Slices of Tuna: It's a new day for Northwestern's offense
What does Chip Kelly and Co. bring to Evanston? Plus, uni drama at another NU and more.
Hope my fellow dads had a great Father’s Day!
1. A new day on the lakefront
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern has gone eight straight seasons without finishing in the top-10 of the Big Ten in scoring offense. Back in 2017, with third-year starting quarterback Clayton Thorson at the helm, the Wildcats posted 29.2 points per contest — trailing just three New Year’s Six bowl-winning teams in the Big Ten in Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin — en route to a 10-3 record and No. 17 final ranking in the AP poll.
Thorson stayed on for another year, leading the ‘Cats to the Big Ten title game in 2018. Since then, the program has entered every new season with a different starting quarterback.
Throw in the coaching changes that have happened since then, from Pat Fitzgerald to David Braun in 2023, from play-callers Mick McCall to Mike Bajakian (2020) to Zach Lujan (2024), and the turnover had resulted in a lack of offensive identity.
Things will look different on the lakefront this season, and not just because of the QB, as Aiden Chiles takes over as NU’s ninth different opening day starter in nine years.
Braun hired offensive whiz Chip Kelly to reshape Northwestern’s attack. The two-time NFL head coach, two-time Pac-12 head coach and recent national title-winning OC brought along plenty of familiar faces to fill out the offensive staff, all with the goal of breaking the program out of its nearly decade-long rut on that side of the ball.
