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South Dakota State Preview and Prediction
By The Lowes Line Staff
Matchup: South Dakota State Jackrabbits (1-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at Northwestern Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 B1G)
Location: Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026, 7:00 pm CDT
TV: BTN
Line: Northwestern (-13.5), O/U: 46.5
Outlook:
Wildcat fans, NU football is back! Year 4 of the David Braun era begins
this week in Evanston, as the ‘Cats take on a not-your-typical FCS
squad in South Dakota State. As is the norm now, NU took part in the
transfer portal during the off season, landing a few key additions,
most notably QB Aidan Chiles, a transfer from Michigan State who is
slated to be the starter. Linebacker Kobie McKinzie is another
big name who comes to Evanston by way of Oklahoma. The most
impactful new addition, however, is likely to be offensive coordinator
Chip Kelly.
Chip Kelly comes in as a big name as far as running an offense and is
considered an innovator. If you’ve been paying attention for the
last few years, NU could certainly use the help. Kelly’s job will
be to take a team that has been perennially near the bottom of the FBS
ranks of offensive output and make it competitive. Even becoming
a middle of the pack squad would likely be considered a success. Kelly
has been a head coach with Oregon and UCLA, as well as the lead man in
the NFL, having led the Philadelphia Eagles (we won’t hold it against
him, though it would be understandable) and the 49ers. Recently
he was the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State squad who won the
national championship in 2024 and was the OC for the Raiders last year.
Kelly also knows something about FCS teams beating FBS squads, as he
was the offensive coordinator for the New Hampshire team that came into
Evanston and spoiled Pat Fitzgerald’s first home game as head coach
back in 2006. He’ll need to have the ‘Cats ready for what the
Jackrabbits will throw at them.
It won’t be easy for NU this season to get back to a bowl game.
The schedule is formidable and includes a trio of road games that
rivals anyone’s in the country. The ‘Cats pay visits to Indiana,
Oregon, and Ohio State this fall, which essentially means they need 6-3
the rest of the way to get to bowl eligibility. While Rutgers
showed us Thursday night that they might be getting points from New
Trier, there are few gimmes on the docket for NU. Home games
against Penn State (to open the new Ryan Field), Iowa and Illinois, as
well as a Coach Prime-led Colorodo team that looked decent in winning
at Georgia Tech make for a challenge. And forget about the
records, I have to think NU’s trip to East Lansing might be the one a
certain first-year Spartan coach is looking forward to the most.
South Dakota State, as mentioned, is not your garden variety FCS squad
that gets FBS teams into the swing of the season. The
Jackrabbits, FCS champions in 2022 and 2023, would be favored against
dozens of FBS teams, and likely a few Power 4 teams as well. They
had their first game last week, taking Stetson University behind the
woodshed and pummeling them 70-7. They threw all of 6 times
throughout the game, mostly because they didn’t have to, rushing for
393 yards and not even scoring in the fourth quarter.
NU’s offense should be able to move the ball on South Dakota.
Chiles has receivers Griffin Wilde and Hayden Eligon returning, along
with running backs Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II. The bigger
question will be along the offensive line, where several departures
leave a squad without much time together and constructed by way of
incoming transfers.
Defensively, the question will be whether the ‘Cats can stop the
run. Veteran edge rusher Michael Kilbane returns and should cause
some havoc to opposing QBs when not surely being double teamed but
inside is where the concern is. It will be interesting to see how
NU is able to develop the line, and whether you get someone to step up
or if Braun goes with a line by committee.
Robert Fitzgerald returns and leads a defensive backfield that should
be one of the stronger position groups for the Wildcats.
Fitzgerald earned Second team All-Big Ten last season, makes a ton of
tackles, and is very physical. You’ll likely be hearing his name
called all season.
This will be no cakewalk for NU. The Jackrabbits will put up a
fight, and the ‘Cats will need to demonstrate they can stop the run to
keep SDSU from maintaining possession and controlling the ball.
Chip Kelly’s offense shows signs of improvement over what we’ve been
accustomed to, but they’re not there yet in Week 1 against a solid
opponent. NU gets the win, but it’s closer than we’d like.
Pick: Northwestern 28, South Dakota State 17. Take the Jackrabbits and the under as Northwestern gets out of the gate with a W.
Season to date: 0-0 straight up, 0-0 against the spread.
Go ‘Cats!
The Lowes Line is an
e-mailed description of NU's
next
football game, with an invariably fearless prediction of the outcome
and
how NU will fare against what the other "experts" predict. Our
good
friend and Brother Marcus Lowes began the broadcast mailing in 1996.
The crack Lowes Line Staff (alumni Lone Star Cat,
GallopingGrapes, P.S. O'Briant, Eric Cockerill, Joel Kanvik, Charlie Simon, and
MO'Cats) have continued the Line in memory of Marcus.
For
the 2026 season it has returned to HailToPurple.com,
for anyone to enjoy. Thanks to the gridiron brain trust at the Lowes
Line!
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