David Braun is Looking Forward After Northwestern's Penn State Win

Gavin Dorsey

Oct 13, 2025, 20:53

Gavin Dorsey

Oct 13, 2025, 20:53

Updated at: Oct 13, 2025, 20:53

Northwestern's stunning 22-21 win over Penn State on Saturday was colossal for the program. The Wildcats have taken care of business against inferior opponents during David Braun's tenure as head coach, but aside from a 2023 victory at Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium, NU hasn't quite been able to punch above its weight class yet.

The upset against the Nittany Lions proved that Northwestern is on the right track under Braun. Perhaps "never again" really means just that after last season's 4-8 campaign, and "we can compete with anyone in the Big Ten" is more than just coachspeak, but a mindset as well.

And following the biggest win of his time in Evanston, Braun and the Wildcats are already onto the next one. The national spotlight shone on Northwestern after taking down the preseason No. 2 team in the nation, but when he woke up the next morning, all Braun could think about was moving forward and getting back to work.

"When you are objectively looking at the film, there are some glaring issues that we need to get resolved right now," Braun said during a press conference on Monday. "It was a great opportunity for us as a staff yesterday to meet, evaluate the tape and get to work on Purdue. You can squeeze that enjoyment into that evening, but if you're not onto the next step when you're in the midst of a Big Ten schedule, you're exposing yourself to a letdown in this league. There can't be any letdowns."

With Braun at the helm, Northwestern is 9-2 in games decided by seven points or fewer, the best record in the Big Ten during that time. The Wildcats seem to relish being doubted by outsiders, as Saturday's victory was Braun's fifth as a double-digit underdog since 2023.

As much as the team wants to keep its head forward and leave the Penn State victory behind it, though, there is a level of pride that the 'Cats can take from what they achieved last weekend. The Nittany Lions were a playoff team and played in the Big Ten Championship a year ago; Northwestern shocked them in one of the hardest road environments in the nation.

If the Wildcats can do that, why couldn't they contend with the Ohio States and Michigans of the Big Ten? Now that they know what they're capable of and have seen Braun's coaching lessons come to fruition, Northwestern ought to feel confident in its chances against the rest of its daunting conference schedule, which features No. 25 Nebraska, No. 20 USC, Michigan and Illinois.

"This group should be able to look at Saturday and acknowledge that when we have a great week of preparation, when we communicate, play as a team, have all 11 on the same page and execute at a high level, we should feel abundantly confident that we can compete and beat anyone in the country," Braun said. "But there also has to be a certain level of humility and understanding that if we don't do those things, we can be beaten by any team in the country as well."

Northwestern faces Purdue (2-4, 0-3 B1G) on Saturday. If the 'Cats can get past the Boilermakers at home, they'd be one win away from returning to the postseason for the second time under Braun.

David Braun is Looking Forward After Northwestern's Penn State Win