The Morning After: In Control
In a must-win game, the Hawkeyes were in control from start to finish.
The Hawkeyes put Northwestern in a chokehold right away on November 7, 2026, with two fantastic drives in the first three possessions during a college football game at Ryan Field in Evanston, IL. Iowa amassed 179 yards of offense and scored another length of the field touchdown in the opening 16 minutes, making the game essentially over 90 seconds into the second quarter.
Northwestern didn't threaten Iowa all game, allowing the defense and special teams to bottle them up, with Bryce Hawthorne being a standout performer. The defense had six sacks and eight tackles for loss, while the special teams had a big play with Braeden Jackson. Iowa's offense showed moments of dynamism despite a lengthy injury list, while the defense had 6 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, and only given up two touchdowns in three games. Overall, it was a comfortable win for Iowa, who are very much alive in the playoff race.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
