As the gauntlet continues for Northwestern, things just got a little bit worse.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, sources tell him Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles will miss Saturday’s matchup against No. 19 Iowa due to an upper body injury. Backup Nicco Marchiol, a transfer from West Virginia, will start in the 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
Chiles has scored 23 touchdowns this season for the Wildcats; 13 through the air and another 10 on the ground. He’s thrown for 1,898 yards with just one pick.
In last week’s 34-26 loss at Oregon, Chiles through for 281 yards and a touchdown, going 22-of-38. He added 93 yards rushing with a score on 14 carries. Northwestern fell to 6-2 (3-2 in the Big Ten) and out of the AP Top 25. They also did not make the first batch of College Football Playoff rankings.
With Iowa visiting Ryan Field, Northwestern has a shot at upsetting the ranked Hawkeyes and returning to the polls. But the task now falls to Marchiol.
A veteran himself, Marchiol has appeared in 27 games and was 6-2 as a starter at West Virginia. He has only briefly appeared on the field this season for Northwestern, accumulating one pass attempt and having two carries for 22 yards.
Northwestern faces a tough stretch to close out the season, beginning with last week’s loss to the Ducks. Next weekend, they travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes before a trip to Minnesota just before Thanksgiving. The Wildcats end the regular season hosting Illinois. Both the Gophers and Illini look more formidable now than they did just a month ago.
The Wildcats likely need a healthy Chiles to have a chance at winning out and making a case for the playoffs.
