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Iowa vs. Northwestern Fun Facts: Jerry Springer edition
Wildcats good at punt returning. So there’s that.
Mike Hlas
Nov. 4, 2021 10:39 am, Updated: Nov. 4, 2021 8:46 pm
There’s no preamble this week. Let’s just have some Fun Facts for Iowa-Northwestern.
1. The visiting team has won the last three games in this series.
2. Iowa passed 51 times against the Wildcats last year in the season’s second game, a 21-20 loss. It never threw more than 30 times in any of the next six games, all wins.
3. Northwestern is the only Big Ten West team the Hawkeyes hold a series lead (51-28-3) against.
4. The Hawkeyes have been outscored 51-14 over their last two games. The Wildcats have been outscored 74-21 over their last two games.
5. Northwestern sophomore linebacker Chris Bergin had 19 tackles against Minnesota last week. He is the third Wildcat to have that many tackles in a game since 2015.
6. Iowa leads the nation in interceptions with 16 despite not having one since Oct. 9.
7. Northwestern’s Evan Hull has three 100-yard rushing games. He averages 6.5 yards per carry.
8. Iowa is 126th nationally in yards per rush at 2.88.
9. Northwestern has been outgained by 81.5 yards per game.
10. The Wildcats have won four of their last five games against the Hawkeyes, all by one score.
11. Northwestern never got past the Iowa 28 the last time the two met in Evanston, when the Hawkeyes won 20-0.
12. Northwestern is sixth in the nation in punt returns with 17.0 yards per return. Iowa’s Charlie Jones is second in the Big Ten in punt-return average (11.2 yards) third in kickoff-return average (26.2).
13. The Wildcats have players from 29 different states including Iowa (freshman offensive lineman Braeden Edwards of West Des Moines).
14. Iowa plays the Cyclones Saturday night. That’s the Iowa Heartlanders and Cincinnati Cyclones.
15. Iowa is 6-2 against the spread this year. Northwestern is 2-6.
16. The Wildcats have made 4 of 9 field goal attempts, and three of the successful kicks were from inside 30 yards.
17. Half of Iowa’s six wins have been over ranked teams. Both its losses were to unranked teams.
18. Ryan Field is Northwestern’s stadium. Ryan Field is the weeknight sports anchor for WABC-TV in New York.
19. Jerry Springer earned a Juris Doctor degree at Northwestern. He gave the Commencement address to the Northwestern School of Law's 2008 graduates.
20. For those arriving to Evanston early, the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market is Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
21. Northwestern was 22nd in the 2020 World University Rankings. Iowa didn’t crack the Top 25.
Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com