The Northwestern Wildcats football team opened up the 2023 season on Sunday. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, a miserable trend continued. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights hosted the visiting Wildcats in their respective Big Ten openers. RU rumbled to victory over woeful NU, who head back to Evanston in the loss column again.
This trend has persisted for some time now. On October 16, 2021, Northwestern fittingly defeated the Scarlet Knights in Evanston. That is the last time the Wildcats have won a game in North America. Their losing streak in the United States reached 18 games with Sunday’s 21-7 loss to the Scarlet Knights.
Northwestern has not won a game in the United States since October 16, 2021 😳
Their only win since then came in Ireland last season. pic.twitter.com/uCc36OUuiU
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 3, 2023
Since October 16, 2021, Northwestern football has won just once. They defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Dublin, Ireland, in a Week Zero game in 2022. 1-18 over your last 19 games isn’t the right side of the coin you want to be on, to put it mildly.
The program went through significant change over the offseason. The university fired longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald after a disturbing number of complaints emerged from former players who described the culture of the team as toxic and littered with hazing and racism.
Northwestern has seen several years of futile efforts. This run they might be on might be one of its worst, and as the competition stiffens, this massive losing streak might soon continue.
The college football world had plenty to say about the brutal Northwestern losing streak.
Everyone on the Northwestern squad gonna drink Guinness and carry four leaf clovers around all week hoping for a win. https://t.co/QCv2tPZLgP
— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) September 3, 2023
https://t.co/ffMFzLVs50 pic.twitter.com/QXHTRTss6F
— H2 (@ShortParFore) September 3, 2023
Northwestern's American-soil losing streak will continue, extending to 18 games and dating to a win over Rutgers Oct. 16, 2021.
The only victory since then came in Ireland, with the aid of a Scott Frost onside kick.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) September 3, 2023
New coach. New quarterback. New defense.
Same result.
Northwestern extended its losing streak to 12 games with an ugly 24-7 loss to Rutgers in the season opener. https://t.co/bu2aWK9EsY
— Louie Vaccher (@WildcatReport) September 3, 2023
Rough start to the year for Northwestern 😳 https://t.co/SmCbrhmCvp
— SubZero Sports (@subzero_sports) September 3, 2023
