This is not a great NW team

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
They have not beaten a team with a winning record this year. Four of their six wins have come by a combined 11 points, and those four came against a 2-7 Vandy team, 2-7 Rice team, 4-5 Indiana team and a 1-9 Minnesota team.

Their other two wins were vs D1A Illinois State and a 3-7 Central Michigan team.

Their pass defense is simply not good. QB Dan Persa is dangerous; 12th in nation in total offense, their leading rusher. Jeremy Ebert is a WR to watch, too.

But Iowa has been its own worst enemy the last two years against the Cats, committing five turnovers in a 22-17 loss in 2008 when they still had first and goal at the 8 with under a minute left but could not score a TD, and last year, they committed 4 turnovers in a 17-10 game where one of NW's TD's was on the fumble recovered in the EZ when Stanzi got hurt...and Wegher had a long TD called back on a poor holding call.

Iowa has only to be Iowa this week...and the weather forecast is grim.

Also, this will be the largest crowd for an Iowa game at Evanston since the 1980's...its one of their rare sellouts.
 
I think it's sad to see how poor their attendance has been in Evanston, even considering their success as of late.

this will be almost like a home crowd for Iowa, that is for sure
 
Be afraid. Be very afraid. Regardless of any stat you can show me, this game scares the crap out of me. This team better come prepared and ready to play unlike last weekend.
 
Jon, when he's "on" Persa is a big threat and we haven't had great success stopping precision QBs this year. Do you think his effectiveness will be limited if, as predicted, it's cold and rainy most of the game?
 
crabshack said:
I think it's sad to see how poor their attendance has been in Evanston, even considering their success as of late.

this will be almost like a home crowd for Iowa, that is for sure
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I was thinking of this too. When i watch the home games for Northwestern the fans for the teams always seems half and half
 
Northwestern will have a lot of confidence (beating Iowa 4 out of the last 5 times) and hungary to beat a ranked team at home.

No one should be taking this game lightly.

A repeat performance like Indiana will surely result in a loss for Iowa.

Hawks need to play well and not beat themselves (as they did against Wisconsin).
 
This scares me more than OSU at home.

Iowa always plays to the level of their competition. You know a few of the players are looking ahead to next week.
The team took Indiana lightly and almost ruined the season because of that.

I am not comfortable with this game at all.
I KNOW Iowa will give OSU everything they have. I just hope they play with that much intensity against Northwestern
 
Northwestern is like a more talented ISU. Or, at least the cousin of ISU. This is like Northwestern's Super Bowl game of it's conference schedule. They hate Iowa. They absolutely hate us. I'm sure Fitzs reminds them of all the *** whoopings we put on them in the 80s and some of the 90s. Once Northwestern was able to taste some success, they made sure to take it to us. When they can make the most of it, they are a program with an agenda against us. I hope we are ready for them.
 
I have been saying the same thing Jon has been saying since I saw NW play MSU. They just aren't like former NW teams with respect to overall talent. It makes sense considering that the 2007 recruiting class was Fitz' first. Walker's last recruits would be fifth year seniors now.
 
Our defense is hearing about how they aren't that good again. Last time that happened MSU is still trying to find its jock.

I think the Hawks are ok in this game BECAUSE they are looking ahead. They know that the next week could be for the Big 10 championship against their white whale on senior day. They know that can be one of the biggest games in Kinnick Stadium history, at least since Wisconsin of 2004, or just another ho hum game finishing off a disappointing year.

They will know if they want the former, they have to take care of business first.
 
Not taking any team lightly at this point in the season (especailly a team that seems to have our number every year), but I truly believe that Iowa will jump out to an early lead and give them a heavy dose of A-Rob and Coker. After last week's debacle against Penn State, I don't think this NW team has the mojo or talent to fight back against a quality opponent.

I expect Iowa to be very focused and methodical in their appraoch...fewer penalties...better execution in the red zone...and win the turnover battle. Maybe not a Michigan State type of route, but I like Iowa to win comfortably in this one.
 
IMO, this game will not be close. Northwestern is not a good team and had Ricky not been hurt in last years game, I have no doubt Iowa wins that going away. Ricky will carve up the secondary of the Cats.
 
I would agree....

JonDMiller said:
They have not beaten a team with a winning record this year. Four of their six wins have come by a combined 11 points, and those four came against a 2-7 Vandy team, 2-7 Rice team, 4-5 Indiana team and a 1-9 Minnesota team.

Their other two wins were vs D1A Illinois State and a 3-7 Central Michigan team.

Their pass defense is simply not good. QB Dan Persa is dangerous; 12th in nation in total offense, their leading rusher. Jeremy Ebert is a WR to watch, too.

But Iowa has been its own worst enemy the last two years against the Cats, committing five turnovers in a 22-17 loss in 2008 when they still had first and goal at the 8 with under a minute left but could not score a TD, and last year, they committed 4 turnovers in a 17-10 game where one of NW's TD's was on the fumble recovered in the EZ when Stanzi got hurt...and Wegher had a long TD called back on a poor holding call.

Iowa has only to be Iowa this week...and the weather forecast is grim.

Also, this will be the largest crowd for an Iowa game at Evanston since the 1980's...its one of their rare sellouts.
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but when has Northwestern been a "great" team when they've beaten Iowa 4 of the last 5 years. Good yes, but their best record in any of those seasons was 9-4 in 2008. Or are you defining "great" by one of Northwestern's better teams? On that scale I'm not sure, this seems like a good Northwestern team capable of 8 wins or so this year.

Biggest thing about the Wildcats is that they absolutely believe they can play with, and beat, Iowa if they stay with it and play for four quarters. Iowa seems to play better when in the position of the hunter as opposed to the hunted. We don't have the athletic ability of an Ohio State to simply overwhelm Northwestern. To get up and play press coverage all over the field and just get after the QB. Since 2005, the Bucks have beaten Northwestern 48-7, 54-10, 58-7, and 45-10.

Iowa needs to play sound, go after them the entire game and not panic if it's a four-quarter game.
 
Do you really believe Northwestern believes this is their Super Bowl? Come on man. I doubt they even talk about the Iowa-NW games from the 80s and 90s. EVERYBODY whooped on NW at that time, it wasn't just an Iowa thing


HaydenHawk56 said:
Northwestern is like a more talented ISU. Or, at least the cousin of ISU. This is like Northwestern's Super Bowl game of it's conference schedule. They hate Iowa. They absolutely hate us. I'm sure Fitzs reminds them of all the *** whoopings we put on them in the 80s and some of the 90s. Once Northwestern was able to taste some success, they made sure to take it to us. When they can make the most of it, they are a program with an agenda against us. I hope we are ready for them.
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Question, when has Northwestern ever been that good? They have had winning seasons in the past but they always take advantage of the easiest Non conference schedule out there. Besides beating Iowa every now and than, I never remember them beating a good team. Except last year, I think that NW team was pretty decent
 
Yep, I do. They don't like us. And, when they play against us, they play like it. Fitzs played at Northwestern in the early and mid 90s when they emerged with some very good teams. I remember the press clippings saying how they wanted to hurt Iowa for all of the beatings they put on them. You don't think Fitzs reminds the current players about his disdain for Iowa? I hope we are ready for them.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Yep, I do. They don't like us. And, when they play against us, they play like it. Fitzs played at Northwestern in the early and mid 90s when they emerged with some very good teams. I remember the press clippings saying how they wanted to hurt Iowa for all of the beatings they put on them. You don't think Fitzs reminds the current players about his disdain for Iowa? I hope we are ready for them.
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You don't think Northwestern said the same thing about the other teams that put beatings on them? Sure they did. You just don't follow the other teams
 
This is a game Iowa needs to come out strong and clean in their execution and BURY them like OSU does. Its time for a mental and physical beat down for the Cats'. They've earned it. Get Coker and the 2nd teamers in for more experience and leave no doubt.
And we can hope that PSU at least puts OSU threw a tough game and it will leave us in good position.
 
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