Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
3-5 , 2-3
Iowa
6-2 , 3-1
Team Stats
NU 0, IOWA 7
IOWA - Weisman, Mark 8 yd run (Koehn, Marshall kick), 4 plays, 31 yards, TOP 1:45
NU 0, IOWA 10
IOWA - Koehn, Marshall 48 yd field goal 6 plays, 55 yards, TOP 2:24
NU 0, IOWA 17
IOWA - Weisman, Mark 14 yd run (Koehn, Marshall kick), 5 plays, 60 yards, TOP 2:51
NU 0, IOWA 24
IOWA - Niemann, Ben 1 yd blocked punt return (Koehn, Marshall kick)
NU 7, IOWA 24
NU - Jackson, Justin 1 yd run (Mitchell, Jack kick), 4 plays, 18 yards, TOP 1:27
NU 7, IOWA 31
IOWA - Smith, Tevaun 31 yd pass from Rudock, Jake (Koehn, Marshall kick) 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 6:10
NU 7, IOWA 38
IOWA - Weisman, Mark 8 yd run (Koehn, Marshall kick), 3 plays, 34 yards, TOP 0:47
NU 7, IOWA 41
IOWA - Koehn, Marshall 24 yd field goal 7 plays, 50 yards, TOP 2:45
NU 7, IOWA 48
IOWA - Wadley, Akrum 5 yd run (Koehn, Marshall kick), 17 plays, 81 yards, TOP 8:37
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Big First Quarter Lifts Iowa Over Northwestern
11/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Northwestern traveled to Kinnick Stadium Saturday in search of a seventh win in its last 10 meetings with Iowa, but the Hawkeyes burst out of the gates with a 24-0 first-quarter lead and eventually defeated the 'Cats, 48-7, in a Big Ten West Division matchup.
True freshman running back Justin Jackson, who made his first career start in the game, was Northwestern's top performer on offense, rushing for 96 yards and one touchdown on 24 attempts, falling just shy of a fourth-straight 100-yard rushing performance.
On the other side of the ball, junior safety Traveon Henry led the defense with a career-high 14 total tackles -- eclipsing his previous best of 13 set last season vs. Michigan -- while linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo finished with 10 tackles and his second career forced fumble.
Iowa got off to a strong start with a 54-yard kickoff return on the game's first play, and on second down it was burly tailback Mark Weisman breaking free for 18 yards to the NU 8-yard line. Weisman scored two plays later to give the hosts an early 7-0 advantage.
A flea-flicker by the Hawkeyes on their next series went for 42 yards and set up an eventual 48-yard field goal by Iowa's Marshall Koehn that extended the hosts' lead to 10 points.
With the Hawkeyes defense keeping Northwestern at bay, Iowa added to its cushion after QB Jake Rudock completed a 43-yard pass to Kevonte Martin-Manley to give Weisman an opportunity to score his second rushing touchdown of the day. Just minutes later, NU's deficit ballooned to 24 when a Chris Gradone punt was blocked and recovered for an Iowa touchdown with 3:39 left in the period.
The quarter ended on a positive for the Wildcats when Iowa mishandled a snap deep in its own territory, giving Northwestern the ball at the Hawkeyes' 18-yard line. Two running plays gave the 'Cats a first down, and Jackson punched it in from 1-yard out for his fifth rushing score of the season and NU's first points of the day.
Iowa had the answer on the ensuing drive, a 75-yard series that culminated in a 31-yard scoring strike by Rudock to Tevaun Smith, who won a 1-on-1 battle with his opponent to come free in the end zone.
After the teams traded punts to open the second half, Northwestern put together a 10-play drive highlighted by a phenomenal leaping, one-handed catch by sophomore wideout Mike McHugh at the 4-yard line. But Jackson was stuffed on the 1-yard line on third down and Trevor Siemian's fourth-down pass into the end zone was broken up to preserve a 31-point lead for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa would add a field goal early in the fourth quarter and a late touchdown to account for the final 48-7 score.
Northwestern returns to Ryan Field next week for the first of two November home games, hosting the University of Michigan at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday (Nov. 8). For ticket information, visit the online ticket office of NUsports.com.
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