Chiles’ four touchdowns power Northwestern’s 45–14 homecoming win

Aidan Chiles supplied four touchdowns, Griffin Wilde supplied the biggest receiving day, and Northwestern made its homecoming game comfortable well before the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats beat Ball State 45–14 Saturday, scoring on five of their first six possessions and improving to 4–1 overall. Northwestern finished its nonconference schedule 3–0, its first unbeaten run through that portion of the schedule since 2015, according to the school's recap. Ball State fell to 1–5.

Chiles completed 17 of 23 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also ran for 32 yards and another score. Wilde caught eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown, giving the Wildcats a consistent target as they established their early lead.

Northwestern went ahead 21–0 on Chiles' short touchdown run, his 19-yard scoring pass to Wilde and Caleb Komolafe's 14-yard rushing touchdown. Ball State answered with TJ Horton's one-yard run in the second quarter, but the Wildcats soon added points from two other units.

Jackson Kleather made a 52-yard field goal, and safety Robert Fitzgerald returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown. Fitzgerald's score, the first defensive touchdown of his college career, extended Northwestern's lead to 31–7. It was his second interception of the season.

The Cardinals got a touchdown back just before halftime on Keldric Luster's two-yard pass to Jamarion McDougle. That made it 31–14 at the break, leaving Ball State within three scores after Northwestern's strong opening half.

The Wildcats did not allow the visitors to build on that late touchdown. They stopped a fake punt in the third quarter, and Chiles threw touchdown passes of 12 yards to Drew Wagner and 32 yards to Alex Honig. Honig's score completed a 99-yard possession and established the final margin.

Wagner finished with four catches for 61 yards, while Honig had two for 48. Northwestern gained 436 total yards, including 164 on the ground, and did not commit a turnover. Ball State finished with 360 yards, but its 90 rushing yards were substantially below the Wildcats' output.

Braydon Brus led Northwestern with eight tackles, including four tackles for loss. The Wildcats recorded nine tackles for loss as a team, and Jack Trautmann collected his first sack. Those defensive contributions helped prevent Ball State from scoring after halftime.

Northwestern returns to Big Ten play at Michigan State next Saturday. It takes a 1–1 conference record into that game after closing its homecoming afternoon with an efficient passing performance and a scoreless defensive second half.