Northwestern Wildcats prepare for ‘business trip’ to Ireland against Nebraska in season opener

CHICAGO (CBS) — Northwestern football opens their season in just over three weeks against Nebraska.

The two will meet in Ireland on Aug. 27, a week before the bulk of college football begins.

It will be the first time leaving the country for many of these Wildcat players, so they will want to enjoy the trip, but also focus on beating a Nebraska team that destroyed the Cats last year.

“It’s crazy to say this is going into my fourth year of college football. I kind of get excited. I think when you start, it’s a journey,” quarterback Ryan Hilinski said.

“What I did was I asked them to raise their hands (for) who have never left the country. It was a lot of hands. So this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To get to play internationally, to be the first college game of the year, I think it’s something our guys will always remember,” said coach Pat Fitzgerald. “They’ll remember especially if we go play well and win.”

“I’m looking forward to the experience. I’ve heard a lot about the food and the weather. It’s going to be interesting,” defenseman Cameron Mitchell said. “But, you know, it’s a business trip. We’re going to get revenge in Nebraska.”

This is another game postponed by the pandemic. It was originally supposed to be the Illini and Nebraska in Dublin last year, but that game ended up being played in Champaign.