Tag: Northwestern Wildcats

Iowa lands commitment from former Big Ten West starting quarterback

Big news for Wisconsin’s 2024 schedule:

The Iowa Hawkeyes landed a commitment from former Northwestern starting quarterback Brendan Sullivan on Wednesday.

Sullivan surprisingly entered the transfer portal in late April after three years with the Wildcats. He was the team’s starter for a chunk of last season, completing 63.6% of his passes for 714 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He was projected to be the full-time starter entering 2024.

Related: Post-spring Big Ten football 2024 power rankings, starting quarterback rankings

Iowa lands Sullivan as it prepares for an important 2024 campaign. Five-year veteran Cade McNamara is back for a final season after missing much of 2023 with a leg injury. He projects to be the starter, though Sullivan could push him for that job.

The Hawkeyes recently saw backup Deacon Hill enter the portal during the spring window, so there was likely some writing on the wall that another quarterback could be entering the room.

Iowa needs to re-shape the position group after several putrid years of offensive production. The program hired Tim Lester to be its offensive coordinator this offseason and expect him to improve the unit from where it was under Brian Ferentz.

Sullivan has two years of eligibility remaining. If he doesn’t win the job this offseason, he’d almost-definitely be the Hawkeyes’ starter in 2025.

Wisconsin visits Iowa on November 2. This news now confirms the team will have better quarterback play than when the two teams met in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Hawkeyes have won the last two in the series and three of the last four.

For more on Wisconsin’s transfer portal activity this spring as Luke Fickell works to improve the roster, check out our 2024 spring transfer portal window tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

[lawrence-related id=76383,76364,76317,75973,76150]

Northwestern transfer QB Brendan Sullivan commits to Iowa Hawkeyes

Boom! Brendan Sullivan is a Hawkeye.

The Iowa Hawkeyes got fantastic news on Wednesday afternoon.

After visiting Iowa City and the program on Tuesday, Northwestern transfer quarterback Brendan Sullivan announced his commitment to Iowa.

Sullivan provides some much-needed depth and experience for the Hawkeye quarterback room. Now, with the addition of Sullivan, Iowa is back up to three scholarship quarterbacks on campus. That number will grow to four scholarship quarterbacks once class of 2024 signee James Resar arrives this summer.

The 6-foot-3, 225 pound quarterback has appeared in 13 games over his career and started eight with Northwestern the past two seasons.

Northwestern had a 2-2 record with Sullivan as its starting quarterback last season, including his career-best performance against Maryland on Oct. 28 where he completed 16-of-23 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Sullivan also added 56 yards on the ground in the 33-27 win over the Terps.

In his career, Sullivan has completed 68.7% of his passes for 1,303 passing yards with 10 touchdowns against five interceptions. Sullivan has also rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns.

Sullivan joins an Iowa quarterback room that features former Michigan transfer Cade McNamara and class of 2023 signee Marco Lainez.

McNamara began the 2023 season as Iowa’s starting quarterback. The 6-foot-1, 205 pound signal-caller started each of Iowa’s first five contests last season before suffering a torn ACL early in the Hawkeyes’ 26-16 win over Michigan State.

McNamara ended his inaugural Iowa season with 505 passing yards, four passing touchdowns against three interceptions and a 51.1% completion rate.

McNamara has been hampered by back-to-back season-ending injuries and looked visibly slowed in Iowa’s open 2024 spring practice as his rehabilitation continues.

Lainez, Iowa’s other scholarship quarterback, has made just one career appearance for the Hawkeyes. That came late in Iowa’s 35-0 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl loss versus Tennessee this past January.

Lainez completed 2-of-7 passes for four yards. He also carried six times for 51 yards.

The addition of Sullivan is pivotal for the Hawkeyes as Iowa looks to build depth in its quarterback room for new offensive coordinator Tim Lester.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

Northwestern transfer QB Brendan Sullivan visiting Iowa on Tuesday

Northwestern transfer QB Brendan Sullivan is visiting the Hawkeyes.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are welcoming in an important visitor on Tuesday.

Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register reported that former Northwestern quarterback Brendan Sullivan is visiting Iowa City and the Hawkeyes on Tuesday. It’s a pairing that could make sense for both parties.

If Iowa can sell Sullivan on joining the Hawkeyes, Sullivan would add a proven signal-caller to the equation and some much-needed depth.

The 6-foot-3, 225 pound quarterback has appeared in 13 games over his career and started eight with Northwestern the past two seasons.

Northwestern had a 2-2 record with Sullivan as its starting quarterback last season, including his career-best performance against Maryland on Oct. 28 where he completed 16-of-23 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Sullivan also added 56 yards on the ground in the 33-27 win over the Terps.

In his career, Sullivan has completed 68.7% of his passes for 1,303 passing yards with 10 touchdowns against five interceptions. Sullivan has also rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns.

This pairing seemed to make too much sense. CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli was also connecting the potential dots between Iowa and Sullivan recently.

After transfer portal departures from Spencer Petras, Joe Labas and Deacon Hill, Iowa is down to just two scholarship quarterbacks on campus currently, Cade McNamara and Marco Lainez.

McNamara was a prized portal pickup from Michigan for the Hawkeyes following the 2022 season and he started each of Iowa’s first five contests last season before suffering a torn ACL early in the Hawkeyes’ 26-16 win over Michigan State.

McNamara ended his inaugural Iowa season with 505 passing yards, four passing touchdowns against three interceptions and a 51.1% completion rate.

It marked back-to-back years that ended with season-ending knee injuries for McNamara. Before that, the 6-foot-1, 205 pound quarterback had been hampered by a lingering non-contact injury from Iowa’s 2023 open practice in August.

At Iowa’s recent open spring practice, McNamara was visibly slowed as his latest rehabilitation effort continues.

Meanwhile, Lainez has made just one career appearance for the Hawkeyes. That came late in Iowa’s 35-0 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl loss versus Tennessee this past January.

Lainez completed 2-of-7 passes for four yards. He also carried six times for 51 yards.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

Ohio State linebacker Nigel Glover enters the transfer portal

Nigel Glover enters the transfer portal #GoBucks

It did not take very long for Nigel Glover to enter his name back into the transfer portal after only spending one year on the Ohio State roster. This will be the second time that Glover has entered his name in the portal as he was originally committed to play for the Northwestern Wildcats before their off-season issues arose, which resulted in a few players — including Glover — entering their name in.

This transfer is a bit of a surprise as Glover enrolled later at Ohio State than  many of his classmates and even took a redshirt for the Buckeyes last season. This transfer all stings a bit more than most, because Glover is a home state kid from Dayton, Ohio.

The former four-star linebacker didn’t give Ohio State much of a chance, but regardless we wish him good luck at his next stop.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Josh Keatley on X.

Huskers suffer major 8-1 defeat to Northwestern on Saturday

Nebraska fell to 27-21 on the season and 10-8 in conference play.

The Nebraska softball team entered the second game of its series against Northwestern on Saturday. The Huskers and the Wildcats originally entered Saturday with a doubleheader set, but the second game got pushed back due to weather. The first game resulted in an 8-1 defeat for Nebraska.

The Huskers and Northwestern played scoreless for the first couple of innings. The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead over the Huskers in the third and scored six runs in the final two innings to take the win.

Northwestern finished the game with nine hits and eight RBIs, while Nebraska delivered five hits for one RBI. The Huskers also left seven runners on baseball, including five in scoring position.

Emmerson Cope delivered Nebraska’s lone run, a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. Ava Bredwell led Nebraska in hits, going 2-for-4, the only Husker with multiple hits in the loss.

Nebraska fell to 27-21 on the season and 10-8 in conference play. The Huskers will conclude their final game against Northwestern on Sunday morning. Nebraska currently leads 5-0 over the Wildcats in the top of the fourth and will resume play at 11:00 a.m. with the game broadcasting on B1G+.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Nebraska softball falls short to first place Northwestern 6-5

Nebraska softball falls short to first place Northwestern 6-5

The Huskers commenced their final home series of the season against first-place Northwestern Friday night. Nebraska battled Northwestern throughout the night, but the Wildcats ultimately got the edge over the Huskers.

Northwestern and Nebraska entered the seventh deadlocked 4-4 after Northwestern took a 4-2 lead. But a sacrificial fly and a wild pitch pushed the Wildcats to a 6-4 lead. The Huskers attempted a comeback, which consisted of a solo home run by Emmerson Cope to cut the lead down 6-5 but could not manage another run.

Nebraska finished with eight hits while Northwestern delivered six, but the Huskers brought in just one of seven runners in scoring position. The Wildcats finished with four RBIs off two sacrificial flies, a solo home run, and a single. Northwestern earned its other two runs off the aforementioned wild pitch and a fielding error.

Samantha Bland started the game with a two-run home run in the first to put Nebraska up 2-0. Katelyn Caneda then hit a two-RBI single in the sixth to tie the game 4-4. The duo led the Huskers in RBIs.

Nebraska falls to 27-20 on the season and 10-7 in conference play. The Huskers will conclude the series against Northwestern on Saturday in a doubleheader. Game one is set for 11 a.m. with game two to follow at 1:30 p.m., with both games being broadcasted on B1G+.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Ohio State softball gets blasted by Northwestern

Back at it tomorrow. #GoBucks

The Northwestern softball team flexed its muscle against Ohio State on Friday night, winning going away by a score of 10-0.

After a scoreless first inning, the Wildcats got on the board first in the top of the second inning with a solo home run to make it 1-0. Northwestern would add to the lead with a two-run RBI single in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0, then tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning on a two-run homer for a 5-0 lead.

The dam broke in the top of the seventh inning when the Wildcats tacked on five unearned runs for the final score of 10-0.

Ohio State collected just four hits thanks to dominance on the mound by pitcher Ashley Miller. Allison Smith started in the circle for OSU, going four innings while giving up three earned runs on six hits.

The Buckeyes will get another crack at the Wildcats on Saturday when the play host at 2 p.m. ET.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Tracker: Full schedule, all results, updated bracket

Our Big Ten women’s basketball tournament tracker is live with updated matchups, TV times, betting odds, bracket and more.

The Big Ten women’s basketball tournament is now set with the conclusion of the regular season now behind us. Ohio State claimed the top spot in the final Big Ten standings and will own the top seed in the women’s basketball tournament while Iowa and Caitlin Clark are looking to capture a third consecutive Big Ten tournament championship in a final push for a no. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

This year’s Big Ten women’s basketball tournament will take place in the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a second straight year (the same venue will host next week’s Big Ten men’s basketball tournament as well). Games throughout the tournament will be aired on the Peacock streaming platform, Big Ten Network or CBS and Paramount+.

Here is a look at the full bracket.

We will be keeping track of the results and updated betting lines as the tournament plays out with our Big Ten women’s basketball tournament tracker. This will be updated throughout the Big Ten tournament so be sure to bookmark this link for future reference.

All times are Eastern.

Big Ten men’s basketball tournament if the season ended today

Northwestern and Minnesota drop in the Big Ten seeding, while Michigan State makes a big move up. Here is the updated Big Ten tournament seeding outlook.

The college basketball regular season is beginning to wind down, which means seeding in the Big Ten men’s basketball conference tournament is beginning to fall into place. Purdue continues to be on pace to lock up the top seed in this year’s conference tournament but the jockeying for position to grab a coveted double-bye is still active, as is the battle for a first-round bye.

The bottom four teams in the Big Ten will be paired up in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. The no. 5 through no. 9 seeds will begin play in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. The top four seeds will get a double bye and begin competing in the Big Ten tournament in the quarterfinals.

This year’s Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will be held in the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Games will air on Peacock, Big Ten Network, or CBS and Paramount+.

We’ll be keeping track of the Big Ten tournament picture from now until the end of the regular season by updating this Big Ten tournament outlook on a daily basis.

This outlook was last updated on the morning of March 36

Social media reacts as Iowa basketball captures resume-enhancing win at Northwestern

No beer! Social media reacted as Iowa basketball collected a massive 87-80 win at Northwestern to enhance its NCAA Tournament resume.

Led by a terrific tag-team effort from sophomore guard Josh Dix and junior forward Payton Sandfort, the Iowa Hawkeyes went into Welsh-Ryan Arena and collected a massive 87-80 win over Northwestern.

Dix led Iowa with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 from downtown. Sandfort added 23 for the Hawkeyes, connecting on 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range.

Iowa saw double-figure performances from graduate forward Ben Krikke with 12 points and senior guard Tony Perkins with 10.

It was a fantastic day from the floor for the Hawkeyes as Iowa shot 55.0% from the field and 50% from 3-point distance.

In the process, Iowa collected an all-important Quad 1 victory to enhance its NCAA Tournament resume.

As they should be, Hawkeye fans were overjoyed on social media with the triumph.