Iowa beat Northwestern 24-10 on the road, using a 96-yard kickoff-return touchdown and a six-sack defensive effort to pull away. Hank Brown accounted for two touchdowns, while L.J. Phillips Jr. rushed for 128 yards as the Hawkeyes improved to 3-1 on the road.

By the Numbers
  • Iowa outgained Northwestern 296-286 and rushed for 170 yards.
  • The Hawkeyes recorded 6 sacks and held Northwestern to 1-for-11 on third downs.
  • Phillips ran for 128 yards on 21 carries; Brown completed 16 of 21 passes for 126 yards.
  • Braeden Jackson returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, and Caden Buhr made a 52-yard field goal.
Yes, But

Northwestern had more first downs, 19-14, and cut the lead to 14-3 in the third quarter. Jackson’s return touchdown immediately swung momentum back to Iowa, while the Wildcats’ late score came with the result already in hand.

What’s Next

Iowa hosts Purdue on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Kinnick Stadium; the game will air on NBC.

Bottom Line

Iowa paired a disruptive defense with explosive special teams to secure a convincing Big Ten road win and carry momentum into its home matchup with Purdue.