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6 n o r t h w e s t e r n f o o t b a l l • D I G I T A L P R O G R A M • N O R T H W E S T E R N v s . I O W A THE MATCHUP: NORTHWESTERN VS. IOWA Game 7 // Northwestern vs. Iowa // Saturday, October 26, 2019 KICKOFF NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS Record 1-5, 0-4 Big Ten Rankings n/a Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Record at NU (Yrs.) 97-75 (14th) Home Record 52-39 (.520) Big Ten Record 56-55 (.505) vs. Iowa 8-5 (.615) Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz IOWA HAWKEYES Record 5-2, 2-2 Big Ten Rankings 19 (Coaches) / 20 (AP) Head Coach Kirk Ferentz Record at Iowa (Yrs.) 157-103 (21st) Away Record 51-54 (.486) Big Ten Record 91-72 (.558) vs. Northwestern 8-10 (.444) Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker Evanston, Ill. 11 a.m. Ryan Field ESPN2 ESPN 1000 AM statbroadcast.com HOMECOMING AT RYAN FIELD Northwestern continues its homestand versus ranked foes when it plays host to No. 19/20 Iowa on Saturday at 11 a.m. In the midst of their longest losing streak since 2013, the Wildcats have dropped four-straight games and will be playing their fourth ranked opponent of the year already. This season is just fourth in program history the 'Cats have played at least four ranked foes in their first seven games. 'CATS ROLLING VERSUS HAWKEYES The Wildcats have won each of the last three meetings over their Big Ten West rival, though be it by just a combined 18 points. The 'Cats clinched their first division title in program history with a 14-10 win inside Kinnick Stadium a year ago. A win on Saturday would mark just the second time in program history NU has won four straight over Iowa with the first streak coming in wins from 1926 to 1932. GROUND GAME IS KEY The Wildcats have won the ground-and-pound battle versus the stingy Hawkeyes during the three-game winning streak. The 'Cats have outgained the Hawkeyes over the last three years, 529-232. Running back Isaiah Bowser rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown in the win last season, gaining the most yards by an opposing first-year back in Kinnick Stadium history. WELCOME HOME Northwestern will recognize the 2010 Outback Bowl team as a part of Saturday's homecoming festivities. Two-time team captain Brendan Smith (2008, '09) will serve as the honorary captain. Senior defensive end Joe Gaziano is on the verge of becoming the program's all-time leader in sacks after yet another sack in last week's contest versus Ohio State. Gaziano has 25.5 career sacks and is just 2.5 shy of Casey Dailey's program record of 28 set from 1994-97. The senior ranks 33rd in the nation this season with 0.75 sacks per game this season. He leads all active Big Ten players in career sacks and is second nationally behind only Boise State's Curtis Weaver. ON LOCK DOWN Sophomore Greg Newsome II is proving to be one of the elite cornerbacks in the Big Ten after another strong performance versus Ohio State. Newsome had a career-high seven tackles and recorded a pair of pass breakups. Newsome is second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally with 1.5 passes defended per game. He is just the second NU player since at least 2000 with 10 passes defended through six games, matching Nick VanHoose's mark from the 2014 campaign. WELCOME BACK, BOWSER. Sophomore running back Isaiah Bowser returned to the Wildcats' lineup after being limited in the previous three contests due to injury. Bowser rushed for a season-high 65 yards on 16 carries to lead the 'Cats versus the Buckeyes. He has now rushed for at least 65 yards in eight career games and is just 31 yards shy of surpassing 1,000 in his career. BLAKE IT LOOK EASY Junior linebacker Blake Gallagher recorded his first double-digit tackling performance of the year with a season-high 11 stops versus No. 4 Ohio State. Gallagher reached double digits a team-best six times last season en route to leading the Big Ten with 127 tackles. He is averaging 7.3 tackles per game this season. LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON Redshirt first year running back Drake Anderson has rushed for at least 61 yards in four of six games this season and leads the Wildcats with 405 rushing yards. Anderson is just 133 rushing yards shy of passing his father Damien Anderson's (1998-2001) first year mark of 537 rushing yards, which is the fifth-best rookie mark in program history. HANKWITZ AT THE TOP OF THE LIST Veteran defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz coached his 565th game as a college assistant versus Ohio State. Hankwitz has coached more games than any active head or assistant coach in college football and is one of just two active coaches to reach the 500-game mark (Robbie Caldwell, Clemson). Hankwitz is in his 50th season as a college coach and has compiled a career record of 361-197-7. He has helped coach teams to 10 double-digit win seasons. 14 10 LAST MEETING Nov. 10, 2018 • Iowa City, Iowa Penalty Yards/GM Turnover Margin Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM Penalty Yards/GM Turnover Margin Total Defense Rushing Defense Scoring Offense Total Offense Passing Yards/GM Rushing Yards/GM 149.0 256.6 405.6 25.0 91.1 275.0 +0.14 32.71 153.2 124.0 277.2 12.5 165.5 345.7 -1.00 53.17