Northwestern’s unexpected run to the Big Ten Championship Game has come without the Wildcats having many nationally renowned star players or being spectacular in any one phase of the game.
The Wildcats don’t have many household names on their roster, and they’ve been statistically subpar on offense, ranking just 108th nationally in points scored per game (23.7) and 111th in yards gained per game (351.8). They’ve been stronger on defense, but still not elite, ranking 29th in points allowed per game (21.7) and 48th in yards allowed per game (372.7) – though they have improved as the season has progressed, limiting five of their six regular-season opponents to 17 points or less.