After an unsurprising loss at the hands of the Oregon Ducks, it's still difficult to truly judge this Northwestern Wildcats team. The 'Cats have now played Tulane and Oregon, both squarely better teams that took care of business, and Western Illinois out of the FCS.

There will be a lot to glean from coming games against more evenly matched Big Ten squads. A game like today's against a team that hung 69 points on Oklahoma State the week prior is sort of unfair to over-analyze. But here are three major takeaways from the blowout in Evanston. 

Receiver Depth is a Problem

Griffin Wilde is the clear No. 1, and he was solid against Oregon, finishing with four catches for 55 yards. It's going to be difficult for him to avoid lots of attention from opposing DBs this season, though, because there doesn't seem to be much of anything around him.

Well into the second half, not a single other wide receiver had a catch for Northwestern. Tight end Hunter Welcing was a factor, and the running backs got some targets out of the backfield, but the receiver room appears to be very shallow.

Frank Covey IV and Ricky Ahumaraeze combined for zero receptions for zero yards. They have simply not been complementary pieces to Wilde in the early going of this season. Drew Wagner had a 49-yard reception in garbage time, but the game had long been over.

Obviously, Oregon is as tough of a matchup as NU will play, but it's imperative for Stone to have more capable targets available in Big Ten play.

Northwestern Might be Ok Without Cam Porter

It's impossible to replace Porter's leadership and Big Ten experience, but the 'Cats did a good job making up for his production early against Oregon. The running game accumulated 35 total yards on the first drive alone, 21 coming from Caleb Komolafe and 11 from Joseph Himon II.

Offensive coordinator Zach Lujan seemed committed to establishing the running game, and it's part of what kept the 'Cats within 17 points at the half. Excluding a few negative Stone plays including a brutal recovered fumble that set the 'Cats back 18 yards, NU had 55 yards on the ground at the half. They finished with 191 between the three running backs after a long Dashun Reeder house call.

That may not sound like a ton, but it's a respectable number and even an impressive one in a matchup like this. The game plan from the beginning seemed to be to use the clock, win at the line of scrimmage and keep the ball out of Oregon's hands. It didn't go perfectly, to say the least, but the running backs executed their end of the bargain.

Production From the Defensive Line Will Come

The box score stats won't look great for Northwestern's defensive front, a unit that was repeatedly projected to be the team's best. Through three games, they have been ok, but the sack and TFL numbers simply haven't been there.

It's going to come, though. Sure, they gave up 176 rushing yards today and finished with zero sacks. Potential early-round NFL Draft pick Anto Saka was held in check once again on the score sheet--he's yet to record a sack on the season.

But Saka was in on so many plays before this game got out of hand. In the first half, he was about an arms-length away from multiple sacks. The 'Cats need him and others to start getting home at a more consistent clip, but they're close. Give it time, and let's withhold some judgement until we watch some more evenly-matched games. There is real talent on the line.

Read More Northwestern Wildcats Coverage

MORE: Gameday: How to Watch Northwestern vs. No. 4 Oregon

MORE: Week 3 Game Predictions: Northwestern vs. No. 4 Oregon

MORE: Three X-Factors On Northwestern's Roster For Contest With Oregon

MORE: Northwestern Wildcats Offer Highly Ranked 2027 Safety From Texas

MORE: PODCAST: Northwestern vs. No. 4 Oregon Game Preview with Owen Murray