Northern Illinois @ Northwestern

Northern Illinois upset Northwestern 28-9 in Evanston on Feb. 13, 2026, picking up a road dual over the Big Ten program. The Huskies closed out the dual with a comfortable 19-point margin, fueled by at least one decisive bonus-point result that swung the score in their favor.

The decisive moment came at 285 pounds when #20 Devon Dawson of Northern Illinois defeated Gabe Christenson of Northwestern 16-4 by major decision, earning four team points. That bonus-margin victory was the highest-profile bout of the night and supplied critical extra points that pushed Northern Illinois well ahead on the scoreboard. Dawson’s control and second-period scoring separated the two, converting a tight matchup into a clear scoring advantage for the visitors.

While the full card included other decisions that added to the final tally, Dawson’s major decision stood out as the only listed bonus outcome and clearly shaped the dual’s trajectory. Northern Illinois left Evanston with a statement-scoring road win over a Big Ten opponent, while Northwestern was unable to generate enough bonus results of its own to close the gap.