Sims scores twice, leading Iowa to 28-17
comeback win over Northwestern
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) -Jake Christensen
threw for 299 yards and Damian Sims ran for a pair of fourth-quarter
touchdowns, leading Iowa to 28-17 comeback win over Northwestern on
Saturday.
Trey Stross had 91 yards receiving and a
touchdown for the Hawkeyes, who rallied from a 14-point deficit for
the second straight week to win their third game in four tries.
With home games against Minnesota and
Western Michigan remaining, Iowa (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) needs just one
more win to become bowl eligible.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, blew a chance of
becoming bowl eligible for the second straight week. Northwestern
led Purdue 17-14 after three quarters last week, but was outscored
21-0 in the fourth quarter.
Northwestern led 17-14 after three
quarters yet again against Iowa, but was outscored 14-0 in the
fourth this time.
Christensen's 53-yard pass to Stross down
the left sideline set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Sims with 7:44
left, giving Iowa its first lead of the game, 21-17.
Northwestern (5-5, 2-4) had two chances to
put it away, but C.J. Bacher threw interceptions on consecutive
possessions - one to Bradley Fletcher and the other to Charles
Godfrey.
Godfrey's interception with 5:08 left led
to Sims' second score, an 8-yard run that gave Iowa a 28-17
lead.
Bacher threw for 264 yards, a touchdown
and three interceptions for the Wildcats. Tyrell Sutton added 116
yards rushing and a score.
The Hawkeyes trailed 14-0 after the first
quarter - getting outgained 196-11 - but outscored Northwestern 28-3
the rest of the way to snap a two-game losing streak to the
Wildcats.
After managing just 12 yards and no first
downs in the first quarter, Iowa finally got a first down with 12:42
left in the second when Sherrick McManis was penalized for roughing
the kicker on a Hawkeyes punt.
Iowa then scored for the first time late
in the quarter, pulling within seven on Christensen's 20-yard
touchdown pass to Stross with 49 seconds left.
Adrian Clayborn blocked a 34-yard
Northwestern field-goal attempt in the closing seconds of the second
quarter to keep the score 14-7.
Iowa then opened the second quarter with a
71-yard, 10-play drive to tie it at 14. Albert Young capped the
drive with a 16-yard score, taking the handoff up the middle, juking
toward a hole on the right and running untouched into the end
zone. |