Braun sets bar high after bowl win, but NU will need new QB
Rather than simply basking in a bowl victory Friday in Detroit, Northwestern coach David Braun reached to the top shelf when setting future expectations.
He mentioned competing for a national championship, while suggesting Indiana and Vanderbilt as potential comps.
“Why can't that be the Cats?” Braun said after the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field. “With the leadership that we have with (athletic director) Mark Jackson and new Ryan Field on the way, just so much timing and convergence of really special things — why can't this program be achieving on the field while still staying true to our non-negotiables?”
The Wildcats took care of business, forcing 4 turnovers in a 34-7 win over Central Michigan to produce the school's sixth straight bowl victory.
Braun acknowledged there was some disappointment to this season, considering Northwestern (7-6) dropped three one-score games.
“It's being humble and hungry,” he said. “The humble part is the evaluation has to start with me. I'll be the first one to tell you I feel like we should have won nine or 10 games this year.
“The hungry part is just because we won a bowl game doesn't mean that everything is just perfect within the program.”
It will be interesting to see what the future holds in Evanston. After two years of playing in temporary stadiums, Northwestern plans to open new Ryan Field next fall. It's being billed as a building unique to college football, with a smaller capacity of around 40,000 and plenty of premium seating options.
One important question is if the new Ryan Field can provide a true home-field advantage for the Wildcats. For decades, visiting fans have often been the majority at NU home games.
There will be a decent amount of turnover from this year's team. Of Friday's 22 starters, just four on offense have eligibility remaining, along with seven on defense.
After the bowl win, Braun hinted at good news for the future, something he'd just learned but couldn't share publicly. The best potential news might be the return of junior wide receiver Griffin Wilde. The South Dakota State transfer was named MVP of the GameAbove Bowl with 10 catches for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns, and was a standout all season.
Nothing is certain in this era of the transfer portal, but Northwestern's best defensive player — junior safety Robert Fitzgerald — could also return, along with six of the 10 leading tacklers.
“I am so confident in our retention,” Braun said. “A lot of guys are going to have to step up in the leadership.”
Maybe the biggest question is what to do at quarterback. Grad transfer Preston Stone finished his career on a high note, throwing 3 touchdown passes against CMU.
The Wildcats have had a revolving door of quarterbacks since Wheaton native Clayton Thorsen started every game from 2015-18. Since then, it's basically been a new face every year, often more than one. The Cats have used Aidan Smith, Hunter Johnson, Peyton Ramsey, Ryan Hilinski, Andrew Marty, Ben Bryant, Jack Lausch and now Stone.
“This has been one of the best years of my life,” said Stone, who previously played at SMU. “I couldn't be more grateful for the way these guys welcomed me. These are going to be my brothers for life.”
Will Braun opt to bring in another one-year transfer QB or settle on someone to handle the job for multiple seasons?
Batavia's Ryan Boe was the backup this year and played the final series of the bowl game. The redshirt freshman's time on the field was limited, with just 7 passing attempts.
Another candidate to step in next year is incoming freshman Johnny O'Brien from Fremd. He threw for more than 6,500 yards with 76 touchdowns as a high school junior and senior while leading the Vikings to their first state semifinal appearance this fall.