Sept. 27, 2008
Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
| Photos by Paul R. Montague
Iowa led 17-3 in the second quarter, but yielded 19 unanswered points to Northwestern and lost 22-17. The visiting team has won the last three games in the series. Northwestern improves to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, while Iowa falls to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Trailing 22-17, Iowa had an opportunity to regain the lead in the final 90 seconds of the game. The Hawkeyes had first-and-goal from the eight-yard line, but were unable to find the end zone with four incomplete passes.
RB Shonn Greene topped 100 yards rushing for the fifth-straight game. He rushed 21 times for a career-high 159 yards, besting his previous-high of 147 yards at Pitt last week. Greene left the game late with an injury. He is the first player to eclipse 100 rushing yards against Northwestern this season. This marks the sixth 100-yard rushing game of his career. He had two 23-yard rushing plays today against the Wildcats.
Greene scored on an 18-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He has rushed for at least one touchdown in each of the Hawkeyes’ first five games.
Greene has amassed 665 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season, which is the second-highest total by an Iowa running back, in the first five games, since 1997. RB Tavian Banks accumulated 787 yards and 11 touchdowns the first five games in 1997.
The last time Iowa had a 100-yard rusher in five-consecutive games was the last five games of the 2005 campaign. RB Albert Young rushed 125 yards vs. Indiana (Nov. 15), 153 yards vs. Michigan (Oct. 22), for 202 yards at Northwestern (Nov. 5), 127 yards at Wisconsin (Nov. 12) and 103 yards vs. Minnesota (Nov. 19).
WR Andy Brodell caught a career-high eight passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. The 126 yards are a season high for a Hawkeye receiver.
Today marked Iowa’s 34th consecutive sellout (70,585) at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa’s last game not sold out was vs. Buffalo (9/6/03).
Starting for the third time this season and for his career was QB Ricky Stanzi. The sophomore completed 21-30 passes for a career-high 238 yards and a touchdown.
Starting for the first time this season was left guard Julian Vandervelde. Also, starting for the second time this year was SS Harold Dalton and FB Wade Leppert. Seeing action for the first time this season was LB Jeff Tarpinian. The sophomore missed the first four games due to injury.
Iowa started the game on offense, as the Hawkeyes won the toss and elected to receive. Iowa has started on offense in 97 of its last 109 contests, including all five games this season. The Hawkeyes have started the game on offense in 99-of-115 games under Kirk Ferentz.
Iowa failed to score on its first possession of the game, marking the second time in five contests the Hawkeyes did not score on their initial drive. Iowa scored three points on its first possession against Iowa State. Iowa tallied touchdowns vs. Maine and FIU in its first two games.
Northwestern failed to score on its opening possession. All five Iowa opponents (Maine, FIU, Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Northwestern) failed to score on their opening drives this season.
Both Iowa and Northwestern turned the ball over in the opposition’s territory on their opening drives. The Wildcats recovered a fumble, while the Hawkeyes intercepted a pass.
Iowa outscored Northwestern 3-0 in the first quarter. The Hawkeyes have outscored their opponents 44-7 in the first period, through five games.
Iowa marched 90 yards in eight plays in 4:33 for its first touchdown drive of the game. The 90 yards and 4:33 are season bests for an Iowa scoring drive this season.
DE Christian Ballard blocked a Northwestern 37-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, Iowa’s first block of the season. Iowa has blocked a Northwestern field goal in each of the last two years. DL Adrian Clayborn blocked a 34-yarder in the second quarter in Evanston a year ago.
WR Andy Brodell caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from QB Ricky Stanzi in the second period to give Iowa a 17-3 advantage. The touchdown pass is Iowa’s second-longest of the season (QB Ricky Stanzi to WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for 59 yards vs. FIU). The scoring pass was Stanzi’s fourth of the year. Iowa has thrown five passes over 40 yards this season. The 45-yard pass is the longest Northwestern’s defense has allowed this season (38 yards).
Following an Iowa fumble on a punt return, Northwestern scored a touchdown with 0:17 remaining in the first half to make the score 17-10. The Wildcats scored a touchdown on their first second-half possession, the first Iowa opponent to score a third-period touchdown this season.
Northwestern’s defense forced five Iowa turnovers (1 interception, 4 fumbles) today. The four fumbles lost are the most by an Iowa team since losing three in a 47-17 win vs. Purdue (Oct. 7, 2006).
Northwestern PK Amado Villarreal missed two field goals today, one was blocked. He was a perfect 3-3 and was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Ohio University last week. Iowa opponents are 3-8 on their field goal attempts this season.
The Hawkeyes collected one takeaway (one interception) today. Iowa has recorded at least one takeaway in 25 of its last 27 games, dating back to the 2006 season. Iowa converted a 30-yard field goal after the theft. Iowa has scored 20 points following 11 opponent turnovers in five games.
PK Trent Mossbrucker has made at least one field goal in four of Iowa’s first five contests. He converted a 30-yarder today in the first period. Mossbrucker has made six-of-seven field goal attempts, with the only miss being blocked vs. Florida International.
Iowa falls to 51-41-5 in homecoming games. The Hawkeyes have lost their last two homecoming contests (Northwestern and Indiana). Today was the 10th time Iowa played the Wildcats on its homecoming. The Hawkeyes fall to 7-3 against Northwestern on homecoming.
DL Matt Kroul started his 42nd consecutive game today, a streak that ties for second-best in the Big Ten with Purdue’s OL Sean Sester. Kroul was credited with nine tackles, including one for loss.
LB Jeremiha Hunter collected a career-high 12 tackles. He also returned his first career interception 21 yards. LB Pat Angerer accumulated a career-high 11 tackles. He was also credited with two pass break-ups and one QB-hurry.
Two plays were reviewed by Instant Replay today. A Shonn Greene fourth-quarter fumble was upheld by replay. An Iowa pass ruled incomplete was reverse and ruled a 15-yard reception for TE Brandon Myers.
Iowa begins a two-game road trip next Saturday at Michigan State in East Lansing, MI. Kick-off is slated for 11:05 a.m. (CT). The game will be televised on either ESPN or ESPN2.