Iowa Snaps Losing Streak Ahead of Next Week's Game Against Purdue Football
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa improved to 4-4 and 2-3 in Big Ten play on Saturday, one week before its matchup against Purdue football on Nov. 5 inside Ross-Ade Stadium.
The Hawkeyes earned a 33-13 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats at Kinnick Stadium. It was their highest-scoring game this season as senior quarterback Spencer Petras completed 21 of his 30 passing attempts for 220 yards and one touchdown.
Iowa built a 20-0 lead by halftime, and Northwestern managed to score a pair of touchdowns in the second half to cut into what ended up being an insurmountable lead. The Hawkeyes scored on its first four drives to open the game. Petras found the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown plunge to cap off a 14-play, 59-yard drive in the first quarter.
He would later find sophomore tight end Luke Lachey for a 6-yard score before the end of the second quarter. Iowa's defense picked off Northwestern sophomore quarterback Brendan Sullivan with three seconds left to play before halftime.
The Hawkeyes held the Wildcats to 177 yards of total offense and just 18 yards rushing while forcing six punts on nine total possessions. They came away with seven sacks on the afternoon.
The Iowa offense also found a spark in the run game as running backs Kaleb Johnson and Leshon Williams combined for 131 yards on the ground. Wide receiver Arland Bruce IV added 27 yards rushing on three carries and scored a 23-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.
Eight different Hawkeyes caught a pass during the game, with senior receiver Nico Ragaini leading the way with four catches for 66 yards receiving.
Ahead of next week's game, Purdue boasts a 4-1 record in the last five seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm. The last time the two teams met, the Boilermakers earned a 24-7 win on the road last season when the Hawkeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country.
The kickoff time and television designation for the game are set to be released Saturday night or Sunday morning.
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.