Iowa Football: Four things we want to see in Evanston

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes watches a replay during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones on September 8, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes watches a replay during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones on September 8, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 19: Wide receiver Nico Ragaini #89 of the Iowa Hawkeyes breaks a tackle during the second half by cornerback Simeon Smiley #29 of the Purdue Boilermakers on October 19, 2019 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 19: Wide receiver Nico Ragaini #89 of the Iowa Hawkeyes breaks a tackle during the second half by cornerback Simeon Smiley #29 of the Purdue Boilermakers on October 19, 2019 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

Iowa football has seen a downtick in performance, mostly on offense, this week’s contest against Northwestern offers an opportunity to get excited again.

Iowa football started the season 4-0 and many fans hoped for the type of special season that Hawkeye fans see once every six years.

After two close losses to ranked foes and an unconvincing win against Purdue, Iowa football fans are left confused and frustrated about the performance of the football team.

Literally a week after a record-setting offensive game against Middle Tennessee, Iowa’s offense has completely stalled for three consecutive weeks. The lowest point – an excruciating 3-point performance in Ann Arbor – had us questioning whether our hopes for that special season were realistic.

On Saturday, Iowa gets a litmus test. The Hawkeyes play a team in Northwestern with a greater performance discrepancy between offense and defense.

Northwestern has a great defense in 2019, but an offense that makes Iowa football look like Clemson.

However, even when Iowa football is at its best, a game against Northwestern is never a guaranteed win. The Hawkeyes are, as we all know, not at its best right now.

Still, there is room for improvement and reason to think positive development is possible.

On Saturday, Hawkeye fans should be hoping for these four things to come to fruition, so those hopes of a special season are kept alive.