The Wildcats are honoring one of the best teams in program history with a new throwback uniform design.
On Wednesday morning, Northwestern revealed an all-black uniform set that the 'Cats will wear against Purdue on October 18. The tribute honors the 30th anniversary of Northwestern's 1995 team that went 10-2, won the Big Ten and reached the Rose Bowl.
Northwestern's announcement featured former All-American running back Darnell Autry, who played for the 'Cats from 1994 to 1996.
"What the black jerseys did, they finally completed the package," a recording of Autry said on an old-fashioned TV. "No one thought that we would be good, and we were good. No one thought we would get to the Rose Bowl, and yet, here we are, we get to the Rose Bowl. We're a nerdy school, so they didn't think we could also look good and make that happen. We also looked good in those black jerseys. Those jerseys put the little cherry on top of all the things that people didn't think we could do."
Northwestern's current alternate black jerseys more closely resemble the uniforms that the 'Cats wore in 1995, but the new throwbacks are certainly attention-grabbers. The rugged "Wildcats" wordmark invokes memories of NU's dominant defense, while the "N Cat" logo on the helmet is beloved among Northwestern's fanbase.
The 1995 season wasn't just remarkable because of the team's success, but what the program had previously endured. In the 20 years prior, Northwestern recorded a combined record of 37-179-4, including four seasons without a win. The Wildcats' 10-2 campaign in 1995 tied the school record for wins in a season, was Northwestern's first winning record since 1971 and resulted in the 'Cats' first Big Ten Championship since 1936.
Northwestern began its historic season with a shocking road upset over No. 9 Notre Dame, and after dropping a close game to Miami (OH) in Week 2, the 'Cats rattled off nine consecutive victories to end the regular season. With a perfect 8-0 conference record, the Wildcats claimed the Big Ten crown, also winning ranked games against No. 7 Michigan, No. 24 Wisconsin and No. 12 Penn State.
The 'Cats climbed as high as No. 3 in the AP Poll, earning a trip to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1948. Although Northwestern fell to USC in the final game of the season, the Wildcats' turnaround season in 1995 is widely regarded as the best in program history.
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