Kinnick Diaries: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Northwestern Wildcats Week 10 Live Blog

The Chicago Cubs may have been knocked out of playoff contention this year, but some November ball is still being played at Wrigley Field this weekend. For the third time, historic Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill. will host the “Wildcats Classic,” where Northwestern will take on Iowa in a late-season football clash.

The scoreline may be akin to a baseball contest given these two teams. The Hawkeyes have made a habit of dragging opponents into ugly dogfights, unable to capitalize with scores of their own. The Wildcats offense, meanwhile has been hot and cold this year, and now faces one of the nation’s toughest tests in Phil Parker’s defense. The unit led by Cooper DeJean and Jay Higgins is currently sixth in the nation with an average of 14.5 points allowed per game. Only Penn State and Michigan State have surpassed the 14-point mark against the Hawkeyes this season.

The over-under for this contest is set at a meager 31 points via Bet MGM. The total has been listed even lower on some other sportsbooks as well, making it easily one of the lowest projected over-under totals in college football history. This comes after Iowa and Minnesota successfully staved under the set 31.5 mark in the Hawkeyes’ last contest.

To be fair, it is still one of the highest over-under lines ever seen at Wrigley Field.

This game should be everything stereotypically associated with Big Ten West Division football. Low scoring, silliness, and lots of punts for me to begrudgingly chronicle. Follow along live as we once again present our live blog for Iowa vs. Northwestern. Remember to refresh the page to keep the updates rolling.

DREW STEVENS PUTS IOWA AHEAD! IOWA WINS!

WHAT A KICK!

We’re just going to ignore how cowardice that was from Ferentz, Drew Stevens saves him by nailing a 52-yard field goal right down the middle. Iowa up 10-7 with 14 seconds left.

Iowa’s defense ices the game, and it’s a win! An ugly one, as they tend to be, but the Hawkeyes are 7-2!

Northwestern Touchdown

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

All tied at seven now with 1:50 left. Dude, I can’t even imagine what overtime will look like in this game.

TOUCHDOWN Northwestern with 1:50 left. PAT coming. Looks like they’ll kick it.

— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) November 4, 2023

Iowa punts

After all of that excitement, and divot delay, Iowa punts it back to Northwestern right away. Northwestern is back in great field position after a great return.

A Phil Parker Masterclass!

WHAT! A! SEQUENCE!

The Wildcats drive down the field, get to the one yard line, then Iowa’s defense holds them out of the end zone. What a fantastic sequence by the unit, in particular Jay Higgins. 7-0 Hawkeyes with 6:36 left in the game.

Give Phil Parker all the money in the world.

Iowa holds Northwestern at the 1-yard line for 4 straight plays.

— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) November 4, 2023

It’s almost over

Don’t worry folks, it’s almost over. Iowa leads 7-0 going into the fourth quarter.

Update:

Nope.

Northwestern punt

The Wildcats are still held off the scoreboard. They punt through the back of the end zone for a touchback. Can Iowa manufacture more points somehow?

IOWA SCORES!

POINTS! IOWA IS ON THE BOARD!

TOUCHDOWN HAWKEYES! ADDISON OSTRENGA! 7-0 Hawkeyes in the third quarter!

TOUCHDOWN IOWA. Hill to Ostrenga for 2 yards on second-and-goal, and at the 9:04 mark of the third quarter we finally see points at Wrigley Field.

Iowa 7, Northwestern 0.

— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) November 4, 2023

Iowa does something!

Northwestern started the second half in style, with a punt. But it’s blocked by Iowa! The Hawkeyes are in great field position now.

Halftime: 0-0

Yup. 0-0 at half.

Northwestern Punt

That’s EIGHT IN THE FIRST HALF! Please laugh and look at the live over under.

Iowa is now forced to go back on offense. AND BEFORE I CAN FINISH TYPING IOWA PUNTS IT BACK! NINE!

Iowa punts again

Yup, another three and out for Iowa. This is abysmal.

Update on the over under

If you thought a 31 point over under was crazy, wait until you see this. With about five minutes left in the first half, all tied at zero, I’m seeing the total at 19.5. Yup.

Iowa has some fun on offense! Before punting…

Well that was a fun play. Iowa brought Cooper DeJean in on offense, and he made a nice play on a jet sweep. Would you believe that they punted after a failed screen pass derailed any momentum?

INTERCEPTION

Deacon Hill finally throws an incompletion that isn’t negated by a penalty, and it’s an interception in the end zone. Went for a 50-50 ball to Nico Ragaini… and it didn’t work out. Great. Still 0-0.

A play-action pass intended for Nico Ragaini is intercepted in the end zone by Northwestern’s Theran Johnson.

— Hawkeyes Wire (@HawkeyesWire) November 4, 2023

DOINK!

Iowa forces a Northwestern punt, but Cooper DeJean’s great return is called back (again) by a penalty. Vines draws another pass interference to help move them down the field, but once again the passing attack does nothing. Drew Stevens doinks a 53-yard field goal off the uprights and it’s still 0-0.

Long opening drive for Iowa…

But it results in nothing. Iowa were aided by two pass interference calls, not sure if they were catchable passes though. Rushing attack looks competent, passing attack… let’s just move on.

PUNT!

Deacon Hill fumbles after he was pressured and Northwestern defensive lineman Jaylen Pate knocked the football loose. Hawkeyes do recover and Tory Taylor has his first boot of the day.

— Hawkeyes Wire (@HawkeyesWire) November 4, 2023

No more quest for 325

That’s right folks, no need to have your points tracker for the Iowa offense handy for this one. The quest for 325 no longer matters for Brian Ferentz, given official notice by interim athletics director Beth Goetz earlier this week that he would not be brought back next year. How will this extreme elephant in the room affect the performance of the Hawkeyes today?

Hello, from Wrigley

Story originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire