Northwestern dealt a pair of brutal injury updates ahead of the Purdue contest.
The Northwestern football team will take on lowly Purdue today without two of its best players due to injuries.
Linebacker Xander Mueller and wide receiver Bryce Kirtz are reportedly both going to miss today’s Big Ten game.
“Sources: Northwestern will be without leading wide receiver Bryce Kirtz and second-leading tackler LB Xander Mueller, who are both out today at Purdue,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Kirtz is dealing with an undisclosed injury and Mueller has been battling a lower body injury.”
Despite missing last week’s game vs. Iowa, Kirtz leads the Wildcats in receiving yards with 414. His 15.3 yards-per-catch average and 27 receptions also rank first and second on the team, respectively.
Similarly, Mueller has recorded more assisted tackles this season than any other Northwestern player with 20, and his 43 total tackles are second only to Mac Uihlein despite Mueller having also been sidelined for the Wildcats’ decisive loss to Iowa.
Without Kirtz, Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch will likely try to lean even more heavily on A.J. Henning and Thomas Gordon, who account for more than 40% of the Wildcats’ receptions this season. Henning and Gordon are the second and third-leading receivers in terms of yards, respectively, and Henning leads the team with 3 touchdown catches in 2024.
In Mueller’s absence last week, Uihlein reached double-digit tackles for the second time this season. The fourth-year junior recorded 6 solo tackles and 4 assists, including being part of a tackle for loss, as the Wildcats were routed by Iowa in the second half of a 40-14 road loss.
Northwestern football team faces uphill battle amid purdue matchup
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