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Rapid Reaction: Northwestern’s offense does just enough to get past Iowa
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Final score: Northwestern 17 Iowa 10
Quick recap
This was one of those classic, burn-the-tape type of games. It was ugly, it was sloppy, it was classic Iowa-Northwestern.
Northwestern was finally able to turn things around offensively in the second half after being shutout in the first 37 minutes of the game. No, the Wildcats weren’t piling up yards by the bundle, but they were finally able to move the ball with some consistency and score just enough to win this game.
Both defenses should be credited for valiant efforts on Saturday afternoon, but the offenses were really abysmal from start-to-finish. Dropped passes, poor offensive line play and struggles on third down were really the story of the game.
Ultimately, Northwestern made just enough plays on offense to escape with a win. That’s all it took in Evanston.
Key play: Northwestern’s 80-yard punt by Hunter Niswander
Does that sound dumb? Good, because it kind of is. But after that incredible boot by Niswander, the Wildcats (kind of) got things rolling offensively. After downing the ball on the Hawkeyes’ 2-yard line, things really shifted in Northwestern’s favor.
They were able to put points on the board on three of their final five drives, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime. In games like this, field position matters. It mattered on Saturday.
Stat of the game: Iowa’s 89 rushing yards
Iowa couldn’t produce anything out of the backfield on Saturday against Northwestern. While it looked like the passing attack might be just good enough to squeak out a victory, the Hawkeyes really needed another dimension offensively.
The Hawkeyes aren’t very good when they don’t hit the 100-yard mark on the ground. It led to another loss this weekend.
What it means
Iowa is immune to winning in the clutch this season. The three losses the Hawkeyes have suffered (Penn State, Michigan State, Northwestern) have all come by a touchdown or less. There really isn’t a signature win on the resume and, all of the sudden, Iowa has absolutely no resemblance to that team that won the B1G West two years ago.
For Northwestern, the win is a nice boost moving forward. So many times the Wildcats have been on the wrong side of these outcomes and have struggled to get over the hump. But, even on a day when the offense was atrocious, Pat Fitzgerald’s team found a way to win. That’s an encouraging sign for the remaining five games of the season.
The outcome really had no impact on the B1G West race, though. So the win basically just gets Northwestern one win closer to bowl eligibility.
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