1987 Northwestern Wildcats football team

1987 Northwestern Wildcats football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
1987 record	2–8–1 (2–6 Big Ten)
Head coach	Francis Peay (2nd season)
Captain	By Game
Home stadium	Dyche Stadium
Seasons

1987 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#8/8 Michigan State †	7	–	0	–	1			9	–	2	–	1
#16/16 Iowa	6	–	2	–	0			10	–	3	–	0
#NR/20 Indiana	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
#19/18 Michigan	5	–	3	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Ohio State	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	4	–	1
Minnesota	3	–	5	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Purdue	3	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	1
Illinois	2	–	5	–	1			3	–	7	–	1
Northwestern	2	–	6	–	0			2	–	8	–	1
Wisconsin	1	–	7	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
† – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll

The 1987 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second year under head coach Francis Peay, the Wildcats compiled a 2–8–1 record (2–6 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in ninth place in the Big Ten Conference.

The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Mike Greenfield with 1,265 passing yards, Byron Sanders with 778 rushing yards, and George Jones with 668 receiving yards.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result
September 12	at Duke*	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC	L 16–31
September 19	at Missouri*	Faurot Field Columbia, MO	L 3–28
September 26	Northern Illinois*	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	T 16–16
October 3	at Indiana	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	L 18–35
October 10	Minnesota	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 33–45
October 17	No. 19 Michigan State	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 0–38
October 24	at Wisconsin	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	W 27–24
October 31	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, Michigan	L 6–29
November 7	Iowa	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL	L 24–52
November 14	at Purdue	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	L 15–20
November 21	Illinois	Dyche Stadium Evanston, IL (Sweet Sioux Tomahawk)	W 28–10
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game