Hlas: Hawkeyes defy statistics and Wildcats

IOWA CITY – Despite all the bloodlust, sweat and fears on display Saturday night, Iowa's football team didn't allow Saturday night's game against Northwestern to become “Scream 4.”

But there were plenty of shrieks from the Kinnick Stadium audience along the way. It was eerily uncanny how much Northwestern-Iowa 2011 was resembling NU-Iowa 2010 and 2009 and 2008 before the Hawkeyes righted themselves and won, 41-31.

It was if Wildcats quarterback Dan Persa threw his nightmare of a first-quarter interception to Iowa's Tanner Miller for a 98-yard touchdown return just so Persa's team could get in its comfort zone.

That being a double-digit deficit against the Hawkeyes, a barrier that never kept Northwestern from winning the previous three games in this series.

Miller's score made it 10-0. Then it became 17-0. Then the Wildcats took complete control of the game on both sides of the ball, totally outplaying the Hawkeyes in rallying to tie the game at 17.

Everything felt like it was a matter of time until Northwestern bolted down another upset win over Iowa, at least an upset in Las Vegas' mind. The card-stunts before the game were starting to look like the only lasting images from Saturday night that Hawkeye fans would be able to stomach.

At one point, NU had run 67 offensive plays to Iowa's 25. Which is borderline inconceivable. Northwestern had the ball for 30 of the first 40 minutes. Iowa was one of the few teams you'll ever see that looked futile without ever trailing.

But the futility gave way to Iowa's self-realization that, yes, it has an offense. And yes, as Illinois and Michigan had proved in the two weeks before, Northwestern's defense is unimposing at best.

And, oh yes, the Hawkeyes are capable of making big defensive plays at necessary moments. At least enough to allow 41 points to hold up for a win.

After Jeff Budzien knocked through a 47-yard field goal to tie the game with under five minutes left in the third quarter, Iowa decided playing smash-mouth, huddle-up defense was a sound strategy.

Nine Marcus Coker carries and two passes later, it was 24-17, Hawkeyes.

"It felt like we had to step up and do our jobs," said the man who ran like Insight Bowl Marcus Coker. "We kept having short drives, three-and-outs. When it was 17-17 we knew we had to step up.

"The fog was lifting, and things got even clearer on the Wildcats' subsequent possession when Iowa's defense did what it had done so rarely this night and stopped the ‘Cats on a third-down.

A missed Budzien field goal from that same 47-yard distance followed. Iowa took over on downs. Plays of 17, 13, and then 35 yards made it 31-17. Play-action from James Vandenberg to Marvin McNutt again exposed the Northwestern defense on the touchdown play.

Broderick Binns' sack and defensive tackle Steve Bigach's fumble recovery deep in Northwestern territory was the final straw, even though more points would be traded. Binns had perhaps his best game in two years, at least his best big-play game.

Bigach, meanwhile, didn't quit on a fumble that briefly appeared to be in the control of a Wildcat offensive lineman.

"I saw the guy try to jump on the ball and it squeaked out," Bigach said. "You've got to expect that. As Coach says, if you're hustling, something good could happen."

Bigach was subbing for injured Thomas Nardo. He, like his defensive mates, got educations from Persa and Northwestern's do-everything Kain Kolter. But  never has allowing 495 yards looked so … well, it still looks pretty bad, but it wasn't fatal.

Let's just say it didn't hurt Iowa's defense a bit that the Vandenberg-led offense ran the point-total up to 41.

It would be presumptuous to call the win a season-saver, since these Hawkeyes have so much to do to produce a season worth saving. However, a loss would have left them with 0-2 in the Big Ten and not much for anyone to get excited about for a while.

Perhaps no one left Kinnick thinking a corner had been turned and Iowa was on its way to making this one a season of great accomplishments. But if nothing else, the team showed fortitude in a rough situation, much like it had here three weeks earlier against Pittsburgh. That certainly counts for something.

Also, after a week of not seeing it against a good Penn State defense, and not seeing it at all in the first or third quarters Saturday, we saw Vandenberg and his offensive unit weather the responsibility of winning.

Everyone in Hawkeyeland would have taken a 10-point triumph – or a 1-point win – over this opponent before the night began. If it took giving up 495 yards and being outclassed statistically to do it, no biggie.

Northwestern ran 92 plays to Iowa's 50. "Felt like it," Ferentz said.

It also didn't matter. Indiana had the same number of offensive plays (65) as Wisconsin in their game Saturday. The Hoosiers lost, 59-7.

There is only one statistic that really, really matters. It belonged to Iowa. Somehow.