From buzzer beaters to NCAA records to national championships, Zach and Northwestern Wildcats On SI lead writer Gavin Dorsey debate the five best moments of the year in Northwestern sports. Contact info—Twitter/X: @ZachKoons, Email: zach.koons@si.com
For the fifth straight year, Northwestern lacrosse is headed back to the Final Four after getting past Michigan and Penn in the team's opening NCAA tournament matchups. Broadcaster Noah Coffman joins Zach on the show to discuss Madison Taylor breaking the single-season goals record and what went well in the second-round game against Michigan (3:40). Then, they pivot to talking about the third-quarter struggles for the 'Cats against Penn and why such a lapse will come back to bite the team agains...
We're back! Northwestern women's lacrosse is set to begin play in the NCAA tournament and Noah Coffman joins Zach to talk about this year's team. They begin by talking about how head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller was able to rebuild the roster after the departure of Izzy Scane and others (2:08). Then, they discuss the leap Madison Taylor has taken to put together one of the best statistical seasons in Wildcats' history (12:44). The pair continues by going over who else will need to step up outside o...
With the news that Chris Collins is close to reaching a deal on an extension to stay at Northwestern, Zach is joined by Gavin Dorsey of Northwestern Wildcats On SI to discuss the rumors surrounding the men's basketball head coach. The pair give their thoughts on the legitimacy of the idea that Collins would have left NU after this year (4:21) before dissecting how important a commitment to NIL resources and enrollment procedure may have been in the head coach's extension (11:25). They then pivot...
Northwestern's heroic comeback attempt at home against UCLA came up just short as a major missed call in the closing seconds didn't go the 'Cats way... again. Wildcat Report's Matt Shelton joins the show to talk about the grit of the senior class, particularly Ty Berry and Matt Nicholson, even with UCLA amassing a double-digit advantage (1:45). Then, they dive into the the end-of-game sequence that capped NU's 13–0 run, including the no-call on Nick Martinelli, KJ Windham's flagrant foul and the...
After wins by Northwestern men's basketball and Northwestern lacrosse on Tuesday, Zach welcomes on Noah Coffman for a closer look at both programs. They begin by talking about the resilient basketball team, going over the recent two-game win streak on the road and the job Chris Collins has done in keeping the team engaged and playing hard (:52). The pair also goes over the improvement from players like KJ Windham in recent weeks and the importance of development for the younger players on the ro...
After two losses out on the West Coast, Northwestern basketball's hopes of an NCAA tournament have essentially been dashed and Zach returns to lay out how it all went wrong this season. He begins by talking about the Jalen Leach season-ending injury and it’s impact on the game against Washington (2:28). He also explains his frustration with Chris Collins getting ejected based on the situation the young and inexperienced team found itself in (8:44). Next, he talks about the familiar slow start ag...
Chris Collins announced that Brooks Barnhizer will not play for the remainder of the 2024–25 season after missing Saturday's game against Wisconsin and Zach reflects on the jarring news. He begins by discussing how the injury was revealed and how it wasn't entirely surprising, but it was abrupt (3:35). Then, he does his best to sum up the impact that Barnhizer made on Northwestern basketball during his four years in Evanston (9:25). Next, he pivots to discussing how the Wildcats fought against t...
Northwestern basketball had another opportunity to win on the road against a top opponent pass by this weekend against Michigan. Zach dives into how the game didn't go in the Wildcats' favor (1:47), before dissecting Jalen Leach's controversial ejection and subsequently disjointed explanation from the Big Ten (11:05). Then, he goes over the difficult afternoons for Brooks Barnhizer and Nick Martinelli, pointing to why that was the case (19:46). Next, Zach pivots to discussing the positives from ...
The Bleav in Northwestern podcast returns for the first time in 2025 and Zach is joined by Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated to break down NU basketball's lackluster return to Big Ten play. They begin by discussing how Purdue managed to stifle the 'Cats offense and if the blueprint is now out on how to defend this roster (1:27). Then, they go over the disappointing recent showings from Ty Berry and ponder if Chris Collins should make up a lineup change to unlock a third main contributor (9:22)...
Zach is back for the final time in 2024—just in time to talk about Northwestern landing a transfer commitment from former SMU quarterback Preston Stone! He begins by discussing the high-caliber player the Wildcats are getting in the move (1:05), before talking about what the program must do to support a player like Stone (9:30). Next, he gives his thoughts on NU's reliance on the portal for starting quarterbacks and lauds David Braun and Mark Jackson for the commitment to improving the roster du...
The Bleav in Northwestern podcast is back and there's plenty of news to talk about. Zach begins by discussing the On3 prediction that the Wildcats will land SMU quarterback Preston Stone in the transfer portal (2:13). Then, he welcomes on Wildcat Report's Matt Shelton to reflect on the end of the 2024 football season and talk about how NU has approached the early transfer portal window (8:05). The pair discuss where the 'Cats have prioritized their transfer recruiting efforts (15:45), while also...
Northwestern football saw its hopes of making a bowl effectively come to an end over the weekend against Michigan and Inside NU's Adam Beck joins Zach to lament a rather disappointing season for the Wildcats. The two discuss how it's been to watch this team struggle to look competitive and maintain any consistency this season (2:23) while also breaking down the jobs done by head coach David Braun and Zach Lujan (9:07). They also revisit the decision to bench Mike Wright in favor of Jack Lausch a...
Northwestern football heads to Ann Arbor for a high-stakes matchup this weekend and Zach is joined by Aaron McMann of MLive.come to talk about the matchup. The pair begins by discussing the disappointing season for Michigan before getting into the Wolverines' 2024 quarterback carousel (2:20). Then, they point out the talented tandem in Michigan's backfield and how tight end Colston Loveland could be a matchup problem for the Wildcats (10:01). They pivot to the defense and discuss how much the un...
Zach took a trip to catch two Northwestern sporting events in less than 24 hours over the weekend, beginning with a narrow victory over Eastern Illinois for men's basketball. He talks about the scare the team got due to a poor second half on offense before lauding Jalen Leach for taking over in his first signature sequence as a Wildcat (1:46). Then, he discusses the end of game rotation for Chris Collins and what that might tell us about this team and stresses the importance of Brooks Barnhizer'...
It's a massive sports weekend in Evanston (and at Wrigley Field) and Zach is joined by Big Ten Plus and ESPN+ broadcaster Noah Coffman to preview Northwestern field hockey ahead of the NCAA tournament. The two discuss what happened in the Wildcats' first and only loss of the season to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament (2:31) before talking about how Tracy Fuchs has turned this program into one of the most dominant in the country (8:53). Then, they pivot to breaking down the depth and key pieces...
The Wildcats kicked off the men's basketball season with a bang, cruising past Lehigh in their opener on Monday. Zach overreacts to the game, discussing the identity of this year's team and highlighting the individual performances of Nick Martinelli, KJ Windham and more (1:26). Then, he welcomes on Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney to dive deeper into the biggest questions facing NU this season (16:15). The pair discuss how Brooks Barnhizer will lead the charge to replace Boo Buie and what exac...
Northwestern is back in the win column! The 'Cats overcame a never-say-die Purdue team and a number of self-inflicted mistakes to get their fourth win of the season and Zach is back to break down it all down. He begins with an overview of the game (1:29) before talking about how the running back pair of Joseph Himon II and Cam Porter revitalized NU's offense (6:45). Next, he discusses how Northwestern was able to get the most out of Jack Lausch (12:07) before critiquing some of the game manageme...
Wildcats basketball is finally here! Zach breaks down everything there is to know about this year's Northwestern team, beginning with a brief reflection on what Chris Collins and co. have been able to accomplish the last two seasons (2:30). Then, he goes deep on this year's roster, breaking down each and every player expected to be in the rotation and how they might make an impact after the departures of Boo Buie and Ryan Langborg (8:45). Next, he discusses some of the biggest questions surround...
Northwestern dropped its fifth game of the season in disheartening fashion to Iowa Saturday and Zach takes a look at how this program got to the brink of bowl elimination. He begins by assessing the head-scratching coaching decisions made by David Braun and Zach Lujan, focusing on the lack of consistency and the uncertainty in the decisions (6:25). Then, he breaks down the play of Jack Lausch and how the young quarterback's development and growth doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction ...
Northwestern (3–4) needs to quickly turn the page after a dreadful loss to Wisconsin, so Zach welcomes on KCRG TV-9’s Jack Lido to take a look at the 'Cats eighth opponent of the season: Iowa. The pair discuss how the Hawkeyes' season took a rather dour turn with a surprise loss at Michigan State (2:28), before diving in on some individual scouting reports—beginning with Iowa's QB Cade McNamara (13:00). Next, they talk about the impressive rise of running back Kaleb Johnson (20:06) and what's ha...
Northwestern heads back to Evanston for its final game of the season at the lakeside stadium against Wisconsin and Matt Perkins of the Bleav in Badgers podcast joins the show to give insight into Luke Fickell's program. He and Zach begin by discussing how Wisconsin has gained momentum over the last few weeks behind a strong rushing attack and the play of quarterback Braedyn Locke (1:58). They also discuss how the rest of the roster has improved to complement its quarterback, both on offense and ...
Northwestern forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter and shut the door on Maryland on the road to improve to 3–3. Zach was on hand in College Park and gives his thoughts on how the Wildcats were able to come up with just a few big plays to completely open up on the floodgates on the Terrapins (2:04). He breaks down the performance on offense, which featured plenty of explosiveness, but also a fair bit of futility in the second and third quarters (13:24). Then, he pivots to talking about the...
Northwestern heads east to close out the first half of the 2024 season against Maryland and Zach is joined by Inside the Black and Gold's Ahmed Ghafir to take a closer look at the Terrapins. They begin by assessing the job Mike Locksley has done with the program in his tenure (1:34) before going over the play of quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. in his first year as the team's starter (6:11). Next, they discuss where Maryland can improve on offense (8:37) and break down what's worked for the Terps' ...
Northwestern couldn’t keep pace with Indiana despite a better performance on offense and Zach takes a look at what happened to the Wildcats in their return home to Evanston. He begins with the disappointment of watching the defense, thought to be this team’s strength, struggle so much against one of the best units in the country (1:19). Then, he discusses the improvements he saw from Jack Lausch and the offense (9:22), while pointing out the necessary areas of growth (15:14). Then, he pivots to ...
Bleav in Big Ten podcast host and former Indiana receiver Rhett Lewis joins Zach on the show to preview Indiana, Northwestern’s undefeated opponent coming out of the bye week. The pair begin by discussing Curt Cignetti’s nearly instant turnaround of the program (1:39) along with Kurtis Rourke’s clinical start to the campaign in a high-powered offense (6:54). Next, they pivot to Indiana’s defense before touching on some keys to the game for each team (13:18). Finally, they make their predictions ...
It's mailbag week! Wildcat Report's Matt Shelton joins the show to answer questions with Zach about Northwestern football after a crushing loss to Washington and a 2–2 start to the season. They begin with a follow-up discussion on David Braun's head-scratching field goal decision against Washington (3:01) before diving into the team's quarterback play through four weeks (14:16). Then, they discuss the struggles of Bryce Kirtz and what the offensive line will look like going forward (25:16), in a...
Northwestern got a rude awakening to the Big Ten over the weekend, falling to Washington 24–5 in the 2024 conference opener. Zach is joined by Andrew Bowen to try and decipher what exactly went wrong for the Wildcats and how they can fix it. They first discuss the inept showing on offense, beginning with the early-career struggles of Jack Lausch at quarterback (4:01). They also discuss NU's inability to run the football without Cam Porter and with a patchwork offensive line as well as a game to ...
Northwestern got back on track with a 31–7 victory over Eastern Illinois and Zach takes a look back before glancing ahead at the Washington matchup. He begins by assessing Jack Lausch’s performance in his first start (2:10), explaining why he thought the redshirt sophomore quarterback was able to settle in over the course of his 2024 debut. Later, he’s joined by Andy Yamashita of the Seattle Times to preview the Huskies ahead of Saturday’s Week 4 tilt (17:14). The two discuss Washington’s revamp...
Former Inside NU editor-in-chief David Gold joins Zach on the show to further dissect Northwestern's first two games and the quarterback switch from Mike Wright to Jack Lausch. The two begin by discussing their initial reactions to the news and why they're stunned it actually happened (2:20). They then jump into how the Wildcats got here and what changed from Wright between Week 1 and Week 2 (10:35). The pair then pivots to hypothesizing what the team might get out an unknown talent like Lausch ...
