Inside NU - Northwestern-Iowa gameweek Roll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2018-11-11T13:32:15-06:00http://www.insidenu.com/rss/stream/178439172018-11-11T13:32:15-06:002018-11-11T13:32:15-06:00Northwestern cracks the AP Top 25 for first time this season
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NxlX4ro8GxXCYsMdbo-McaEyZ-Q=/4x0:3910x2604/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62270281/usa_today_11640834.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>No. 24 in the nation, No. 1 in the Big Ten West </p> <p id="sWAlMW">Northwestern football is one of the top 25 teams in the nation, according to the newest Associated Press (AP) poll released Sunday afternoon.</p>
<p id="mmvXM1">The Wildcats find themselves with the No. 24 ranking next to their name after defeating Iowa on Saturday and securing a place in the Big Ten title game. This ranking marks the first time the Wildcats have cracked the AP Top 25 this season. </p>
<p id="N8QLHl">Northwestern is one of four Big Ten teams featured in this week’s poll, along with Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. NU is the only team from the West division to earn a spot in the rankings.</p>
<p id="4fOC0y">Penn State moved up five spots to No. 16 after its win over Wisconsin Saturday, and Michigan and Ohio State remained in the nation’s top-10 after convincing wins.</p>
<p id="e4aJvA">Michigan State and Iowa both dropped from the rankings.</p>
<p id="o6zeUS">The newly 24th-ranked Wildcats travel to Minnesota next Saturday for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff against a Golden Gopher team coming off its biggest win of the season against Purdue.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/11/18085208/northwestern-ap-poll-ranked-top-25-number-24-big-ten-west-iowaJoeWeinberg2018-11-11T09:14:29-06:002018-11-11T09:14:29-06:00Finally, Northwestern football is a champion again
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<img alt="Northwestern v Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OlmjGTZvJHfFXhbwGBDZe79f3Jg=/0x9:3600x2409/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62268471/1060092554.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>From a special night in Iowa City. </p> <p id="ROWfjO">IOWA CITY, Iowa — Before the commemorative hats and shirts, before the interviews and thank yous, before whatever the hell is about to ensue in Indianapolis, Pat Fitzgerald was raw.</p>
<p id="ZWYmyC">He wasn’t the well-prepared, matter-of-fact head football coach we saw at the press conference. He wasn’t the laser-focused, locked-in game strategist on the sideline. He wasn’t preaching the Wildcat Way, he wasn’t talking graduation rates or APR scores and he wasn’t talking about going 1-0 next week. All of that would and will return, but not in this moment. </p>
<p id="hXAGtE">In this moment, Fitzgerald was a messenger. With his team huddled close, he had a message that was long overdue. It was a message born out of unyielding hours of work, and out of adversity, disappointment and embarrassment. And togetherness. And preparation. And success. It was everything.</p>
<p id="sXTB7d">And, in the moment, Fitzgerald didn’t even get to finish delivering the long-awaited, elusive words. </p>
<p id="IvJw5B">It didn’t really matter. Everyone knew. In the otherwise quiet, slicing cold of a sub-freezing night at Kinnick Stadium, players with white pants and jerseys began to bounce. Voices began to rise. Arms wrapped into sweaty, joyous hugs. Lips formed into smiles. And all the other things you do when you don’t know what to do happened. </p>
<p id="Z3dIbf">Those players — that jumping, yelling mosh pit of happiness — will never forget what happened Saturday night in Iowa City. </p>
<p id="Tva8dO">No one associated with Northwestern will, either.</p>
<p id="PwiRNx">***</p>
<p id="FAsvNv">Hours before holding a trophy he’d spent years relentlessly hunting down, <span>Clayton Thorson</span> was throwing up. He was sick. Maybe something he ate, he speculates.</p>
<p id="j8blVs">Thorson played, though, because he <em>always </em>plays. Thorson doesn’t miss games. Not after vomiting before kickoff, not after tearing his ACL nine months before a game. Sometimes he’s up, and sometimes he’s down, but he’s there. And that matters. The work he put in to get back for this season’s opener was nothing short of remarkable, and that’s what helped make a legendary night in Iowa City. </p>
<p id="EHjkgy">“Clayton’s the all-time winningest quarterback in this program’s history for a reason,” Pat Fitzgerald said Saturday. “He’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s a big-time player, but more importantly he’s a big-time person.”</p>
<p id="SfhvNm">For most of Saturday’s game, Thorson was not sharp. His receivers didn’t always help him, no, but Thorson missed throws. He threw interceptions, and he couldn’t sustain or finish drives all night. </p>
<p id="kgKmAK">Until he did. </p>
<p id="zM76Bo">With nothing really working, with his team losing, with Iowa fans breathing deafening noise into Kinnick Stadium, Thorson hit <span>Bennett Skowronek</span> in the corner of the end zone for a pitch-and-catch worthy of any hyperbole you have. This was the Dererk Pardon shot against the Michigan. This was the<em> </em>signature play in the biggest Northwestern football moment of the Pat Fitzgerald era. </p>
<p id="3qeBtr">The throw was good, and the catch was spectacular. </p>
<p id="dHRphx">“It was a ridiculous catch,” Fitzgerald said. “I don’t know how he caught the ball. I don’t think anybody in the building thought he caught the ball.”</p>
<p id="gmI9Ww">Bennett Skowronek, take a bow. </p>
<p id="thHwwJ">But back to Thorson, who embodies Northwestern more than other player on the team. Sometimes, he dominates, and sometimes, he struggles. And, when he’s at one of those extremes, you wonder why on this day, of all days, is this performance happening. You can’t really explain it. Some games, the throws sail high or skip off the turf before reaching his receivers. Some games he’s running for his life, and it’s still on him to win the game. Some games, he can’t miss. And some games, it’s all or some of those things.</p>
<p id="ve24M5">Saturday, in that game — in <em>the</em> game — Clayton Thorson produced the kind of magic that sends purple-wearing fans into a frenzy. The kind of magic he’s spent a career looking for. The kind of magic that wins championships. </p>
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<img alt="Northwestern v Iowa" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TsV-6TLXRPV8Hiu_pExd2UdKOE4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13424347/1060092562.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="JRSn5Z">***</p>
<p id="d1IVhG">Northwestern is not a prototypical champion. It’s a champion with flaws and scars, and a champion that caught breaks. </p>
<p id="7PwLfR">I mean, Northwestern lost to Akron! And won the Big Ten West! That doesn’t make logical sense!</p>
<p id="RVOwo2">Dig into the numbers further, and it still won’t. But hey, stats are for losers, right?</p>
<p id="6GcdN3">The process says Northwestern shouldn’t have won the Big Ten West. Not enough explosive plays, not enough efficiency in key areas and not enough turnovers forced.</p>
<p id="1FENmp">The weird, unexplainable thing about Northwestern, though, is that the process is<em> </em>the results themselves. Usually, the performances are relatively unbalanced. Either the running game or the passing game shows up offensively, but not really both. One typically shows up, though, and it’s often enough to win. Northwestern doesn’t commit many penalties. It finds a way to convert when it has to. </p>
<p id="a8aCvn">This team is a team; when individuals make mistakes, other players step up. When Clayton Thorson threw a pick in the third quarter Saturday and Kinnick was roaring, Northwestern’s defense got a three-and-out. When the passing game couldn’t drive the ball downfield, the offensive line and Isaiah Bowser went to work, to the tune of 31 carries for 165 yards for the true freshman. With its top three cornerbacks out after Montre Hartage went down with an injury, Roderick Campbell ran step for step with a receiver to break up a would-be touchdown. </p>
<p id="os0UDU">That’s how a team that fell to Akron fought its way back to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-championship-game">Big Ten Championship</a>. </p>
<p id="TNmyZ2">“The brotherhood that’s in that locker room is the glue that’s kept everything together,” Fitzgerald said. “If I would say one thing about this group, the brotherhood is what’s special.”</p>
<p id="UqKljx">“When we face adversity, we’re not going to cower,” <span>Joe Gaziano</span> said.</p>
<p id="6oxLGT">The oddity of clinching both the division and bowl eligibility on the same day is indeed weird. </p>
<p id="d4S6Xw">Northwestern playing in the Big Ten Championship is weird too. It’s not supposed to happen. The only private school in the conference, the smallest school in the conference, the school in the sleepy college town is not supposed to beat the schools with football-crazed college towns and huge fanbases. </p>
<p id="8jjoCh">Yet, that’s exactly what happened. Northwestern played its best four games of the season against the other four best teams in its division, and won all of them. No, that doesn’t excuse Akron or explain Duke. It doesn’t even necessarily mean Northwestern was good this season. “Winning the Big Ten West” was always a relative accomplishment — just being better than the other teams in the division. </p>
<p id="I4wRi5">And that’s exactly what Northwestern was this season. </p>
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<img alt="Northwestern v Iowa" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Iwx45r33xVkZGaZx63hTL7PAzYg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13424349/1060092558.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="AwLony">***</p>
<p id="OyRmtz">Pat Fitzgerald has no problem talking about what he and his team want to accomplish. He’s fine with the pressure that comes with winning, because it comes with winning. </p>
<p id="EuB3Jc">Entering this week’s game against Iowa, Northwestern didn’t shy away from the stakes.</p>
<p id="NKEJnn">“I didn’t hide the opportunity this week,” Fitzgerald said. “We can control the West if we win Saturday in Iowa City, and if some things happen, we can be putting a trophy in case here with two weeks to play. Anybody wanna sign up for that?”</p>
<p id="yO95oV">Naturally, Fitzgerald was asked if he had talked to his players about the Rose Bowl.</p>
<p id="Wj9lgz">“I haven’t yet,” Fitzgerald said.</p>
<p id="SSejg2">Key word: yet. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/11/18084050/northwestern-football-big-ten-west-champions-pat-fitzgerald-clayton-thorson-iowa-kinnick-stadiumCaleb Friedman2018-11-10T18:58:41-06:002018-11-10T18:58:41-06:00Four up, three down from Northwestern’s West-clinching win against Iowa
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9BYEBSpMnvH2LMj8phvpawqLxvY=/3x0:3152x2099/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62265051/usa_today_11640695.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Wow.</p> <p id="JvyTbe"><em>Here’s the weekly stock report from Northwestern 14-10 win over Iowa. </em></p>
<h1 id="zzv0nl">Stock Up</h1>
<h2 id="l4E9pj"><span>Isaiah Bowser</span></h2>
<p id="vlLF6d">The true freshman running back continues to impress since winning the starting job just three weeks ago. He had his best career game as a Wildcat, going for 165 yards on the afternoon and averaging over five yards per carry. Bowser exceeded 100 yards on the ground for the third time this season and added three catches for 33 yards in the passing game as well. He looked shiftier in his cuts throughout the entire game and consistently churned out positive carries even on plays where Iowa seemed to have him bottled up. His 34-yard touchdown in the third quarter was his longest run of the season. It was by far Bowser’s most impressive game in an NU uniform thus far.</p>
<h2 id="DgEaiK">Northwestern run defense </h2>
<p id="b7zvfk">Northwestern’s front seven was completely dominant the entire game albeit against a weak Iowa running attack. Iowa had just 64 total yards on the ground all game and didn’t break a run longer than 11 yards all game. The Northwestern linebackers and tackles had their way all game and they also forced two pretty important fumbles.</p>
<h2 id="eqGwCJ"><span>Travis Whillock </span></h2>
<p id="iIap7F">Whillock looked strong in his first career start for the Wildcats. Filling in at safety for the injured <span>Jared McGee</span>, Whillock held his own in pass coverage for the majority of the game and found a way to disrupt things in the Iowa backfield as well on a few key blitzes. Whillock led the NU defense with in both solo (4) and total tackles (8), and recovered a key fumble in the fourth quarter to halt the Hawkeye drive. On a day when Northwestern’s secondary came in decimated, and then <span>Montre Hartage</span> went down early in the second half, Whillock’s performance was important. If he can stay healthy, Northwestern has another talented, ballhawking safety in the mix. </p>
<h2 id="k9xLBH"><span>Joe Gaziano</span></h2>
<p id="Vma5Nd">Another impressive game for the Wildcats’ best defensive lineman. Gaziano led the team with 1.5 tackles for loss, and his forced fumble in the fourth quarter helped punch Northwestern’s ticket to Indianapolis. </p>
<p id="VvC657"><strong>Honorable Mentions: </strong><em>The Wave, Minnesota, offensive line play, </em><span><em>Jake Collins</em></span><em> punting, fielding punts!</em></p>
<h1 id="aESeIf">Stock Down</h1>
<h2 id="JpJlla"><span>Clayton Thorson</span></h2>
<p id="infAhD">The four-year starter finds himself on our stock down report for the second week in a row. Not only did he complete just 50 percent of his passes, his decision-making was poor all game. Both of his third quarter interceptions came in Northwestern’s own territory and he gave the ball to the Hawkeye offense when NU seemed to be building momentum. He deserves credit for a few good runs and giving Skowronek a chance on the fourth quarter touchdown, but overall, it was another disappointing day for the Northwestern QB. </p>
<h2 id="omrnIY">Kick coverage</h2>
<p id="DEo1hN">The Wildcats only kicked off three times all game, but Iowa returned the ball past the 30 yard line all three times. All in all, a day to forget for Northwestern special teams.</p>
<h2 id="VyorVV">Jake Collins’ field goal attempt</h2>
<p id="cAQs4R">No more of that, please. </p>
<p id="0oFKrp"><strong>Honorable Mentions: </strong><em>The first half offense as a whole, cold weather, NU secondary staying healthy</em></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/10/18082824/northwestern-iowa-recap-big-ten-west-pat-fitzgerald-isaiah-bowser-clayton-thorson-championshipJoeWeinberg2018-11-10T18:06:12-06:002018-11-10T18:06:12-06:00Northwestern outlasts Iowa 14-10, clinches Big Ten West
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_vH4U7S9wZ5d4XlEByHa-CNhG7o=/0x0:3537x2358/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62264797/usa_today_11638585.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It happened, people. </p> <p id="2WCCjw">IOWA CITY, IOWA — Northwestern has won the Big Ten West.</p>
<p id="UqcQZz">On a day where both Purdue and Wisconsin — the two teams closest to the Wildcats in the standings — both lost, Northwestern beat Iowa 14-10, out-slugging the Hawkeyes in a low-scoring, physical affair on a below-freezing afternoon at Kinnick Stadium.</p>
<p id="gw6iep">Despite a mostly poor afternoon from quarterback <span>Clayton Thorson</span>, <span>Isaiah Bowser</span> carried the load and then some, posting the best game of his young career on the day Northwestern clinched the West. Bowser rushed for 165 yards on 31 carries, including a key 34-yard touchdown in the third quarter. </p>
<p id="jkoffl">Thorson, who went 15-of-30 for 122 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions on the day, redeemed himself in the fourth quarter, when he delivered a strike to <span>Bennett Skowronek</span> that will go down as one of the most important plays of the season, if not program history. Streaking down the Northwestern sideline, Skowronek laid out for a 32-yard, lead re-claiming, touchdown grab that was nothing short of spectacular. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">On first glance it looked Skowrong, but upon further review it felt Skowright. <br><br>Bennett Skowronek makes an AMAZING catch to put <a href="https://twitter.com/NUFBFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NUFBFamily</a> in the lead: <a href="https://t.co/9tvky5pFS9">pic.twitter.com/9tvky5pFS9</a></p>— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork/status/1061404201811509250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2018</a>
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<p id="66zVfS">Paddy Fisher and Joe Gaziano forced fumbles on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions to secure Northwestern’s first-ever Big Ten West title. Amid a season in which the defense dominated when the offense couldn’t, Northwestern’s two best defensive players poked the ball loose in order to tighten their grip on a trip to Indy. </p>
<p id="gPfa5f">In a matchup that was close throughout, the game began inauspiciously for Northwestern. Iowa return man <span>Ihmir Smith-Marsette</span> took the opening kick back to the Iowa 47. The Kinnick crowd was ready to roll, and Smith-Marsette got them energized from the game’s very first play. </p>
<p id="MntPpI">Iowa proceeded to go three-and-out, though, and, unfortunately for those who love offense, the rest of the first half went much like Iowa’s opening drive did — controlled by the defenses and drives derailed by penalties. </p>
<p id="DenluN">Twelve first-half possessions resulted in nine punts, one turnover on downs, one <span>Miguel Recinos</span> 46-yard field goal and a Northwestern “drive” that consisted of three Thorson kneel-downs leading up to halftime. Iowa quarterback <span>Nate Stanley</span>’s 37-yard pass to tight end <span>T.J. Hockenson</span> was the only play over 20 yards in the half. </p>
<p id="UQtcjG">Northwestern began the second half with a Thorson interception, on a play where Thorson missed <span>Flynn Nagel</span> in the middle of the field. On the following possiession, the Wildcats’ defense got a much-needed stop in their own territory, though. </p>
<p id="N2NmKD">Bowser continued to roll after that stop, ripping off several solid gains before breaking a 34-yard touchdown run to give Northwestern a 7-3 lead in the third quarter. Bennett Skowronek drew a key pass interference penalty on the drive.</p>
<p id="PzArt9">Thorson threw another interception on the next drive, however, and this time, the Northwestern defense couldn’t stop the Hawkeyes. <span>Smith-Marsette</span> beat <span>Alonzo Mayo</span> badly on a 28-yard touchdown strike after <span>Montre Hartage</span> left the game with an apparent leg injury. </p>
<p id="2vUJeA">Without kickers <span>Charlie Kuhbander</span> and <span>Drew Luckenbaugh</span>, punter <span>Jake Collins</span> missed a 38-yard field goal that would have tied the game at 10 in the fourth quarter. </p>
<p id="Tx9pcd">Regardless, Northwestern did what it had to do in Iowa City, and it won the Big Ten West. Unreal. </p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/10/18082700/northwestern-iowa-recap-big-ten-west-champions-pat-fitzgerald-isaiah-bowserGraham Brennan2018-11-10T13:44:17-06:002018-11-10T13:44:17-06:00Northwestern-Iowa GameThread
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/M5clY_AGHPtWrkfq14e0nEP9me4=/3x0:3795x2528/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62263229/usa_today_11635850.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Follow along and add your thoughts here!</p> <p id="PN6SAg">Northwestern and Iowa are set to kick off in Iowa City from Kinnick Stadium, and it’s going to be a cold one — temperatures should be in the 20s throughout the game. </p>
<p id="18ko4a">Make sure you know <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/10/18081612/how-to-watch-northwestern-vs-iowa-tv-channel-radio-live-streaming-start-time-betting-line">how to watch</a>, and feel free to follow along and add your thoughts below as the game unfolds. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/10/18082670/northwestern-iowa-gamethread-pat-fitzgerald-kirk-ferentz-gamethread-previewCaleb Friedman2018-11-10T09:08:44-06:002018-11-10T09:08:44-06:00How to watch Northwestern vs. Iowa: TV channel, radio, live streaming, start time, betting line
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Iowa at Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ljKEPAAQooxkhNSX1xcev_t8ITM=/0x37:3528x2389/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62260143/usa_today_10358795.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Northwestern takes on Iowa from Kinnick Stadium. </p> <p id="TqNtLN">Northwestern will resume its quest for the Big Ten title this week against Iowa, on a cold day at Kinnick Stadium. </p>
<p id="GbzVrm">The game carries important implications in the Big Ten West race, with Northwestern holding a one-game lead in the loss column over Purdue and Wisconsin — with head-to-head wins and tiebreakers over both. </p>
<p id="LUjuFK">Here’s what you need to know:</p>
<h1 id="4vPHur">Preview links</h1>
<p id="jbeaXA">-Here are <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/6/18065934/three-things-to-know-about-iowa-kirk-ferentz-noah-fant-nate-stanley-tj-hockenson-kinnick">three things to know about Iowa</a>, and <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/6/18067212/three-matchups-to-watch-in-northwestern-iowa-kinnick-stadium-kirk-ferentz-big-ten-west">three key matchups in the game</a></p>
<p id="5l89Qp">-<a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/5/18063644/iowa-gameweek-press-conference-notes-pat-fitzgerald-joe-gaziano-flynn-nagel-northwestern">Here’s what Pat Fitzgerald and several players had to say</a> about the game earlier this week</p>
<p id="iq0Zf4">-Here’s <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/6/18065462/big-ten-west-scenarios-northwestern-wisconsin-purdue-iowa-championship-indianapolis-s-p">every Big Ten West title scenario, explained</a></p>
<p id="YqM4WG">-Here’s <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/7/18062822/film-room-studying-montre-hartage-the-top-corner-in-the-big-ten">a film study analyzing Montre Hartage</a>, who has been arguably the Big Ten’s best cornerback</p>
<p id="aobUJh">-Here’s <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/7/18070402/northwestern-iowa-rivalry-pat-fitzgerald-kirk-ferentz-gary-barnett">a recap of Northwestern and Iowa’s strange “rivalry”</a></p>
<p id="kGCscu">-Here’s <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/8/18073272/pound-the-talk-the-big-ten-west-bowl-games-northwestern-notre-dame-iowa-pat-fitzgerald">a podcast previewing the game</a></p>
<p id="eUjiTw">-Here’s <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/8/18062030/northwestern-bowl-scenario-guide-possibilities-2018-holliday-redbox-outback-rose">a dive into Northwestern’s bowl possibilities</a></p>
<p id="7YApRv">-Here’s a<a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/8/18071124/clayton-thorson-passing-analysis-film-room-notre-dame-mick-mccall"> film study of Clayton Thorson’s performance against Notre Dame</a>, when he was often running for his life</p>
<p id="qKIo4r">-Here’s <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/8/18077680/northwestern-injury-report-iowa-charlie-kuhbander-jared-mcgee-trae-williams-out">the injury report for the week</a></p>
<p id="O7x76o">-Here’s <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/9/18056220/isaiah-bowser-northwestern-run-game-wildcats-mick-mccall-zone-rushing-power-offensive-line">a film study analyzing Northwestern’s running game with Isaiah Bowser</a> the past three games</p>
<p id="n6Fxn8">-<a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/9/18079000/northwestern-iowa-predictions-kinnick-pat-fitzgerald-clayton-thorson">Predictions!</a></p>
<h1 id="D9wiff">Broadcast Information</h1>
<p id="paragraph20"><strong>Game Time:</strong> 2:30 p.m. CT</p>
<p id="5HOpxU"><strong>TV:</strong> FOX</p>
<p id="Ibt6Ny"><strong>Radio:</strong> WGN Radio AM-720 or WNUR FM 89.3</p>
<p id="LrSSoo"><strong>Online:</strong> Fox Sports Go</p>
<p id="JJEfos"><strong>Betting Line:</strong> Northwestern +10.5, over/under 42.5</p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/10/18081612/how-to-watch-northwestern-vs-iowa-tv-channel-radio-live-streaming-start-time-betting-lineCaleb Friedman2018-11-09T12:55:15-06:002018-11-09T12:55:15-06:00Northwestern vs. Iowa predictions
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Iowa at Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pv6afW4oCpJIJLsC4L3hcfMakOk=/0x0:2886x1924/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62252497/usa_today_10359243.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Will Northwestern get the job done in Iowa City?</p> <p id="Nifbo0"><strong>Caleb Friedman: Iowa 27, Northwestern 23</strong></p>
<p id="BthawW">Iowa’s massive defensive line is going to give Northwestern problems. I think it’ll be hard for Northwestern to get the intermediate-to-deep passing game going, and running the ball will be tougher than in past weeks. The Wildcats’ defense keeps NU in the game, but but it’s not enough. Plus, Kinnick is a tough place to be a visitor. </p>
<p id="8pj5BY"><strong>Matthew Albert: Northwestern 24, Iowa 21</strong></p>
<p id="qVuz4N">I’m always ambitious on NU (I have picked them to lose once this season honestly because I somehow find ways to make myself believe they’ll win, which is exactly what I did going into this week). With that caveat, I think that the Northwestern rush defense is very effective against Iowa, and this game is an ugly one. Iowa has been on a slide recently and their pass rush has been less effective, Bowser continues to play on a very high level, running for another two touchdowns in Kinnick, as the Wildcats play spoiler to Iowa parents weekend.</p>
<p id="fdiSP1"><strong>Davis Rich: Iowa 24, Northwestern 17</strong></p>
<p id="6PAhyk">The better defense will win this game, and I’m a little worried about NU’s secondary depth without <span>Jared McGee</span> and Trae Williams. Safety <span>Travis Whillock</span> has been good in McGee’s stead, but that second corner spot is tenuous. Iowa’s defense line is going to make things difficult for <span>Clayton Thorson</span> — how No. 18 adjusts to pressure will be critical for the visitors. I’ll give the advantage to the Hawkeyes.</p>
<p id="iTU6Zs"><strong>Lia Assimakopoulos: Iowa 24, Northwestern 21</strong> </p>
<p id="XFP7pl"><strong>Eli Karp: Northwestern 23, Iowa 21</strong></p>
<p id="PiKK8u">Iowa pretty much dominates every statistical category in this matchup and has the better team on paper: better offensive line, better defensive line, tight ends that are matchup nightmares and a tough home field. Despite its statistical eye candy — helped by beating down lesser opponents — Iowa is reeling after two straight losses, and Pat Fitzgerald holds a special animosity towards the Hawkeyes. Northwestern has been weirdly good in Big Ten road games, and this is the type of game in which it thrives. Give me a Thorson sneak and a <span>JJ Jefferson</span> touchdown grab en route to a second straight tight victory in chilly Iowa City. </p>
<p id="L4RSP4"><strong>Noah Coffman: Iowa 20, Northwestern 17</strong></p>
<p id="XA4oDp">Northwestern has been sneaky-good on the road, and I’m starting to believe in the run game, but to beat a team as solid defensively as Iowa is, Clayton Thorson is going to have to have a better performance. I just don’t see a breakout game on the horizon from him. The Wildcats should keep it close, but Iowa will win an ugly one.</p>
<p id="SzesD9"><strong>Lukas Stachtiaris: Iowa 23, Northwestern 17</strong></p>
<p id="fXwaP2">Iowa’s defense has been one of the best in the Big Ten this season. If the ‘Cats are going to win this game on the road, they’re going to need a big performance from Clayton Thorson. I think that Northwestern will put up a great fight in this one, but come up just short down the stretch against.</p>
<p id="INoTLW"><strong>Avery Zimmerman: Iowa 24, Northwestern 14</strong></p>
<p id="ogyZur">Despite Northwestern’s consistent success on the road, Kinnick Stadium is a different animal. Combine that with Iowa’s extremely solid defense and Northwestern won’t be able to come out with a victory. NU keeps it close but struggles mightily in the red zone, allowing Iowa to pull away in the end.</p>
<p id="PIRirT"><strong>Martin Oppegaard: Northwestern 24, Iowa 23</strong></p>
<p id="euy0eb">Drew Luckenbaugh game winning field goal? I’m here for it. </p>
<p id="hXXBe3"><strong>Season Standings</strong></p>
<p id="UiQgUk">Caleb Friedman: 6-3</p>
<p id="JTKJY3">Davis Rich and Noah Coffman: 5-4</p>
<p id="gAE5gI">Avery Zimmerman: 4-5</p>
<p id="fuNY7s">Matthew Albert, Lia Assimakopoulos, and Joe Weinberg: 5-3</p>
<p id="JAmxYm">Lukas Stachtiaris and Martin Oppegaard: 4-4</p>
<p id="gtSvGp">Spencer Levitt: 3-1</p>
<p id="c6P5zg">Eli Karp: 2-2</p>
<p id="veUTJg">Graham Brennan: 1-1</p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/9/18079000/northwestern-iowa-predictions-kinnick-pat-fitzgerald-clayton-thorsonInside NU Archives2018-11-08T20:04:29-06:002018-11-08T20:04:29-06:00Iowa gameweek injury report: Kuhbander, McGee, Williams out
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Michigan at Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lxMcJ-7hWLdDTNm5V-Gt3Dw9eCY=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62243453/usa_today_11348549.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The depth in the secondary will be thin.</p> <p id="ohkL10">Northwestern released its injury report for Saturday’s game against Iowa, and there are three inclusions:</p>
<ul>
<li id="e4vjtE">Kicker Charlie Kuhbander — OUT</li>
<li id="qeeCEB">Safety Jared McGee — OUT</li>
<li id="HPsuHj">Cornerback Trae Williams — OUT</li>
</ul>
<p id="weg2Do">McGee and Williams went down with injuries against Notre Dame, while Kuhbander has been dealing with a leg injury all season. It didn’t look like Kuhbander got hurt against Notre Dame, so <span>Drew Luckenbaugh</span> could be back healthy after missing the previous two games. </p>
<p id="5EI9lo">With McGee out, <span>Travis Whillock</span> likely slots in at safety, while cornerback will be more of a question mark. <span>Roderick Campbell</span> has played, and is probably a candidate to take the second cornerback spot. <span>Greg Newsome II</span> would be the ideal fill-in, but it remains unclear when he’ll return from suffering what looked like a heel injury in the Michigan game. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2018/11/8/18077680/northwestern-injury-report-iowa-charlie-kuhbander-jared-mcgee-trae-williams-outCaleb Friedman