Wildcats Topple Hawkeyes in Overtime Thriller, 17-10

10/21/2017 2:14:00 PM | Football

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By: Zach Wingrove

EVANSTON, Ill. -- It took more than four quarters to decide, but fueled by a strong defensive effort all game and a second-half comeback, Northwestern (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) came up with a thrilling 17-10 overtime victory over Iowa (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) at Ryan Field on Saturday.

The Northwestern defense stood tough throughout the entire game. And on the most important drive of the day, it was the #B1GCats' defense that came away with a stop to seal the victory.

One week after becoming Northwestern's all-time leading rusher, senior Justin Jackson continued his climb up the Big Ten record books as he passed Anthony Davis to move into eighth place all-time on the conference's career rushing yards list. He now sits at 4,732 yards and needs 155 yards to pass Lorenzo White for seventh all-time.

Clayton Thorson finished the game completing 21-of-36 passes for 192 yards, while adding 23 net rushing yards along with the game-winning rushing touchdown. Seven different Wildcats were on the receiving end of Thorson's throws, with sophomore Macan Wilson leading all receivers with a career-high five receptions for 47 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball, it was a career day for multiple Wildcats. Sophomore Joe Gaziano finished with a career-high six tackles and tied his career high with two sacks and two tackles for a loss. In the secondary, sophomore Alonzo Mayo also finished with a career-high seven tackles.

The Wildcats' defense held strong on the game's opening drive, forcing an Iowa turnover on downs. With the stop, the Wildcats' defense has still not allowed a point this season on opponents' opening drives through seven games.

On their ensuing drive, the Hawkeyes' offense moved the ball into Northwestern territory before Gaziano came up with a crucial sack on third-and-six. The sack marked the fourth of season (a team high) and third in four games of Big Ten play for Gaziano, and helped push the Hawkeyes on the fringe of field goal range. The Hawkeyes missed the field goal to keep the game scoreless after one quarter.

After trading stops on the game's first 10 drives, Iowa got on the scoreboard first with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Nate Stanley to Noah Fant late in the second quarter to give the Hawkeyes a 7-0 lead heading into halftime.

Thorson finished the half completing nine-of-16 passes for 79 yards, finding six different receivers for completions. Meanwhile, junior linebacker Nate Hall led all players with six total tackles in the first half, including one tackle for loss and a broken up pass.

While both offenses remained stagnant, senior punter Hunter Niswander started the second half off with a boom as he recorded a career-long 80-yard punt to pin the Hawkeyes back to their own 3-yard line. The punt was tied for the fourth-longest in program history, as well as the longest punt by a Big Ten punter this season.

The Wildcats' defense came up with another stop following the punt and Northwestern took over on its own 40-yard line with 11:47 remaining in the third quarter. Faced with a third-and-15 midway through the drive, Thorson scrambled for a 21-yard gain to move deep into Iowa territory. Five plays later, redshirt first-year Jeremy Larkin capped the drive off with a six-yard touchdown run, the second of his career, to tie the score 7-7.

Both defenses held tough as the game remained tied 7-7 at the end of the third quarter. But on the Wildcats' first drive of the fourth quarter, Northwestern would take the lead thanks to a 30-yard field goal from first-year Charlie Kuhbander to cap off a 13-play, 57-yard drive and give the Wildcats a 10-7 lead. Kuhbander is now a perfect 6-for-6 this season on field goal attempts of 30 yards or longer.

On the ensuing drive, first-year J.R. Pace came up with a crucial interception on third down to force the game's first turnover. The interception was the second of the season for Pace, making him the first player since Godwin Igwebuike in 2014 to record multiple interceptions.
However, Iowa would tie the game with a field goal late in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

Facing a third-and-nine on their first drive in overtime, Thorson connected with Jackson for a 23-yard completion thanks to some outstanding open field moves from Jackson. The completion put the Wildcats on the Iowa goal line, where they would convert two play later thanks to a one-yard touchdown run from Thorson, the 14th of his career, to put Northwestern back on top 17-10. On the following drive, Northwestern's defense forced a turnover on downs to seal the victory for the 'Cats.

Chicago's Big Ten team will be back in action at Ryan Field next Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. kick against No. 18 Michigan State. Tickets are available at NUsports.com or by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.