Northwestern scored a Curt Cignetti-era record 16 points in the fourth quarter against Indiana, showing the Wildcats have the fight and offensive talent to compete with the Big Ten’s best.
Northwestern may have left Bloomington with a loss, but the Wildcats showed something that should have fans feeling encouraged about this team moving forward.
With 16 points in the fourth quarter against Indiana, Northwestern scored the most points in a single quarter against a Curt Cignetti-led Hoosiers team.
The Wildcats’ 16 fourth-quarter points surpassed the previous high of 14, which had been done five times against Cignetti’s Indiana teams. Northwestern’s 16 points also helped turn what looked like a comfortable Indiana lead into a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.
Of course, the stat does not change the result.
Sep 25, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti reacts after a play against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesIndiana still won 29-23 and remained undefeated at 4-0. But for Northwestern to put together that type of fourth quarter against the defending national champions says a lot about the fight inside David Braun’s locker room.
The Wildcats entered the fourth quarter trailing 15-13 before quickly finding the end zone. Aidan Chiles connected with Griffin Wilde for an 8-yard touchdown, giving Wilde his second score of the night and putting Northwestern within two points.
Indiana answered with a touchdown to make it 22-13, but Northwestern refused to go away. Chiles then led another scoring drive, finishing it himself with a 7-yard rushing touchdown to make it 22-20 with 5:10 remaining.
Even after Indiana responded again, Northwestern continued fighting until the final minute. Jackson Kleather connected on a 42-yard field goal with 58 seconds remaining to make it 29-23 before the Wildcats attempted an onside kick.
Indiana recovered and was able to run out the clock. That type of finish is important for Northwestern.
The Wildcats were playing on the road against a team that went undefeated last season and won the national championship. Indiana had also entered Friday night 3-0 and had allowed just 16 points through its first three games.
Northwestern still found a way to score 23 points and put itself in position to potentially pull off the upset late in the fourth quarter.
That should not be overlooked.
The Wildcats have already shown they can move the ball offensively under Chip Kelly. Aidan Chiles finished with 293 passing yards and three total touchdowns, while Luke Dehnicke had a breakout performance with seven catches for 140 yards. Griffin Wilde added six catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns.
Northwestern also finished with 325 yards of offense.
There are still things this team needs to clean up, especially after falling behind 12-0 at halftime. But the response in the second half was exactly what you want to see from a team that believes it can compete.
This was not a game where Northwestern simply kept things close and hoped for a miracle. The Wildcats came back, made plays and put themselves within one possession of the defending national champions with less than a minute remaining.
That shows the talent on this roster. More importantly, it shows the type of team Braun has built.
Northwestern has already shown through three games that it can score points, create turnovers and compete against a nationally ranked opponent. Now, the next step is turning those strong stretches into complete games and finding a way to finish them with wins.
The loss to Indiana will remain in the standings, but the way Northwestern fought back should matter as this season continues.
The Wildcats showed they belong in these games. Now they have to prove they can finish them.
