Live Game Blog thingie -- 21-17 Cats do it again

21-17 Northwestern

The champion season over.

Ohio State is meaningless in that regard.

Iowa didn't take care of business.

Pass didn't have a chance at the end. Iowa used 14 plays to move 35 yards.

Off to interviews.

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21-17 Northwestern

Dan Persa to wide receiver Demetrius Fields for a 20-yard TD with 1:22 left gives NU a 21-17 lead.

It was a 91-yard drive. Iowa's D was gassed.

Season in balance.

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17-14 Iowa

NU QB Dan Persa hit an easy pitch-and-catch TD to WR Jeremy Ebert to pull the Cats within 17-14 with 6:21 left in the third quarter.

This drive was set up by a titantic bust in Iowa's passing game. The Hawkeyes had a second-and-11 at NU's 43, but Stanzi just threw a ball up in into deep coverage and S Brian Peters just played centerfield on it. Maybe someone ran a bad route, but Stanzi did have McNutt wide open underneath.

After a personal foul on NU, the Cats marched 85 yards on 13 plays, keyed by Persa's arm.

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17-7 Iowa

Breathing room.

After Robinson was charged with a fumble, Stanzi dropped back and found DJK wide open on a 70-yard post. DJK beat junior corner Jordan Mabin by about two steps, caught the ball and won the race to the pylon for a 17-7 lead with 6:01 left in the third quarter.

Robinson converted a third-and-2 to set up the TD. It was Iowa's first converted third down of the game, starting 0-for-8.

That was a career-long reception for DJK, beating the 66-yard TD he scored last season against Indiana.

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10-7 Iowa

And just like that . . .

This was an Adam Robinson drive. He carried four times for 35 yards, with a 15-yard facemask on S Brian Peters tacking 15 yards to the end of his 17-yard run, giving Iowa first down at NU's 37.

From there, Stanzi hit Allen Reisner for 5, Marvin McNutt for 16 and then McNutt for the 5-yard score, making it 10-7 with 9:59 left in the third quarter.

It was like the first half never happened.

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7-3 Northwestern

Iowa's offense continues to flounder.

QB Ricky Stanzi and WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos continue to be crossed up. In the first quarter, DJK stopped short while Stanzi let a fade pass fly. On third-and-10 from NU's 15, Stanzi threw behind DJK on a slant that was open. These are seniors in week 10.

Stanzi hit TE Allen Reisner for a 20-yard gain on a fourth-and-4 from NU's 35.

Freshman Mike Meyer drilled a 32-yard field goal despite a Ryan Donahue's bobble on the snap. Meyer is now 10 of 12 this season.

The Hawkeyes trail, 7-3, at halftime.

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7-0 Northwestern

Mechanistic drive the Cats, going 62 yards in 11 plays and eating 5:20 off the clock.

The Cats saw two third downs, with QB Dan Persa converting a third-and-7 with an 11-yard scramble to Iowa's 8. From there, Iowa MLB James Morris was hit with an obvious pass interference, giving the Cats a first-and-goal at Iowa's 2. Persa, who rushed three times for 23 yards, dove in from the 2 on the next play.

Persa accounted for 58 yards, completing 3 of 3 for 35 yards.

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It's 58 degrees with a 15 mph wind out of the south.

Ten minutes to gametime.

WR Colin Sandeman is out today with an ankle injury. WR Paul Chaney will return punts.

First NU non-Ohio State and Michigan sellout since 1997. First Iowa sellout at Ryan Field since 1985.

Iowa wins toss and receives.