1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team

The 1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A college football season.

Season
Northwestern finished the season with a 10–2 record. Under head coach Gary Barnett, the trio of quarterback Steve Schnur, running back Darnell Autry, and linebacker Pat Fitzgerald lead the Wildcats to a dramatic turnaround for the program. "Expect Victory" was the motto even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17–15 season-opening win over heavily favored Notre Dame, along with wins over Michigan, 19–13, and Penn State, 21–10, catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern achieved a ranking of #3 in the nation and won the Big Ten Conference title. They faced off against USC in the Rose Bowl where the Wildcats' Cinderella season came to an abrupt halt with a 41–32 loss.

1995 team players in the NFL

 * Darnell Autry

Awards and honors

 * Gary Barnett, Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
 * Gary Barnett, Walter Camp Coach of the Year
 * Pat Fitzgerald, LB, Chuck Bednarik Award
 * Pat Fitzgerald, LB, Bronko Nagurski Trophy