Previewing Northwestern's Non-Conference Matchup Against Colorado on Saturday
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In Northwestern’s final outing at its temporary lakefront venue, the Wildcats will face non-conference opponent Colorado for just the third time in program history.
After an early-season bye, the Wildcats will return to action on Saturday, welcoming the Buffaloes to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium for a 6:30 pm CT matchup.
The last time the ‘Cats and Buffaloes met was nearly 50 years ago in 1978, when the Buffaloes won 55-7. Northwestern won their sole prior matchup.
Since their last meeting, much has changed for both programs. Northwestern now stands on the verge of another major transition, hosting its final game before moving into the new Ryan Field, an $850 million state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue.
Northwestern will enter its first big test, facing off against Deion Sanders and his young and explosive new quarterback.
In their last time out, Northwestern took down South Dakota State 34-18 on Sept. 5. The Wildcats have a new look offense this season with Michigan State transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles at the helm and experienced offensive coordinator Chip Kelly leading the play calling.
This new offense was on full display in its matchup against the Jackrabbits, where Chiles passed for 273 yards on 14-of-24 attempts (58.3%), recording one passing and one rushing touchdown.
Along with Chiles, wide receiver Griffin Wilde finished the game catching three touchdowns for 104 yards, while running back Joseph Himon II added the cherry on top, when he ran for an 80-yard touchdown to close out the opening game.
On the other hand, the Buffaloes are still trying to find their new identity and rhythm as a team since the 2024 season with Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders leading the charge.
The Buffaloes finished last season at the bottom of the Big 12, with a 3-9 overall record. This season, they are already off to a quick start after wins against Georgia Tech and Weber State.
In their most recent win, redshirt-freshman quarterback Julian Lewis led the way, throwing for 366 yards on 17-of-23 passing (73.9%), and recording four touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Buffaloes have experienced two very different games to start the season, proving the team can win in different ways and is prepared for any kind of battle on Saturday.
Now, the ‘Cats will look to string together another impressive offensive and defensive performance against a young Colorado team that looks to continue its early-season success.
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Gabriella Egozi is an accomplished journalism student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, passionate about sports media, writing, and broadcasting. She was born and raised in Miami, Florida, thus her passion for sports reporting originated from watching the Miami HEAT in the NBA Bubble. Gabriella has had experiences working as an intern for the digital team at NBC6 and Telemundo 51, as well as with CBS Sports at live sporting events, including the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Gabriella most recently was an intern at CNN on NewsNight with Abby Phillip in New York, assisting with production and content creation roles. At Northwestern, Gabriella serves as a sideline reporter, color analyst, writer and play-by-play commentator for Big Ten sporting events. Gabriella is a reporter for WNUR Sports, NNN Sports Night, The Daily Northwestern and BigTen Network StudentU Productions. Gabriella wants to pursue a career within sports media and hopes to continue to further propel her passions for storytelling and connecting communities through her work.