Detroit, MI — Northwestern wasted little time turning mistakes into momentum, capitalizing on a flurry of Central Michigan turnovers to roll to a 34–7 victory in the 2025 GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday afternoon at Ford Field.
Behind quarterback Preston Stone’s three touchdown passes and a relentless defensive effort, the Wildcats converted four Chippewa turnovers directly into touchdowns, pulling away early and never looking back. The win lifted Northwestern to 7–6 on the season and extended the program’s bowl winning streak to six games, its longest such run since the modern bowl era.
The opening quarter was a defensive stalemate, highlighted by third-down stops and a missed 43-yard field goal by Central Michigan’s Cade Graham. Northwestern finally broke through midway through the second quarter when Stone connected with wide receiver Griffin Wilde on a 23-yard scoring strike, putting the Wildcats in front 7–0.
From there, the game quickly unraveled for the Chippewas.
On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Central Michigan quarterback Joe Labas lost the ball after being hit by defensive lineman Aiden Hubbard. Northwestern recovered at the Chippewas’ 18-yard line, and six plays later running back Caleb Komolafe powered in from two yards out to double the lead.
Turnovers continued to pile up. With just over three minutes left before halftime, Labas fumbled again on a designed run, this time giving Northwestern possession at the Central Michigan 23. Stone needed only one snap to strike again, lofting a deep touchdown pass to tight end Lawson Albright to send the Wildcats into the locker room up 21–0.
Any hopes of a second-half rally were short-lived. Five plays into Central Michigan’s opening drive of the third quarter, backup quarterback Angel Flores fumbled, and Northwestern safety Braden Turner scooped up the ball and raced 47 yards for a touchdown. A missed extra point left the score at 27–0, but the Wildcats were firmly in control.
Northwestern continued to apply pressure late in the third quarter, putting together its most sustained drive of the day. Stone capped a 10-play, 92-yard march with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Wilde — his second of the game — pushing the margin to 34–0.
The fourth quarter featured fewer fireworks, though Central Michigan avoided the shutout with a late scoring drive. Labas engineered a 10-play, 86-yard possession that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to running back Brock Townsend with 6:11 remaining. That would be the Chippewas’ lone highlight on the scoreboard.
Wilde was named GameAbove Sports Bowl MVP after hauling in 10 receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Stone efficiently guided the offense while benefiting from short fields created by the defense, as Northwestern’s four scoring drives in the first three quarters averaged just 17.5 yards.
Central Michigan finished the afternoon with four turnovers — three fumbles and one interception — all coming within a disastrous stretch spanning the second and third quarters. The loss dropped the Chippewas to 7–6 and to 0–3 all-time against Big Ten opponents in bowl games, all of which have been played at Ford Field.
Takeaways
Central Michigan: Head coach Matt Drinkell’s defense showed flashes, but the offense struggled mightily. The Chippewas entered the game ranked near the bottom nationally in scoring and total offense, and turnovers only compounded those issues against Big Ten competition.
Northwestern: While the Wildcats leaned heavily on turnovers rather than long, methodical drives, the defense’s ability to create chaos proved decisive. Continued development on offense — particularly in the run game — remains an offseason priority.
Despite the lopsided score, the game opened with opportunities for both teams. Central Michigan stopped Northwestern on a fourth-and-1 early and had a chance to strike first, but a missed field goal foreshadowed the difficult afternoon that followed.
By the end, Northwestern had turned defense into dominance, closing its season with another bowl victory and sending the Wildcats into the offseason on a high note.
