After weathering a difficult stretch, the Iowa Hawkeyes have put themselves back in the win column with a 17-12 win over the Northwestern Wildcats. Iowa held a healthy 14-3 lead after the first half and their defense was able to come up big when it mattered most to stop a late push from the Wildcats. Northwestern quarterback Andrew Marty was picked-off three times by the Iowa defense, giving Hawkeyes quarterback Alex Padilla a chance to turn his first start into one he would remember.
Iowa's run game seemed to once again come back into form with a solid performance from Tyler Goodson and Gavin Williams. Goodson ran for 141 yards on 21 carries and found the end zone in the first quarter. Goodson's 19-yard rushing touchdown would open up the scoring for the Hawkeyes and give them a lead they would not relinquish for the entire game.
To the 🏠#Hawkeyes https://t.co/6kQWhkJ1xk
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) November 6, 2021
Goodson would again come up big for the Hawkeyes offense in the second quarter when he turned a handoff at their own 35 into a 42-yard run up the sideline that would put Iowa deep into Wildcat territory. The Hawkeyes would go on to score on this drive and make it a 14-0 game thanks to Goodson's rush that left them just outside the red zone.
in order to keep their season progressing, Iowa will need to keep their offensive production up as they enter into their final three regular season games. When the offense has been rolling and the defense has been able to tackle efficiently and stop important drives, this team has looked unstoppable. Iowa will now prepare for a match up against the Minnesota Golden Gophers this Saturday at home. Iowa is 15-6 against Minnesota since 1999 and is 6-0 since 2015. Both teams have a lot to prove heading into Saturday, thus setting the scene for a great battle between two longtime rivals.
