2026 games, tackles for loss per game. W and L: the team’s results.
Michael Kilbane
Four seasons in the Northwestern defensive front to date. One game to point at: 6 tackles and 1 tackle for loss against Colorado — Week 3, 2026.
27 tackles · 2.5 sacks
Play style
Disrupts the pocket from the interior.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Northwestern | 27 | 16 | 6.5 | 2.5 | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 42 | 18 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 1 |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 20 | 9 | 3.0 | 2.5 | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 11 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- |
| Career | 100 | 44 | 17.5 | 8.5 | 1 |
Last game (Wk 9): 2 tackles for loss, 2 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 7 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | W 41-7vs Colorado | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 4 | L 23-29@ No. 5 Indiana | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 34-13vs Penn State | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 45-14vs Ball State | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 24-21@ Michigan State | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 42-14vs Rutgers | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 26-34@ Oregon | 2 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 16 | 6.5 | 2.5 | — | 0 |
Oct. 31 · L 26-34 at Oregon, play by play
2 tackles, including 2 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Against his own season: his best backfield disruption game of the season so far.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 6 tackles for loss, 2 of them sacks, in the 7 games with play by play.
How Northwestern’s defense played that day
Oregon’s 10 drives: 4 stopped (1 takeaway) · 6 scored. While the game was within a score they held 4 of 6.
5 tackles, including 1 sack. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
3 tackles. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 8-yard loss on 3rd and 8. Second quarter, up 14-0.
3 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
5 tackles. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 6 for him; the box score credits 5.
6 tackles, including 1 more for loss. The fumble he forced ended Colorado’s drive (fumble).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 5 of his 6, sacks included.
Forced a fumble. First quarter, tied 0-0. Ended Colorado’s drive (fumble).
Week 8 · 2026
W 42-14
vs Rutgers
1 sack · 1 tackle for loss · 5 tackles
Dominant 28-point win at home against Rutgers.
Ratings of the games shown run from -20 to +24 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
TFL rate
24%6 TFLSack rate
9%2 sacksHurry rate
11%3 hurries27 tackles · 6.5 for loss · 2.5 sacks.
4 seasons under David Braun — 25-21 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 7 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Road3g | 3.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
David Braun
Pass share
40.2%
204 pass / 303 run
Plays / game
63.4
8 games
Team sack rate
7.4%
231 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
27 tackles in 7 games, more tackles a game than most FBS defensive linemen who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #217 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #28 of 69 Big Ten DLs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 15% of returning players who ranked #21 or lower at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 13–17%).
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 35 games over four seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under David Braun.
