By The Numbers: Northwestern Wildcats

On the heels of a convincing win over Minnesota, Ryan Walters and Purdue look to continue their momentum with a trip to Evanston to take on Northwestern. The Wildcats are also coming off a win of their own, handling Wisconsin on the road. David Braun and company have been one of the biggest surprises in the Big Ten this season, being just one win away from bowl eligibility heading into this weekend's clash at 5-5.

Boiler Upload dives into Northwestern by the numbers ahead of Purdue's Big Ten West matchup.

The Wildcats have been up and down offensively throughout the season, having three 33+ point outings and five games where they failed to reach 15 points. The offense is also in the bottom five of the conference in scoring offense (20.5), total offense (295.3 per game), rushing offense and passing offense this season.

Ben Bryant: Quarterback

Ben Bryant transferred to Evanston from Cincinnati during the off-season, but has not realized the same success as his former team. He has only played in six games due to injury, but did have a decent outing upon his return, throwing for 195 yards and two scores against Wisconsin. For the season, Bryant is completing just over 60% of his passes for 1,121 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. His Pro Football Focus offensive grade of 56.2 is 283rd in the country.

Cam Porter: Running back

The Wildcats have had a tough time replacing the production from Evan Hull, who is now in the NFL, but Cam Porter has found some success on the ground. Porter has 454 yards and two scores out of the Northwestern backfield this season and has three games with over 70 yards. After being stifled for three straight games, Porter bounced back with a 72 yard outing against Wisconsin last week.

Northwestern also has Joseph Himon II and Anthony Tyus III in the backfield.

Cam Johnson: Wide receiver

While he isn't Northwestern's leading receiver, which is Bryce Kirtz, transfer Cam Johnson has been the most consistent pass catcher for Bryant and backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan. Johnson has 40 catches for 472 yards and three touchdowns for the Wildcats and has scored in each of the last two games. He also had just one drop on 63 targets, which is the fewest among any Northwestern pass catcher.

Others to know: Bryce Kirtz (526 yards and four touchdowns) and AJ Henning (284 yards and three touchdowns).

Northwestern's defense has been a step ahead of the offense through the first 10 games of 2023, allowing 22.8 points per game which is ninth in the Big Ten and 46th in the nation. The Wildcats are also seventh in total defense in the conference and 30th in the country, giving up 332 yards per game.

Opponents have had success running the football this season, to the tune of 150 yards per game, which bodes well for the Boilermakers. Northwestern has been stout against the pass, however, keeping opposing offenses to just 181.7 yards per game through the air.

Bryce Gallagher: Linebacker

One of the leaders of the team and top defenders, linebacker Bryce Gallagher, has been the heart of the Northwestern defense this season. The senior leads the team with 88 total tackles, which is also tied for third-most in the conference, while also having 3.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

Rod Heard II: Defensive back

Another veteran leader on the defensive side of the ball for David Braun is senior safety Rod Heard II, who has been lights out on the back end for the Northwestern defense. Heard has the highest Pro Football Focus grade of any Wildcat defender (79.5) and has a line of 51 tackles, three tackles for loss and a team-high four passes defended.

Aidan Hubbard: Defensive end

The Wildcats have a pair of defenders with 7+ tackles for loss and 4.5+ sacks on the year, the most notable of which is defensive end Aidan Hubbard. The senior is tied for fourth in the conference with six sacks and has been the anchor of the defensive line in 2023.