What Northwestern’s 34-18 Win Says About the Chip Kelly Offense
South Dakota State ran more plays and held the ball longer, but Northwestern’s explosive gains, red-zone results, and late scoring decided Chip Kelly’s first game as playcaller.
Why I looked this up
I noticed Northwestern football, South Dakota State football, and Chip Kelly appearing together in search interest, so I wanted to understand the connection rather than guess from the names alone.
The answer was Northwestern’s September 5, 2026 season opener. Northwestern defeated South Dakota State 34-18, and the university’s official recap described the opening possession as the start of Chip Kelly’s tenure as the Wildcats’ playcaller.
What interested me most was that the final score did not match several of the usual volume statistics.
The key points
The official box score shows that South Dakota State recorded 27 first downs to Northwestern’s 19, ran 88 plays to Northwestern’s 55, and held the ball for 34:08 compared with 25:52.
Northwestern still gained more total yardage, 497 to 432, while averaging 9.0 yards per play against South Dakota State’s 4.9. Northwestern also finished without a turnover; South Dakota State had one.
Here is the comparison I found most useful:
| Question I would ask | Northwestern | South Dakota State | What it suggests to me |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who produced more first downs? | 19 | 27 | SDSU sustained more activity. |
| Who ran more plays? | 55 | 88 | SDSU had substantially more offensive volume. |
| Who gained more yards? | 497 | 432 | Northwestern generated more yardage from fewer snaps. |
| Who averaged more per play? | 9.0 | 4.9 | Explosive gains changed the shape of the game. |
| Who committed a turnover? | 0 | 1 | Northwestern avoided giving away a possession. |
| Who converted red-zone visits into scores? | 5 of 5 | 5 of 7 | Northwestern finished every listed red-zone opportunity. |
That table is my main takeaway: possession and play count alone would have given me the wrong impression. Northwestern’s efficiency and scoring outcomes mattered more.
How the game changed late
South Dakota State’s official recap says Northwestern scored on its final four possessions. The scoring log provides the sequence behind that summary.
South Dakota State pulled within 20-18 on a two-yard Josiah Johnson touchdown run with 8:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the two-point attempt failed. Northwestern then answered with Aidan Chiles’ 14-yard touchdown run. After a missed South Dakota State field-goal attempt, Joseph Himon II added an 80-yard touchdown run with 1:15 remaining.
Chiles completed 14 of 24 passes for 273 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He also scored once on the ground. Northwestern’s first touchdown came on an 11-yard pass from Chiles to Alex Honig after a two-play, 82-yard opening drive, according to the Northwestern recap.
What I looked up next
I wanted a simple way to evaluate this version of Northwestern’s offense without treating one game as a complete verdict. These are the checkpoints I would carry into the next box score:
- Efficiency: Does Northwestern remain productive per play, or was the 9.0-yard average tied to a few unusually long gains?
- Finishing drives: Does the offense continue converting its red-zone appearances into points?
- Ball security: Can it keep avoiding turnovers as the schedule continues?
- Response possessions: When an opponent closes the margin, can Northwestern answer with another sustained scoring drive?
One opener cannot establish a season-long pattern. Still, the official numbers make the Chip Kelly connection clearer: his first game as Northwestern’s playcaller featured 497 yards, no turnovers, a perfect scoring rate on five listed red-zone visits, and enough late production to turn a two-point game into a 34-18 final.