LIVE FROM RYAN FIELD, it's Mike Hlas' Tweets and Twaddle from the Iowa-Northwestern game (updated all game)

Iowa loses. Column coming later.

Update: NU touchdown drive of 85 yards after Stanzi interception makes it 17-14 with 6:21 left. Verrrry interesting.

Start of fourth quarter: Northwestern with the wind and a 10-point deficit. Iowa sucked it up and pushed the 'Cats around in the third quarter. If it plays similar ball for 15 more minutes, let the hype for the Ohio State game begin.

Northwestern with a third-straight fruitless possession. It may soon be up to Ohio State (vs. Penn State) to make next Saturday's matchup in Kinnick to be everything it can be.

Stanzi to DJK for 70 yards and 6 points with 6:01 left in the 3rd, Iowa up 17-7 after its first third-down conversion of the day.

OK, second half is underway with Northwestern. Iowa's Big Ten title hopes merely hang in the balance. Iowa stops the 'Cats, gets the ball back at the Iowa 25, and marches 75 yards quickly for a touchdown and a 10-7 lead. Iowa went run, run, run, run with Robinson, then hit on three straight passes to finish the drive.

Time to insert another photo, one taken before the game and the rain.

HALFTIME THOUGHTS: The miscommunication between Stanzi and Johnson-Koulianos on two passes has to be deeply concerning to all involved with Iowa. Donahue bobbling a snap on a punt (for 12 yards) and then bobbling the snap that he still got down for Meyer's 32-yd field goal? Likewise.

Iowa's defense has been adequate. You hold NU to 7 points in a half, you've held up your end. Karl Klug came to play. So did Clayborn. Sash blew up a 3rd-down play late in the half that could have kept this a one-score game for all we know. Iowa so needed Meyer to make that FG, and he delivered. For the second-straight game, Stanzi hasn't been the Stanzi of the first eight games.

Iowa field goal with :24 left in half for 7-3 Northwestern lead.

With 6:26 left in the half, Iowa punts for a fourth fruitless possession. But this time Donahue has a 73-yard punt to change field-position.

I just saw Ryan Donahue with an unforced 12-yard punt with the wind at his back. How bizarre, how bizarre.

The weather has potential to be frightening. The wind has picked up and the sky is dark.

End of 1st: NU 7-0 with the ball at the NU 34.

Iowa Northwestern

1st Downs 1 7

3rd down efficiency 0-3 2-3

4th down efficiency 0-0 0-0

Total Yards 65 93

Passing 49 57

Comp-Att 6-8 6-7

Yards per pass 6.1 8.1

Rushing 16 36

Rushing Attempts 5 11

Yards per rush 3.2 3.3

Penalties 3-24 1-5

Turnovers 0 0

Fumbles lost 0 0

Interceptions thrown 0 0

Possession 6:48 8:12

Iowa with a defensive stop to get the ball back, starting at its 20 for the third-straight possession. Had Northwestern marched it downfield there, again, it would be heebie-jeebie time for Hawkeye fans. Remember, the wind is a force here, and NU has it at its back in the first quarter.

So, two Iowa possessions and zero first-downs. Looks like the Hawkeyes want to play with fire for a second-straight week.

NORTHWESTERN 7, IOWA 0 -- 7:37 left in first quarter. The No. 8 defense in college football got shredded for a 62-yard drive. The 'Cats came out with two straight first-down passes, then mixed runs with passes beautifully as Iowa's defense was behind the 8-ball the whole drive. Iowa is flat early, which is not particularly excusable.

56 degrees, wind from 10 to 18 mph, gray sky, go-time.

For a sellout, there sure are a lot of empty seats three minutes before game time.

Some data: This is the first Iowa-Northwestern sellout here since 1985 and the first sellout here since 1997 that didn't involve Michigan or Ohio State. ... Northwestern attendance is up 51 percent from last season. ... The NU ticket office estimates there are 18,000 Iowa fans here.

The Outback Bowl is here, too. Northwestern is not going there. 

The TicketCity Bowl (formerly Dallas Football Classic) has its director, Tom Starr, here. It's a new bowl, with a Big Ten tie-in. Iowa is not going there.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- I'm going to do this differently this week. I will use this not to document down-and-distance, time, score, et al. This is for quick-hitters, quips, quirks and queries.