like, how do I have to operate in this role to position ourselves for the best success? So yes, we’re evaluating the offense, but the reality is we gotta evaluate all of it. And this offseason provides an opportunity to do that and make very strategic, well-thought-out wise decisions on how we move forward.”
On Xander Mueller’s return to play against Michigan: “It was awesome. Number one, I’m so excited for Xander to be back on the field this season. I mean, it was painful to watch him on the sideline, because you could just tell he was so antsy to get back out there with his teammates. But he had a huge impact. And not only the interception, but the return, the field position, the intentionality of punching that ball out. So, so glad that he’s back, and you know, he’ll have to be at his best, we’re gonna need him at his best, on Saturday to do it one more time.”
On finding a long-term solution at quarterback rather than using the transfer portal for one-year stopgaps: “That is a great question, a very complex and deep one in terms of how you’re actually structured and where you’re doing that. The quarterback position, obviously, is the most critical. But there’s also, when we look at the O-line position, when you look at some of the things that this program has navigated with a really unique July and August of 2023 and then putting together a class of 2024 recruiting class under an interim head coach, it presents some unique challenges. We’re always evaluating where we potentially have future holes in our roster based on the depth that we have at positions. To answer your question directly, what it comes down to is, if our non-negotiable is going to be developing young men over the course of time, and trusting that development and building a majority of the roster that’s been here together for four or five years, well, we can’t sacrifice that just to go find the immediate answer in the transfer portal. Because at some point, that either keeps you on that cycle, or puts you in a position where you really have some dramatic holes in your roster. And philosophically, the decision that we’ve made is that if you look at our Class of 2025, it is a class that is represented in all position groups. There’s good depth in it. We’re excited about that group. We have the same plan in our Class of 2026. We were intentional in the Class of 2024 that we would get some late adds, like Mo [Ezomo Oratokhai], to make sure that we’re developing the roster from the ground up and building team in the new landscape. And what we’re looking at, you know, there’s also opportunities for us to get creative and strategic. Where there is immediate needs on our roster, we have to evaluate. Do we have a sense that we have a two deep [depth chart] that can win eight, nine, 10 games in the Big Ten? And if we don’t feel like we have that at a position, we need to address it. And that’s something we’ll be really active in this offseason. Not saying that the young men are in our program can’t do it, but just assessing that where they’re at in their development, to make sure that we position ourselves for a really successful 2025 season. What we’re guarding against is making sure that we’re not — because we’re going to go get a transfer here or a transfer there — we’re potentially deciding not to take a high school recruit. Well, at some point that’s going to come back and bite you. Lot of discussions that we’re in, and coming back to my comment earlier, evaluating everything. And just assessing how we do it best moving forward while staying true to who we want to be.”
On the importance of an early lead: “It’s really important. And then I’ll back that up by saying I think that’s something that we have to show growth and maturity as a program. If that doesn’t happen, how do we respond? Is it panic? Are we starting to press? Do we feel like we need to make the perfect play? “Oh my gosh, we’re down 11 points.” There’s no play in football that makes up an 11 point deficit with one play. It’s getting back on the focus of controlling what’s right in front of us. But there’s no question that this football team plays with more balance, with a little different edge and different level of confidence when you’ve got a lead. So the plan is to find a way to start fast. And regardless if we start with that lead or not, we’re gonna have to find a way to take it one play at a time. And against a very good Illinois team, it’s going to take a four quarter effort.”
On whether the team plans to sign a quarterback from the transfer portal: “Those are things we’ll we’ll assess once we get to the offseason. That’s not something that we’re worried about while we’re still playing in our regular season.”
On his message to Northwestern fans: “Number one, thank you for your support. I’ve said it before. Proud to be a part of this institution, this program, and part of this fan base. It’s a passionate group. I know the results haven’t been what we sought out for this year, but we got one last opportunity to celebrate this group of young men, this group of seniors. We’re playing for the HAT in an in-state rivalry game. We’re doing it in Wrigley. In recent history, we have not found a way to win at Wrigley. What a great opportunity, last game of the season, playing for the HAT, in-state rivalry, at Wrigley, to send this group of seniors out with a really special memory. Come be a part of it.”