Football Game Preview: Northwestern Trojans vs. Irmo Yellow Jackets + How To Watch

Northwestern is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Irmo is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Trojans will welcome the Yellow Jackets at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Northwestern's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last nine contests.

Northwestern is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 51-19 victory over Indian Land. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 24-0.

Xavier Means was his usual excellent self, rushing for 164 yards and four scores while picking up 7.5 yards per carry, and also throwing for 157 yards while completing 71.4% of his passes.

Means was just one part of a punishing run game: Northwestern was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 235 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 155 rushing yards in three consecutive matchups.

Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 15 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Amarian Coleman, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Irmo faced Berkeley in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Yellow Jackets simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Stags 44-6. Considering the Yellow Jackets have won eight contests by more than 24 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Irmo's win bumped their record up to 12-1. As for Northwestern, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 12-1.

Northwestern skirted past Irmo 34-31 in their previous matchup back in December of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Yellow Jackets' Aaron (Aj) Brand Jr., who rushed for 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.0 yards per carry, and also threw for 151 yards and two TDs. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Trojans to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.