FINAL: Northwestern 17, UCLA 14
Anto Saka comes up clutch for the Northwestern victory! The Wildcats earn their first conference win of the season to even their record at 2-2 (1-1 B1G).
Final Stats:
Preston Stone: 12-for-18, 115 yards, TD
Caleb Komolafe: 27 rushes, 119 yards, TD
Joseph Himon II: 8 carries, 58 yards
Griffin Wilde: 7 receptions, 98 yards
Q4 1:55: Northwestern 17, UCLA 14
UCLA shockingly punts with just over two minutes remaining, and the 'Cats get the ball back at their own 48. Northwestern needs one first down to ice this, as the Bruins have all three timeouts.
Q4 3:18: Northwestern 17, UCLA 14
Northwestern was only able to take three minutes off the clock before punting. The Bruins have the ball at their own 7-yard line. One of these teams will get their first Big Ten win of 2025 today.
Q4 6:19: Northwestern 17, UCLA 14
Could it be karma? UCLA goes 80 yards in four plays after Northwestern's blocked 20-yard field goal, and after a touchdown and two-point conversion, this is a three-point game.
Q4 7:48: Northwestern 17, UCLA 6
Northwestern got all the way down to the 2-yard line, but was stopped. The 'Cats opted to go for a field goal, but it was blocked. Could come back to bite NU.
End Q3: Northwestern 17, UCLA 6
The third quarter definitely slowed down for NU, which had just one complete drive. One clock-winding drive that ends in a score should put this away for Northwestern, but there's still plenty of time remaining.
Q3 2:48: Northwestern 17, UCLA 6
Nico Iamaleava's legs were a problem for the Wildcats on that last drive, but Northwestern once again limited UCLA to three points. NU's defense is bending, but not quite breaking.
HALF: Northwestern 17, UCLA 3
Bruins found some momentum just before the break, but the 'Cats held them to a field goal. Northwestern gets the ball to start the second half and has scored on all three drives.
Halftime Stats:
Preston Stone: 9-for-11, 104 yards, TD
Caleb Komolafe: 10 rushes, 55 yards, TD
Joseph Himon II: 5 rushes, 57 yards
Griffin Wilde: 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD
Q2 3:33: Northwestern 17, UCLA 0
Northwestern's offense is rolling! Griffin Wilde is now up to 83 yards on six catches and just hauled in his first score in purple on a dart from Stone over the middle. Northwestern now has 212 yards of offense, compared to 81 for the Bruins.
Q2 6:19: Northwestern 10, UCLA 0
Nico Iamaleava's legs gave Northwestern some trouble, but a big-time sack from Aidan Hubbard and Michael Kilbane turns the ball over on downs to give the 'Cats one last scoring opportunity before the half.
Q2 13:29: Northwestern 10, UCLA 0
Touchdown, Wildcats! Komolafe lost the ball on an outside pitch, but quickly grabbed it off the bounce and took it in for a nine-yard score. Northwestern is 2-for-2 so far on scoring drives.
End Q1: Northwestern 3, UCLA 0
The 'Cats are driving as the first quarter comes to a close — they'll start the second at UCLA's 35-yard line. Preston Stone is 6-for-8 with 41 yards, while Caleb Komolafe has 46 yards on nine rushes.
Q1 2:23: Northwestern 3, UCLA 0
Solid start for the Wildcats, who go 74 yards in 17 plays and take 9:09 off the clock, but come away with just a field goal. NU seems very keyed in on the ground game; RB Caleb Komolafe had seven rushes for 34 yards on that drive.
Preview
Northwestern (1-2, 0-1 B1G) is looking to even up its record and pick up its first conference win of the season on Saturday as UCLA (0-3, 0-0 B1G) comes to town. The Bruins recently fired head coach DeShaun Foster and parted ways with defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe during their bye week.
The Game
UCLA Bruins (0-3, 0-0 B1G) @ Northwestern Wildcats (1-2, 0-1 B1G)
Location: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium | Evanston, IL
Kickoff: Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. CT
The Broadcast
TV: Big Ten Network
Announcers: Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (color), Brooke Fletcher (sidelines)
Radio: WGN 720
Announcers: Dave Eanet (play-by-play), Dan Persa (color), Jake Saunders (sidelines)
The Line
Northwestern -5.5 (ESPN BET)
Over/Under: 46.5
Injury Report
Northwestern OUT:
- RB Cam Porter
- DB Josh Fussell
- DB Damon Walters
- DB Jalen Lewis
- DB Tito Williams Jr.
- LB Matthew Smith
- WR Tate Crane
- DL Dylan Roberts
- OL Matt Keeler
- OL Jace Borcherding
- WR Braden Blueitt
- DL Migo Jackson
- DL Braxton Strong
UCLA OUT:
- QB Karson Gordon
- OL Jaylan Jeffers
- OL K.D. Arnold
- DL Tyler Partlow
UCLA QUESTIONABLE:
- WR Rico Flores Jr.
- LB Jewelous Walls
- DL Grant Buckey
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