Recurring mistakes come back to haunt Northwestern in loss to Illinois

Turnovers and game management told the story in Northwestern’s loss to Illinois.

The game was nearly even in total yards and time of possession, but the difference came from NU’s inability to take care of the ball. Northwestern turned it over four times, including three giveaways in the fourth quarter, while Illinois had only one throughout the entire evening.

After playing a phenomenal game against Minnesota last week, Preston Stone slipped back into old habits. He threw three interceptions and fumbled twice, losing one. He also had another interception overturned because his knee was down when he released the ball.

Stone’s outing closely mirrored his season opener against Tulane. In both games he went 19-for-36 with at least four total turnovers and similar yardage. Against Tulane, he posted 161 yards, four interceptions and a fumble. Against Illinois, he finished with 163 yards, three interceptions, a fumble and one touchdown. The decisions were familiar, and the mistakes were costly.

One play that altered momentum came late in the first half. With NU up 10-7 and under two minutes left, Stone fired a ball into tight coverage that deflected off Frank Covey IV and was intercepted. With Illinois starting at the Northwestern 48, the Illini scored to take a four-point lead into halftime. Given the situation, running the ball and playing for the clock may have been the smarter call, especially since NU was set to receive the second-half kickoff.

Northwestern never recovered. After two solid first-half scoring drives, the offense mustered only 108 yards after halftime, including just 16 in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was also tough to watch. Stone threw an interception that was overturned, then fumbled on the next play but was bailed out by a lucky bounce. Later, on 4th-and-one at the Illinois 10, he fumbled the snap on what should have been an easy conversion. The offensive line had created enough push that falling forward likely would have been enough.

The defense kept NU alive. Braydon Brus forced a Luke Altmyer fumble that Anto Saka returned to the Illinois one-yard line. Down seven, Northwestern had a golden chance to tie the game. Instead, Robby Preckel was stopped for a loss, Hunter Welcing was tackled short of the goal line, and Stone’s pass to Griffin Wilde fell incomplete.

Then came one of the most head-scratching decisions of the night. With the ball on the three-yard line and facing fourth down, Coach David Braun took a delay of game and settled for a field goal to cut the deficit to four. Fans have expressed frustration all season over Braun’s conservative approach, and this decision only reinforced it. The field goal kept the game within one score, but it had already been a one-score game, and the payoff for going for it was far greater than the risk. Even if Northwestern had failed, Illinois would have been pinned deep inside its own five going into the wind, with NU’s defense dominating the quarter.

The red zone issues returned as well. Northwestern reached the red zone four times and scored one touchdown. Combined with turnovers and questionable game management, it was a familiar and frustrating pattern. Offensive coordinator Zach Lujan’s sequencing continued to raise questions, as the play calls often felt disjointed rather than intentional. With the strength of the offensive line and run game, Northwestern’s offense should be more productive. Deciding Lujan’s future will be a major point of evaluation this offseason.

There were still a few bright spots despite the disappointing loss. Hayden Eligon II has been outstanding over the last two games and is emerging as a major weapon in Northwestern’s offense. He finished with eight catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, backing up last week’s terrific performance with another strong outing. His hands, body control and reliability give NU a phenomenal one-two punch with Wilde heading into the postseason.

On defense, Robert Fitzgerald continued his strong year and was everywhere once again, finishing with 11 tackles and a key tackle for loss. Brus also had one of his best games of the season with eight tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles, including one that set NU up at the goal line.

Still, this was another game where Northwestern will feel it beat itself with turnovers and avoidable coaching decisions. NU has shown it can compete, but losses to Michigan, Nebraska and Illinois all featured similar self-inflicted wounds.

Northwestern will now have almost a month to prepare for its bowl game. The ‘Cats will look to close the year strong and clean up the issues that have held them back.