Cole Freeman

ANALYSIS
Freeman was not able to put up any points while being harassed by the Fighting Illini's dominant defense, which now leads the nation with 22 interceptions this season. The 6-foot signal-caller relied heavily on do-it-all running back Evan Hull (three receptions, five targets, 33 yards) and top wideout Malik Washington (seven receptions, nine targets, 56 yards), the latter of whom entered the transfer portal Tuesday. Freeman also coughed up turnovers on back-to-back drives in the third quarter, leading to a scoop-and-score touchdown followed by a pick-six for Illinois safety Sydney Brown. The sophomore signal-caller was then benched for freshman Jack Lausch for the remainder of this contest, and this dreadful performance does not provide much optimism for the future of Freeman's career with Northwestern.