Northwestern Football Stays Perfect in Bowls, Rolls Past Central Michigan for Sixth Straight Win

Northwestern Football Wins Sixth Straight Bowl Game

Northwestern Football | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Northwestern football continues to own the postseason spotlight. On Friday afternoon at Ford Field, the Wildcats delivered a dominant 34–7 win. It was over Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. They pushed their bowl-winning streak to six straight games dating back to 2016. That mark now stands as the third-longest active bowl-winning streak in the nation.

Northwestern Football Defense Sparks the Turning Point

This was not just another bowl victory. The 27-point margin of victory was the largest bowl win in school history, and it came undoubtedly. What began as a quiet, scoreless first quarter quickly turned into a one-sided showcase powered by defensive chaos and timely execution.

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The turning point arrived early in the second quarter, when Northwestern’s defense completely flipped the game. After a scoreless opening frame, the Wildcats forced turnovers on three consecutive Central Michigan offensive snaps. It was a feat accomplished by only ten teams in all of college football since 2015.

Redshirt junior Braden Turner was at the center of the storm. Turner recorded an interception, forced a fumble, and returned a fumble for a touchdown in a performance that placed him firmly in Northwestern history.

The turnovers quickly translated into points. Following Turner’s interception, quarterback Preston Stone connected with Griffin Wilde for a 23-yard touchdown. On the very next play, Aidan Hubbard delivered a strip-sack that was recovered by Carmine Bastone, setting up a Caleb Komolafe rushing touchdown.

Moments later, Central Michigan coughed the ball up again, and Stone immediately struck with another 23-yard touchdown pass, this time to Lawson Albright. In a little over three minutes, a 0–0 game turned into a commanding 21–0 Northwestern lead. They effectively put the bowl game out of reach before halftime.

Junior wide receiver Griffin Wilde earned GameAbove Sports Bowl MVP honors after delivering one of the best bowl performances in program history. Wilde finished with 10 receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. They set Northwestern bowl records for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns since 2010.

A Strong Finish and a Growing Legacy

Graduate student Aidan Hubbard made his presence felt in a major way after missing the final two regular-season games due to injury. Hubbard recorded three sacks, tying his career high and setting a Northwestern program record for sacks in a bowl game.

That performance also elevated Hubbard into rare company as one of only five players in program history to eclipse 20 career sacks, finishing with 20.5. One of his most impactful moments came early, when his third-down sack in the red zone forced a missed field goal and halted any early momentum Central Michigan hoped to build.

Preston Stone wrapped up his collegiate career with a polished performance, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns while guiding an offense that totaled 313 yards. His efficiency perfectly complemented a defense that limited Central Michigan to just 269 total yards, their lowest output against an FBS opponent all season.

With the win, head coach David Braun became the first coach in Northwestern history to begin his career 2–0 in bowl games. He joined Pat Fitzgerald as the only coaches in program history with multiple bowl victories.

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