Nov. 4, 2006
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — C.J. Bacher threw for 218 yards and a touchdown, Tyrell Sutton added 168 yards rushing and a score and Northwestern stunned Iowa, 21-7, Saturday to pick up its first Big Ten win and end a six-game losing streak.
Terrell Jordan added a 34-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter for Northwestern (3-7, 1-5 Big Ten), which hung on to a 14-0 halftime lead two weeks after the biggest collapse in Division 1-A history against Michigan State.
The Wildcats, ranked last in the Big Ten in virtually every offensive category entering play, wore down Iowa (6-4, 2-4) with balance. Northwestern ran for 225 yards, the majority of which came once it took the lead.
Charles Godfrey gave the Hawkeyes life with an interception near midfield midway through the third quarter. Dominique Douglas kept one foot in bounds on a leaping 24-yard catch to the Wildcats’ 3, and Damian Sims ran it in on the next play to cut Northwestern’s lead to 14-7.
But Northwestern’s defense kept Iowa out of scoring range the rest of the way, and Jordan’s touchdown with 4:48 left gave the Wildcats a two-touchdown margin.
Northwestern clinched the game with 2:59 to go when Reggie McPherson intercepted a long pass by Drew Tate.
The loss was just Iowa’s third in 30 games at Kinnick Stadium.
Tate threw for 147 yards and two interceptions for Iowa, which suffered its second major upset in four weeks. Indiana shocked visiting Iowa 31-28 on Oct. 14.
Northwestern outgained Iowa 235-106 in the first half. It could have worse for the Hawkeyes, as the Wildcats came away empty on two trips inside the Iowa red zone.
Northwestern used a turnover to push its lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter. Tate was blind-sided by Northwestern’s Mark Koehn, causing a fumble that Eddie Simpson returned to the Iowa 6. Bacher found Eric Peterman for a 7-yard TD grab two plays later.
Iowa dug itself deeper into a hole when Tate threw an interception at the Northwestern goal line. But Miguel Merrick returned the favor late in the first half, intercepting a deflected ball at the Iowa 6 to keep the Hawkeyes’ deficit at 14.
Northwestern jumped ahead 7-0 on its first drive. Bacher connected with Andrew Brewer on a 48-yard pass play, and Sutton finished with a 5-yard TD run.
The Wildcats went 17 plays on their next possession, included an apparent touchdown that was nullified by a holding penalty. But the Hawkeyes stuffed Sutton on third down, and Joel Howells shanked a 22-yard field goal try.