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Iowa football 2024 early opponent preview: Northwestern
Northwestern faces low outside expectations again in 2024
IOWA CITY — Northwestern achieved far above seemingly anyone’s outside expectations in 2023.
Northwestern was widely projected to finish last in the Big Ten West. Instead, the Wildcats finished second. They won eight games, including five in the Big Ten and one in the Las Vegas Bowl over Utah.
David Braun, the 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, will lead a group that again has low outside expectations ahead of the 2024 season.
BetMGM’s over/under for Northwestern’s overall wins is 5.5. National college football writer Phil Steele ranked the Wildcats 16th out of 18 Big Ten teams in his preseason magazine.
Braun’s team replaced quarterback Brendan Sullivan, who transferred to the Hawkeyes, with Mississippi State transfer Mike Wright. He completed 55.5 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his first four years of college football.
Cam Porter returns after averaging 3.9 yards per carry as the team’s top running back last season. Wide receiver A.J. Henning also will be a name to watch on offense as the former Michigan player enters his fifth and final season.
Defensive players to watch include linebacker Xander Mueller and defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard. Mueller led the team last year with 10.5 tackles for loss, and Hubbard was not far behind with 8.5.
The Iowa-Northwestern series has been competitive recently, with the Hawkeyes winning four of the last eight games. Six of the last eight have been one-possession games.
Iowa vs. Northwestern: 3 things to watch
- Iowa’s offensive line vs. Northwestern’s defensive front. The strength of the Wildcats’ defense appears to be its front seven. Fortunately for Iowa, the Hawkeyes have the benefit of an especially experienced offensive line.
- Will Iowa neutralize Cam Porter (again) this year? When Porter rushed for 50-plus yards last season, Northwestern was 6-0. When he did not reach that mark (like against Iowa), the Wildcats were 2-5.
- Does Iowa have any tricks up its metaphorical sleeve? This was the game last year where Cooper DeJean played on offense for a few snaps.
2024 prognosis
Iowa certainly has the advantage on paper although Northwestern has a history of being a pesky opponent for the Hawkeyes.
Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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