The 2020 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wildcats played their home games at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois, and competed in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by 15th-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
| 2020 Northwestern Wildcats football | |
|---|---|
Big Ten West Division champion Citrus Bowl champion | |
Big Ten Championship Game, L 10–22 vs. Ohio State | |
Citrus Bowl, W 35–19 vs. Auburn | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| West Division | |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 10 |
| AP | No. 10 |
| Record | 7–2 (6–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Mike Bajakian (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Mike Hankwitz (13th season) |
| Base defense | Multiple 4–3 |
| Home stadium | Ryan Field |
Uniform | |
Seasons | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Ohio State xy$^ | 5 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Indiana | 6 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 4 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 2 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 3 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 2 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 2 | – | 5 | 2 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Northwestern xy | 6 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Iowa | 6 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 3 | 4 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 2 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten Conference canceled all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, on September 16, the Big Ten reinstated the season, announcing an eight-game season beginning on October 24.
Schedule
Northwestern had games scheduled against Tulane, Central Michigan, and Morgan State, but canceled these games on July 9 due to the Big Ten Conference's decision to play a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 24, 2020 | 6:30 p.m. | Maryland |
| BTN | W 43–3 | 0 | |
| October 31 | 2:30 p.m. | at Iowa |
| ESPN | W 21–20 | 1,432 | |
| November 7 | 11:00 a.m. | Nebraska |
| BTN | W 21–13 | 0 | |
| November 14 | 6:30 p.m. | at Purdue | No. 23 |
| BTN | W 27–20 | 886 |
| November 21 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 10 Wisconsin | No. 19 |
| ABC | W 17–7 | 0 |
| November 28 | 2:30 p.m. | at Michigan State | No. 8 |
| ESPN | L 20–29 | 0 |
| December 5 | 11:00 a.m. | Minnesota |
| BTN, FS1 | No contest | ||
| December 12 | 11:00 a.m. | Illinois | No. 14 |
| ESPN2 | W 28–10 | 0 |
| December 19 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. No. 4 Ohio State | No. 14 |
| FOX | L 10–22 | 3,178 |
| January 1, 2021 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Auburn* | No. 14 |
| ABC | W 35–19 | 13,039 |
| |||||||
Rankings
| Week | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | RV | none | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 23 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 10 |
| Coaches | — | none | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 23 | 20 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 |
| CFP | Not released | 8 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | Not released | |||||||||||
Game summaries
Maryland
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrapins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Wildcats | 14 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 43 |
at Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois
- Date: October 24, 2020
- Game time: 6:30 p.m. CDT
- Game attendance: 0
- TV: BTN
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
At Iowa
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Hawkeyes | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
at Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa
- Date: October 31, 2020
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), Clear and Sunny, Wind 15–20 mph (24–32 km/h)
- Game attendance: 1,432
- Referee: Larry Smith
- TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky and Allison Williams
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Nebraska
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois
- Date: November 7, 2020
- Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Jerry McGinn
- TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Jeremy Leman (analyst), Olivia Harlan (sideline)
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
At Purdue
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 23 Wildcats | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Boilermakers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana
- Date: November 14, 2020
- Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 46 °F (8 °C), Overcast, SE 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Game attendance: 886
- Referee: Jeff Servinski
- TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), Olivia Dekker (sideline)
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Wisconsin
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 10 Badgers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 19 Wildcats | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois
- Date: November 21, 2020
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
- Game attendance: No in-person attendance
- TV: ABC
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
I've been watching Northwestern play and honestly, they got a bunch of Rece Davises out there running around.
At Michigan State
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Wildcats | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Spartans | 10 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 29 |
at Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan
- Date: November 28, 2020
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Sunny, light clouds • Temperature: 45 °F (7 °C) • Wind: SW 7 miles per hour (11 km/h)
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: M. Kluczynski
- TV announcers (ESPN): Clay Matvick, Rocky Boiman
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
At Minnesota (Cancelled)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date:
December 5, 2020 - Game time:
11:00 a.m. CST - TV:
BTN/FS1
Illinois
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighting Illini | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| No. 14 Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
at Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois
- Date: December 12, 2020
- Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
- Game attendance: 0
- TV: ESPN2
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Vs. Ohio State
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Wildcats | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 4 Buckeyes | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 22 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium • Indianapolis, IN
- Date: December 19, 2020
- Game time: 11:18 a.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast (game played indoors)
- Game attendance: 3,178
- Referee: Mark Kluczynski
- TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), and Jenny Taft (sideline)
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Vs. Auburn
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| No. 14 Wildcats | 14 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL
- Date: January 1st, 2021
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Mostly Sunny
- Game attendance: 13,039
- Referee: Jerry Magallanes
- TV announcers (ABC): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline reporter)
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Players drafted into the NFL
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Rashawn Slater | OT | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 1 | 26 | Greg Newsome II | CB | Cleveland Browns |
| 5 | 174 | Earnest Brown IV | DE | Los Angeles Rams |
Undrafted players
| Player | Position | NFL Club |
|---|---|---|
| Blake Gallagher | LB | Baltimore Ravens |
| Riley Lees | WR | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Gunnar Vogel | OT | Chicago Bears |
| J.R. Pace | CB | Atlanta Falcons |
| John Raine | TE | Atlanta Falcons |
| Paddy Fisher | LB | Carolina Panthers |
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