After a historic 2020 season, the Wildcats entered the 2021 opener against Michigan State with little returning production but a good amount of momentum. Unfortunately, Northwestern fell behind early and stayed behind for the rest of the opener against the Spartans, due in large part of a monster showing from MSU running back Kenneth Walker III. Here are five takeaways from Northwestern’s sloppy loss to Michigan State:

Northwestern’s defense may be their weakness

Leading up to Northwestern’s season opener, the main source of worry was the team’s new-look offense. However, after Friday night’s debacle, the Wildcats’ defense has risen atop the list of concerns.