It would take a herculean effort for Northwestern to stay close to the high-flying Oregon Ducks tomorrow. The team from out West is coming off a ridiculous 69-3 victory over Oklahoma State at home. This will be its first road contest, which could matter, but likely won't have a significant impact on the ultimate result.
Despite that somewhat depressing reality for 'Cats fans, if Northwestern manages to avoid an embarrassment similar to what the Cowboys suffered, then there will be small victories to revel in. Here are three X-factor players for Northwestern to give fans something to feel good about:
RBs Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II
This is cheating, but Himon and Komolafe seem equally important in the absence of starting running back and team leader Cam Porter. Head coach David Braun announced this week that Porter is out for the season with what looked like a leg injury against Western Illinois.
Himon and Komolafe complement each other well. The former is a bit shiftier, giving Northwestern a good option on passing downs and in the screen game. Komolafe, meanwhile, can be more of a bruiser if that's what's required but also has some speed and agility to his game.
It's crucial that Northwestern gets production out of the run game against Oregon. The recipe for relative success in this one is to maintain possession of the football for as long as possible and to milk the clock. That won't happen for the Wildcats unless Himon and Komolafe find holes at the line of scrimmage and keep the clock ticking.
EDGE Anto Saka
Even if Northwestern does a good job keeping the Oregon offense off the field, it's still likely to find success against this Wildcat defense when it inevitably does get out there. To stay close, the 'Cats are going to have to put up some resistance -- even if it's just a little bit, that would be better than Oklahoma State.
The key there will be establishing a pass rush. Northwestern's secondary isn't bad, but it will struggle against Dante Moore and co. if the sophomore has all day in the pocket. Saka is Northwestern's ringer on the defensive line, a player with real NFL Draft aspirations, and he has zero sacks through two games. Now is the time to start racking them up.
WR Griffin Wilde
Wilde, as predicted, has been Northwestern's clear-cut WR1 through two games this season. The SDSU transfer has 11 receptions for 158 yards, leading the team. But this Oregon game feels like an opportunity for him to really prove he belongs in the Big Ten.
This will be his first contest against a conference opponent, and it's not an easy match-up. So far, the Oregon defense ranks fifth in the conference in limiting yards through the air, averaging 132.5 per game. It will be up to Wilde to break through in a game that will likely feature quite a bit of Preston Stone dropping back and slinging it.
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