Our countdown to kickoff coverage continues with our nine teams in nine days preview series. There might not be a team on Iowa’s schedule that matches up more evenly with the Hawkeyes than the Northwestern Wildcats, who rank as Iowa’s 4th toughest game of the season.
When do they play?
October 21st @ Ryan Field
What you need to know:
After back to back blowouts of the Wildcats in 2014 & 2015, Northwestern handed Iowa a crushing 38-31 defeat in Kinnick stadium last year. The loss put the Big Ten West favorites in a hole they weren’t able to climb out of, as Iowa ended up finishing two games behind Wisconsin in the division last season. With Penn State and Ohio State coming to Iowa City this year as crossover opponents, a loss to Northwestern would be just as deflating as it was last season for Iowa’s Big Ten West title hopes.
What do they do well?
Northwestern is a well rounded, well coached team with sneaky offensive fire power. In the Big Ten, Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley of Penn State and J.T. Barrett and Mike Weber of Ohio State have garnered tons of media attention as lethal quarterback-running back duos. Because of that, Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson and running back Justin Jackson have flown under the radar. It shouldn’t take long for teams, and NFL scouts, to take notice of the Wildcats’ duo. Even with the loss of wide receiver Austin Carr, Northwestern’s offense should be potent with Thorson and Jackson running the show.
Defensively, head coach Pat Fitzgerald sports an experienced bunch with eight returning starters. They lost their best linebacker and team captain Anthony Walker to the NFL, so it’ll be up to 315 pound nose tackle Tyler Lancaster and second team all conference safety Godwin Igwebuike to anchor the Wildcat defense. Look for those two to be making plays early and often.
Prediction
It’s important to note that Ryan Field is notorious for lulling opposing teams to sleep, especially during 11 AM kickoffs. No matter how good Northwestern is they always seem to struggle drawing big crowds, but that has oddly worked to their advantage under Pat Fitzgerald. With Iowa coming off a bye week, one could look at the situation and say “hey, they had extra time to prepare, they’ll be ready to play”. That could be true, but the week off could also mean Iowa spends the first quarter making sloppy mistakes and playing lackadaisical football in front of a listless crowd. Expect Iowa to come out flat, and for Thorson and Jackson to take advantage.
Final Score- Northwestern 31-Iowa 20