It’s a good thing the team had two weeks to get ready for this one.
Northwestern was able to bask in the glow of its second Big Ten win (albeit against a poor Purdue team) for longer than usual thanks to an off week. However, the Wildcats have to get right back to business this week, with No. 2 Ohio State rolling into town. In Northwestern’s first game of the season at Wrigley Field, the purple and white will have their hands full against a dominant Buckeyes squad. Here’s everything David Braun had to say about the Wildcats’ toughest test of the season.
Note: These quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Opening Statement: “Start off with a huge thanks to the Cubs and the Ricketts family. You know, this opportunity to play our first of two games at Wrigley Field is something that I know our team and our program don’t take for granted. An opportunity to play a big time football game at an iconic venue like Wrigley Field is something that is really special and something that we’re looking forward to. Have a great opponent coming in in Ohio State. Having a chance to start our preparation last week, over the bye week, it’s very evident, very obvious by watching the film — a very talented football team, a very deep football team. It shows up on offense, defense and on special teams. Very well-coached in all three phases, and clearly a team that is is on a mission. I mean, you can just see the way that they play, the way that they play together, the way that they battle. Talented, well-coached team that’s on a mission. Presents a great challenge to our team and our program, but a challenge that this team’s looking forward to.”
On having two separate sidelines (there was only one last year for the Iowa game): “I think it’s just the right thing to do, and everyone that went into the plan of that to make sure that that happened, a huge thank you to (them). You know, we made it work last year. It was pretty unique being on the same sideline, but I feel really confident in the fact that this is a great setup. And having two opposite sidelines in a traditional manner is important.
On what he learned over the bye week: “I think we learned defensively, when we’re playing with good leverage, when we’re tackling well, when we’re playing good red zone defense, we can go up against anyone in the country and play winning football. I think offensively, we found that that’s the way we want it to look. I mean, there’s still room for improvement in all three phases, and specifically on offense. But we saw a running attack that was able to get get going. We were able to see Jack (Lausch) operate efficiently and pick up some some critical third downs. You know, utilizing Jack in the run game is something that is certainly within his wheelhouse and in his strengths. Need to be aware of how much we’re exposing him to that. But you know, found that when our team shows up and starts fast and plays in all three phases, that we can win close games. We can win on the road. We can play with anybody.”
On using the running backs in the receiving game: “It was critical. I think some of that, to be honest with you, was something that we thought going into the game based on the structure of Purdue’s defense was a schematic advantage. We certainly want to continue to find ways to get both those guys (Cam Porter and Joseph Himon II) the ball in their hands through the run game and the passing game. Both have proven to be very effective, catching the ball out of the backfield. It just bodes the question of whether or not those same opportunities will be presented based on the structure that we’re seeing week by week.”
On preparing for Ohio State’s receiving corps: “(We’re preparing) the way that we prepare every week. But we’re really proud of the development that we’ve seen in that room, the depth that’s been created in that room. Some young guys like Josh Fussell really, really stepping up. But we’re gonna have to prepare not only with an understanding that we’re gonna have to force these guys to process post-snap. We’re gonna have to do a great job of staying on top of routes. We’re gonna have to do a great job of affecting the quarterback. And when they take access throws, when you’re playing off, we’re gonna have to do a great job of tackling in space. And , to answer your question directly, I think it comes back to making sure that we’re really clean with our eyes and do a great job of understanding our leverage and tackle well in space. And that’s something that Tim (McGarigle) and the defensive staff emphasize weekly. But the bye week definitely presented an opportunity for us to hone in on those those details.”
On injury updates for Xander Mueller and Bryce Kirtz: “Yeah, you’re not gonna like my answer on this. We are hopeful that Xander will be back. We’ll know more here midweek. But there’s enough confidence out of Xander and our team around him that he’s been able to be taking some walkthrough reps here in the last couple of days. You know, he’s been running on the side. He’s looking really good. So we won’t know for certain if he’ll be available until midweek, but, you know, excited about the idea of him being able to be a full participant on Saturday, Bryce, it continues to be something that there’s some progression and then some regression. You know, hopeful that we will have Bryce back here before the end of the year, but still very uncertain on his status for Ohio State.”
On Ohio State QB Will Howard: “Very mature, commands the offense, can make all the throws, understands the talent that he has around him. Has done a good job of valuing and protecting the football. Has been very efficient in the red zone. And big, athletic, has been utilized wisely in the quarterback run game. Definitely shows up in the red zone area. You know, he forces you to defend the entire field and be cognizant of plus one run game as well. He presents a lot of challenges.”
On Ohio State’s defense and whether there’s any players that require a constant focus: “The problem with this group, you could say that about just about anybody. But 91 (Tyleik Williams) definitely shows up inside. 33 (Jack Sawyer), 44 (J.T. Tuimoloau) on the edges are both players that are incredibly disruptive, both in the run game and pass game. They’ve done a great job in building their entire football team, but specifically on that side of the ball. Went back and watched all the defensive tape from this entire season and tried to find some trends on things that maybe they’ve been exposed in, or things that they’ve struggled with. And that’s a difficult task. I mean, they’re playing at a really high level right now.”
On the atmosphere at Wrigley Field: “Very, very excited about the opportunity for the atmosphere. Celebrating Homecoming this week at an awesome venue like Wrigley, top five opponent coming into our place, excited for all that. I do think we benefit from the fact that not only has the program been to Wrigley prior, but we were there just last year. So logistically, I think there’s a lot of things that that our guys are comfortable with in terms of what game day is going to look like. And at the end of the day, got to do a great job of, in the preparation in the game, of understanding that, you know, utilizing that to our advantage. And then when that first ball goes up, at the end of the day, we’re just playing football. It just happens to be in an incredible venue against a top five opponent. And this is a challenge that our group is excited about. And, we know we’re the underdog. We know we’re not just an underdog. There’s no one out there that expects Northwestern to go in and beat Ohio State, even, for that matter, compete. But this group believes that with a great two weeks of preparation and us showing up at our best, we can make this a four quarter battle, make it close in the fourth quarter. And look up with zeros on the clock. And the expectation is to expect victory.”
On Jack Lausch’s mobility against the Ohio State defense: “it’s one of those things. There’s an old adage in offensive football: if you can’t block them, or you struggle to block them, read them. And you watch the Purdue film, and they’re doing some of that, with whether it be zone read or RPO, where these guys have the ability to squeeze on an offensive tackle, make it look like they’re playing on the line of scrimmage and all of a sudden get vertical. Purdue almost has kind of like a wide pop pass that potentially is a chunk play or a touchdown. And the defensive end is just so disruptive and muddies that look for the quarterback, he can’t get it off, and those guys present some issues. But, again, there’s no doubt in our mind that we understand Jack’s skill set lends itself to utilizing him in the run game. We just got to be conscious of of how much we’re willing to do that and not be reckless with that.”
On his belief in the team being able to finish strong: “It comes back to the messaging that comes from a standpoint of just speaking truth. My belief and confidence in this group is unwavering whether (or not) the results show up every single weekend the way that we want them to. Those are things to evaluate. But really challenged this group, after the two game stretch against Wisconsin and Iowa, to respond. And to respond in the way that we practice, in the way that we handle the details, and the way that we show up and compete and dominate our process and then find a way to dominate on game day. And what we saw against Purdue was not a dominant performance. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but the preparation that we saw throughout the week was really impressive. And the way that our guys hung in on the road in a tough environment and found a way to come out with a win gives me a ton of confidence and belief in our transition throughout a bye week into this the fourth quarter of the season. And we’ve got a lot to play for. We have one another to play for, but we also have an opportunity in front of us to extend the season, to get ourselves to a bowl game, and that’s something that I know all of us are excited about.”
On Greyson Metz: “So much of that development for Greyson was this offseason. Coming off the ‘22 season before I was here, he had some surgeries postseason, which, you know, totally out of his control. But probably limited his ability to truly have a great offseason and develop into the best version of himself. I’m just telling you, postseason last year from, you know, the Las Vegas bowl, transitioning into spring ball and over the summer, you just saw a complete transformation in that young man. Not only from his attitude, in the way that he was attacking, but just, I mean, the way that he looked. I mean. walking around the facility, he looked like a Will linebacker in the Big Ten. And where I give Greyson so much credit is it would have been really easy to be frustrated with a lack of playing time or opportunity early on during the season this year. And he just continued to be an incredible asset to us on special teams, a leader in that room. And then his opportunity came, and he was ready for it. And that’s something we challenge our group on all the time, is not being satisfied, but staying ready, next man up mentality. And really, Greyson should be really proud of the way that he’s performed. And it all comes back to the work that he put in the offseason and preparing like the starter every week.”
On finding offensive success against Ohio State: “We have to find ways to stay ahead of the chains. And that starts off with pre-snap operation and making sure that we’re executing the call that’s come in. Whether that’s through run game, quick game, RPO, drop back, it doesn’t matter. This can’t be a situation where we’re stubborn and prideful, we’ve just got to find solutions to things that we can execute at a high level, so that our guys can play really fast and stay ahead of the chains and create advantageous third down opportunities. You know, one thing that Ohio State has done an excellent job of, and it stems from their effectiveness against the run game, is (they’ve) been incredibly effective on third down. And what really shows up is, you start getting in that third and seven plus range, you’re really starting to fight an uphill battle. We have to find a way to stay ahead of the chains, get into third down and manageable situations that we feel really confident in, pick up first downs, create some rhythm. And this is a tall task against a team as talented and with as much depth as Ohio State has, but find ways to stay on the field and wear these guys out.”
On preparation for a game at Wrigley Field compared to a traditional home game: “We covered a lot of those logistics this morning in our team meeting. In a lot of ways, it’s very similar. All of our Friday routine here in the facility will feel exactly like it does for any other home game here on campus, on the lakefront. The only thing that’s changing is, you know, we load up the buses and head to the team hotel. We’re just headed to a different hotel. So, you know, we’re really confident that our guys will feel like they’re in a home game routine, just a little bit of a change of scenery.”
On the splitting of kicking duties between Luke Akers and Hunter Renner: “The plan is to continue to really allow Luke to focus on scoring points when those opportunities are available and utilize a veteran in Hunter Renner in the punting game.
On the biggest lesson he’s learned about being a head coach: “Gosh, I don’t know if I can find one for you. At the end of the day, everything that happens within this program ultimately is my responsibility. And you know, doing a great job of keeping my eye on all those things. While also understanding that you hire people to do a great job in their role, in owning their role, and trusting those people to do it. And again, all of us in this room know that this season hasn’t been perfect or all smooth sailing, but you find out a lot about people’s character when things aren’t going well. When there is turbulence, when there is adversity. And that’s one thing that I continue to really stand on, is the fact that we got a group of people that check their ego at the door. They’re high output, they’re looking for solutions. It’s my job to continue to challenge not only myself but the program and everyone within it, to continue to find those solutions. And, continue to find ways to improve. And I think the Purdue week prep and the result that we saw on Saturday was a microcosm of a group that responded in the right way. But you can’t be everywhere at all times. And it’s trusting the right people while also being willing to ask hard questions along the way to make sure that I got a great pulse of everything that’s going on within the program.”
On bringing in Ryan Hilinski against Purdue: “To be honest with you, really excited about the way that Jack’s performed. Giving Ryan an opportunity solely stems back to the unique skill set that Ryan has. He throws the ball different than a lot of guys, has some great arm talent. He’s able to complete some passes and push the ball downfield, when he’s at his best, in a pretty special way. And it really comes back to us just evaluating everything and saying, ‘Okay, what area of our offense is something that we can continue to expand upon or find solutions to be more effective in drop back pass?’ And that’s a skill set that Ryan has. You know, if we feel like that creates some schematic advantage or opportunities for us to efficiently move the ball, we won’t hesitate to utilize Ryan. But that goes with also saying that Jack Lausch is our starting quarterback, and we have a tremendous amount of confidence that he’ll continue to execute at a high level and pick up where he left off against Purdue.”
On his history at Wrigley Field: “It’s really special. I mean, I know I’ve shared this story before, but the first baseball game I ever went to as a young kid was with my dad at Wrigley Field. A lot of memories growing up, being a Cubs fan and watching on WGN. And having an opportunity now with our family here in the Chicagoland area to take our boys down to Wrigley a couple times, And them being able to experience that. And then having an opportunity to coach a Big Ten football game now for a second time, and soon to be a third time later in the season. All things that I’m really grateful for, for the opportunities. I was pretty nervous throwing out the first pitch, but it was a really, really cool experience to share with my family. And, you know, that honor to sing the seventh inning stretch is something that I’m glad I did. But I also would be willing to tell you that I hope I never have to expose the Cubs fanbase to something like that ever again. (On the type of pitch he threw): Straight two seam. It was right down the heart of the plate. I’m glad there was no batter up here, but I was happy I threw a strike.”
On how to pressure Howard: “It’s this really fine line between finding ways to pressure and get them uncomfortable, but understanding what that pressure does and that it exposes you on the perimeter. The best plan of attack against a an operation like this and a quarterback that’s playing at such a high level is getting pressure with four. And that will be the ultimate test for our D-line. Can we find ways consistently to rush four and affect Will? And if we’re able to do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance to get them off rhythm. But you’ve got to find some selective opportunities to bring heat. But especially with his talent and his processing and the talent that they have on the perimeter, you’re exposing yourself there to some things when you make that decision, as well.”