5 Northwestern players to watch against Iowa

Northwestern has been a pesky opponent for the Hawkeyes in recent history, winning four of the last five matchups.

Here are a few key Northwestern players to keep an eye on as Iowa looks to change its fortune against the Wildcats.

RB Evan Hull

Evan Hull is the centerpiece of Northwestern’s offense.

His 750 rushing yards are fourth in the Big Ten and first in the West division. He also has more total yards than starting quarterback Ryan Hilinski.

The Maple Grove, Minn., native also is efficient, averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

Northwestern is 2-1 in 2021 when Hull rushes for at least 100 yards. When he doesn’t, the Wildcats are 1-4. The one game in 2019 and one game in 2020 when Hull had 100-plus yards on the ground were Northwestern wins.

Saturday will be the sophomore back’s first time playing against the Hawkeyes.

S Brandon Joseph

Northwestern’s defense has not been spectacular in 2021, but safety Brandon Joseph has been an exception.

With two interceptions through the first eight games, Joseph has as many picks as the rest of his defense combined. He also is third on the team in tackles.

The sophomore could be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. CBS Sports’ Oct. 18 mock draft expects him to go 31st to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Other draft experts are not as high on the 6-foot-1 safety. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. did not include Joseph on his Oct. 26 list of the top 10 safeties in the draft class.

Joseph also can be a threat on punt returns. Northwestern has used Joseph for just four of its 13 punt returns, but he has more punt return yardage than the other four returners combined.

He had 65- and 56-yard returns against Indiana State on Sept. 11, although his returning ability will likely be less of a factor against an Iowa special teams unit that allows 3.2 yards per punt return.

WR Stephon Robinson Jr.

Northwestern’s passing attack is far from perfect, but when it’s working, Stephon Robinson Jr. is usually a big part of it.

He did not play in Northwestern’s most recent game against Minnesota after suffering an injury in the Wildcats’ loss to Michigan on Oct. 23.

The Kansas transfer racked up more than 100 receiving yards in his last two healthy games, though, and was the first Northwestern wideout to accomplish the feat since 2018.

The 5-foot-10 receiver did not stand out as much in his previous three seasons with the Jayhawks.

His 30 receptions so far in 2021 are as many as he had in 2018 and 2020 combined at Kansas. He is on pace to surpass career-highs in receptions and receiving yards.

QBs Ryan Hilinski and Andrew Marty

Many questions surround Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski.

Sometimes, the sophomore shows the ability to be a capable Big Ten quarterback — he hit 25 of 39 passes for 256 yards against Nebraska and 18 of 33 for 267 yards against Rutgers — but then he has games like the Oct. 30 loss to Minnesota.

He completed 1 of 6 passes and took one sack before head coach Pat Fitzgerald benched him in favor of senior Andrew Marty.

The sophomore has completed 53.7 of his passes this season, with three touchdowns and one interception.

Whether Hilinski continues to start is another big “if.”

The Wildcats’ projected depth chart on Monday listed him or Marty as the starter.

If Marty gets the starting nod, the Hawkeyes will be going against another mobile quarterback.

When Marty started in 2019 against Illinois, he had 10 throws and 30 carries.

He usually doesn’t run quite that much, though.

After relieving Hilinski against Minnesota, he had 16 throws and six carries, not including the one sack.

Marty also doesn’t need to run to make plays, completing 65.6 percent of his passes in 2021. He has four touchdowns and no interceptions.

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