Northwestern put on a great show in front of its home crowd on Saturday, coming back from a 10-point halftime deficit to beat rival No. 13 Iowa. The game provided a remarkable performance from quarterback Dan Persa, a stifling Wildcats defense, and notable implications for the Big Ten Championship picture.
Northwestern 21, Iowa 17: Dan Persa, Wildcats Score Big Conference Win Vs. No. 13 Hawkeyes
Persa threw for a total of 302 yards on the day and rushed for 59 more, and was ultimately responsible for three total touchdowns to make up for his lone interception. After taking a 7-3 lead into halftime, things looked as though they were slipping away from Northwestern, as Iowa opened the second half with two touchdown drives.
The Northwestern defense, however, gave Persa another chance to work after intercepting Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Persa mounted two touchdown drives of over 80 yards in the fourth quarter to put up a score that ended up being the final, 21-17.
On the same play as the go-ahead touchdown, however, Persa fell to the ground and clutched his right leg. The nature and severity of the injury was not immediately known, as Persa was barely touched by an Iowa defender, although it appeared as though someone may have stepped on his foot. Stay tuned to this StoryStream of Persa’s injury, which we’ll be updating once we learn more.
On the Iowa side of the ball, Stanzi threw for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Adam Robinson had yet another good week on the ground, taking the ball 22 times for 108 yards.
for more on these teams, check out our Northwestern blog, Sippin’ On Purple, and our Iowa blog, Black Heart Gold Pants.
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