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Rapid Reaction: Iowa shuts out Northwestern, ends three-game skid against Wildcats

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Final score: #20 Iowa 20 Northwestern 0

Brief recap: It’s tough to say that Iowa’s offense finally controlled a game, with the statistics not really showcasing that kind of effort. But with an early touchdown pass from Nate Stanley to Tyrone Tracy Jr. to take a 7-0 lead, the Hawkeyes really dictated the tempo of the game the rest of the way. Iowa was never able to pull away from Northwestern, but held a 10-0 lead at halftime and scored a third quarter touchdown on a 1-yard run from Mekhi Sargent. It was a three-score game, and considering how poorly Northwestern’s offense has been all season, it was essentially over. Once again, the Wildcats were unable to get anything going on the offensive side of the football, finishing with 202 yards in the game.

Key moment: The first possession of the third quarter for the Hawkeyes was a 13-play, 59-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by Sargent’s touchdown run. A 17-0 lead at any point in the game is essentially an insurmountable deficit for this Northwestern team. It was the punctuation mark on a big win for the Hawkeyes.

Key stat: Northwestern’s 2.3 yards per carry rush average were pretty bad. That’s really the stat that stands out most from the game.

Key player: Stepping in for an injured Brandon Smith, Tracy Jr. caught two passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, including the 50-yard scoring reception. That’s not exactly an eye-popping total, but he provided a spark to an offense that has been lacking one. It’s not easy to step in for a player like Smith.

What it means for Northwestern: Back to the drawing board, again, for Pat Fitzgerald and company. Nobody expected to see this Northwestern team compete for a division title like it did a year ago, but sitting with just one win this far into the season is really unprecedented for one of Fitzgerald’s squads. This is an incredibly bad year offensively in Evanston, and we get more evidence of that every Saturday.

What it means for Iowa: With Wisconsin falling to Ohio State, Iowa is still very much alive in the B1G West, even with two losses. Minnesota still leads the division and is undefeated, so the Hawkeyes would need some help. But Iowa still has both Wisconsin and Minnesota on the schedule. They still have a shot to reach Indianapolis at the end of the year. The Hawkeyes still have issues moving the football, but the defense continues to play lights out. And in the B1G, you can always win games with strong defensive play.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB