Northwestern QB Aidan Chiles reportedly expected to miss Saturday's game vs. No. 19 Iowa with upper-body injury

First-year Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and former Oregon State and Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles have forged one of the more entertaining partnerships in college football this season.

Operating a shape-shifting attack that's featured wing-T and flexbone formations, they have helped lead the Wildcats to a 6-2 start, thrusting the program into the College Football Playoff conversation. Except now, following a road loss to Oregon, that dynamic duo has been disrupted.

Chiles is expected to miss Saturday's game against No. 19 Iowa with an upper-body injury, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Friday.

Chiles' recovery timetable is reportedly uncertain. Northwestern's now-slimmer playoff hopes hinge on head coach David Braun's team authoring a strong finish down the stretch, probably one that would involve the Wildcats running the table.

First they'll need a win at home against the Hawkeyes. Notching that without Chiles could prove much more difficult.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, they have an experienced backup in Nicco Marchiol, who has appeared in 27 career games and, per Thamel, will get the nod this weekend at the new Ryan Field.

Marchiol spent his first four seasons at West Virginia. He entered the 2025 campaign as the Mountaineers' QB1; however, a season-ending foot injury last year on Sept. 20 cut that run short.

He's a career 62% passer, and, notably, he has 126 carries under his belt. Still, Marchiol has some big shoes to fill.

Chiles has piled up 23 total touchdowns this season. He's posted a 13:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and scampered for 10 scores on the ground.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior is logging 271.5 yards of total offense per contest, good for fourth among all Big Ten players this season.

Even without Chiles, though, Kelly's run game should give the Wildcats a chance against Iowa, which is coming off a 30-0 shellacking of then-No. 25 Wisconsin. Of the 18 Big Ten teams, only UCLA is averaging more rushing yards than Northwestern this season.

After facing the Hawkeyes, the Wildcats (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) will have to play now-No. 12 Ohio State and Minnesota on the road before hosting Illinois for their regular-season finale.