Widcats Upend 9-0 Iowa | HailToPurple.com

What is Wildcat Football if not totally the most unpredictable and entertaining ticket in college football?

Just when you think that you, as a fan, have seen it all: Northwestern, on the ropes, riddled with injuries and watching a once-promising season trickle into mediocrity, staged its biggest, wildest win in at least five years by taking down undefeated, #4 Iowa in the house that Kinnick built but the Wildcats own.

The win was by far the most important of Pat Fitzgerald's tenure as head coach, it launched the Wildcats into surprising bowl eligibility, and it shattered Iowa's 13-game winning streak. The Hawkeyes, who came into the game with nine wins and no losses, had not been defeated at Kinnick Stadium since NU and C.J. Bachér beat them last year. Iowa was the fourth-ranked BCS team, which makes them the highest-ranked team to fall to the 'Cats since the Miami Hurricanes lost at Dyche Stadium in the 1967 opener. Miami was the #1 team in the UPI poll. On the road, NU last beat a #4 team at the Rose Bowl, when they downed #4 Cal in 1949. NU has never before beaten a #4 or better team in the opposing team's stadium.

The loss comes just a week after Iowa's football team made the cover of Sports Illustrated with the title "Still Perfect," adding to the S.I. Jinx legend.

On offense, Mike Kafka started the game with a sore hamstring, but was quickly replaced with Dan Persa. When Persa injured his hand in the second half, Kafka was forced to return, and helped lead NU to the win. In addition to one touchdown pass, Persa racked up an impressive 67 yards on the ground. On defense, Corey Wootton pulled off the most significant play of the game by sacking Ricky Stanzi in the end zone, forcing a fumble recovered for a touchdown, and taking Stanzi out of the game. Stanzi suffered an ankle injury, and his status for Iowa's upcoming game with Ohio State is not known.

The game began, however, in a relatively unsurprising way. On Iowa's first drive, facing third and seven from his own 26, Stanzi fired a pass to Marvin McNutt for a 74-yard touchdown (even if he hadn't, I'd have still found a way to mention Marvin McNutt, because, well, I just like typing Marvin McNutt).

The 'Cats responded... with a three and out. The NU defense continued to have problems on Iowa's second drive, giving up a 30-yard pass and an 11-yard rush. However, the Wildcat D prevented Iowa from finding the red zone a second straight time, and Iowa settled for a field goal and a ten-point lead.

Iowa is typically overjoyed to hold a ten-point lead in a first quarter, and indeed they were: the Hawkeyes had proved throughout the season to be a fourth quarter team. No fear, Iowa fans: the Hawkeyes would pull out their Q4 pixie dust (Mr. Ferentz's own words, by the way, from a week or so back...) and make it so. Right?

With the Wildcat defense toughening up and the NU offense temporarily stalled, the teams swapped punts and settled into field position. The field battle was helped when Jordan Mabin snagged a Stanzi pass in the second quarter. Iowa would ultimately suffer four turnovers in the game, which drained what little pixie dust that they might have had left.

With field position favoring the 'Cats, Iowa began a drive at their own six yard line. On second down, Stanzi dropped back to pass from his end zone, and Wootton took him down with a clean, hard hit. The resulting touchdown put NU within three and changed the game's momentum for good.

The momentum continued to roll NU's way on the succeeding drive. Quentin Davie picked off Hawkeye backup QB James Vandenberg to set up the eventual TD pass from Dan Persa to Drake Dunsmore.

Marvin McNutt! NU led the #4 team in the nation, 14 to 10.

Of course, Iowa could make the necessary halftime adjustments. Right? Not when they're playing the unpredictable. Not when they're playing the entertaining.

And from here on out, the game-- and NU-- was exactly that. Iowa had to rely on its backup quarterback. NU had to rely on... Persa? No, Persa left with a hand injury. Kafka?

"Atlas was permitted the opinion that he was at liberty,
if he wished, to drop the Earth and creep away;
but this opinion was all that he was permitted."
--[Franz] Kafka

No, even with a sore hammy, Kafka could not drop the Earth. He helped to set up field position in the fourth quarter (with help from Mr. Brewer) for a Stefan Demos 47-yard field goal. Now sporting a seven-point lead, NU could withstand a final assault from the pixie dust blowers.

Right?

Right! After some savvy clock management and several great stands by the Wildcat defense, Northwestern held on and accomplished the magnificent. Congratulations to the team and to the coaches for a job accomplished in spite of a lot of setbacks. Thanks for providing the unpredictable, and the entertaining.