After further review: Northwestern 14 Iowa 10

WildcatReport's Tim Chapman, a former high school football head coach, breaks down the Wildcats’ win over Iowa.

1. Though all the numbers may not show it, this is one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. How can you tell? Well, take away three (and at one point, four) starters in one of the biggest games of the year and see how they respond. The Wildcats answered by shutting down the Iowa offense, holding them to just 64 yards rushing and keeping their offense to 20 points under their per-game scoring average.

Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz and his staff - most of whom have been with Fitzgerald as an assistant and/or player for most of his tenure - drew up a game plan and executed it in a way that bound up the Iowa offense like the bales of hay that fill the Hawkeye state.

They also made the proper adjustments to shut down the TE-passing game that has troubled most Big Ten defenses all year. T.J. Hockenson had seven catches for 89 yards, but Noah Fant had just one for no gain. More importantly, neither of them found the endzone - coming in they combined for 10 TD catches in nine games.

With the exception of two Ihmir Smith-Marsette deep balls - one for their only touchdown - the trial-by-fire secondary kept everything in front of them and tackled well to thwart the Iowa offense all night. This defense was the catalyst that helped write the tickets to Indianapolis.

2. Isaiah Bowser has moved past being “a good young freshman” to being one of the Big Ten’s more talented running backs. Think about the accomplishment - Bowser ran for 52 yards more than the nation’s leading rusher, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, did against Iowa’s Herculean run defense. In fact, he’s only the second back this year to top 68 yards against the Hawkeyes; five others didn’t even break 50. And it wasn’t as though they weren’t at full strength, either: Iowa actually got a couple starters back, and still, Bowser ran roughshod for 165 yards against them without one negative play.

Bowser said when he came to Northwestern that he did not want to redshirt - he felt he was ready to go and would do all he needed to earn his spot on the field. Jeremy Larkin’s career-ending health diagnosis was unfortunate, but the door opened for Bowser, and he’s made much more of the opportunity than anyone may have realistically expected four weeks ago. One-hundred-yard games against Wisconsin and Iowa, as well as a 96-yard game against Notre Dame, have effectively ushered in the “Bowser era” in Evanston.

Five weeks ago the running game was seen as the greatest weakness on this team. Now, in mid-November, Bowser and the ground grinders have helped NU win the West, and have a chance to win much more.

3. The “next man up” continued to step up for Northwestern. The Wildcats lost two starters in the secondary - S Jared McGee and CB Trae Williams - to injury after last week’s game against Notre Dame. Early in the third quarter, they lost a third DB, CB Montre Hartage, their best cover man. At this point, the Wildcats were only up 7-3 and Iowa was just awarded a first down just outside the Northwestern 20.

Redshirt freshman CB Cameron Ruiz and sophomore FS Travis Whillock filled in and got their first starts of the year at one of the more hostile Big Ten stadiums, and they both performed with valor. Whillock (for the second straight week) led the team in tackles (9), while adding a TFL and recovered a fumble late in the game. Ruiz made five tackles, while breaking up two passes, and (on separate occasions) caused and recovered a fumble. His recovery on Iowa’s last-chance drive to seal the victory, and consequently, the Big Ten West.

In addition, CBs Alonzo Mayo and Roderick Campbell stepped up to help replace the injured Hartage. Mayo had three tackles and a TFL, while Campbell made a key PBU in the end zone, knocking a potential TD out of the hands of Iowa WR Max Cooper.

But then, this sort of brotherhood dependence has been happening all year. Bowser for Larkin; Chris Bergin for Nate Hall; Trae Williams for Greg Newsome; Drew Luckenbaugh for Charlie Kuhbander; and even Jake Collins for the previous two. Time and time again, these Wildcat reserves have answered the call of their head coach, stepped up, and handled the responsibilities expected of them. But then, that’s what champions do.

1. Which offensive line will show up in the next three weeks? Will it be the impressive group that played great on Saturday, or the lackluster group that struggled for cohesion in weeks prior? This group went against perhaps the best D-line in the Big Ten and played better than any opposing team has this season. After surrendering two sacks and allowing four pressures in the first half, they kept Thorson clean and upright for most of the third and fourth quarters and didn’t surrender any additional sacks. The only real issues were the two penalties in the fourth quarter that could have been problematic; but again, the brotherhood that Fitzgerald spoke about so earnestly in his post-game presser picked up their erroneous teammate and recovered.

The run-blocking was about as good as it has been all season - and that’s really quite a feat against such an accomplished defensive group. The blocking on Bowser’s 34-yard TD run - the “TruCk” run concept, where the tackle and center pulled as their linemates next to them pinned the defender into their vacated cavity - was done masterfully, as Bowser recalled afterward. That play not only gave the Wildcats the lead, but it also gave them momentum, while demoralizing the Iowa defense.

For the Wildcats to have the ending to the season they hope for, this group will need to keep up this kind of performance. Their defense will keep them in their remaining games - to a point - but to be in a position for victory, this line will need to continue their progress. They don’t have to dominate; just simply execute.

2. Is Clayton Thorson pressing too much? Saturday marked the fourth straight game that Thorson was held under 170 yards - 90 below his season average. More than that, he threw two INTs that were the result of forcing the ball into coverage, trying to make a play.

It’s hard to fault him for making the attempt, but given the situations, was he trying too hard? He’s looked a bit frustrated at times, as if he expects so much more from himself. It’s good to be constructively self-critical, but pressure can sometimes cause problems. It seemed on Saturday (and four weeks ago against Rutgers) that he was trying to do too much at times, and that the pressure he felt was perhaps more internal from the black-shirted Hawkeyes around him.

Going back to Thorson’s success in his first two years, he seemed to be a lot more poised and played as if he was just out there to do what he needed to do and trusted his receivers to make plays. The same could be said about the Michigan State and Nebraska games this year. True, he threw a pair of INTs in both of those games, but he also connected for some big plays and directed the offense with more composure.

Thorson should be able to rebound these next two weeks and get back to some of the fun of being in a game that doesn’t have as much weight as the ones he’s played in recently. The Wildcats have won the West, and they’re much better than their next two opponents. It’s not to suggest that they can take these games lightly (nor would Fitzgerald allow it). But if Thorson can relieve his self-induced strain, play one snap at a time, and flush anything and everything that happens - good or otherwise - he’ll likely get back to the high-level form that he’s shown before, just in time for the Big Ten championship game.

Northwestern is the Big Ten West Champ. Let that soak in. For the first time in five years, someone other than Wisconsin or Iowa will be playing against the East representative for the outright Big Ten crown. And the Wildcats earned this on the field, without having to resort to any tiebreakers or mathematics, with two games still left to go. They beat Purdue, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa from the West; Michigan State and Rutgers from the East. Their lone Big Ten loss was a close one to No. 4 Michigan, in a game that the Wildcats led for about 50 minutes.

The fact that they won the West on the road was fitting for a team that has won seven straight Big Ten games. Though most teams would love to win championships in front of their home crowd, there’s something a just a little sweeter about earning it in someone else’s backyard.

The Defense. As highlighted earlier, this group played pretty much lights-out. They held the Hawkeyes to 333 yards, but only 64 on the ground. They forced three three-and-outs in the second half - one after an INT near midfield; one after a missed NU field goal that would have pulled the Cats within a point; and another after Northwestern scored the go-ahead TD. All were pivotal moments when the defense needed a stop.

They kept All-Big Ten TEs Hockenson and Fant out of the end zone and put pressure on the Iowa backfield against one of the Big Ten’s better offensive lines. They also forced two turnovers toward the end of the game when they were needed most. This group continues to shine, and Saturday was one of their brightest performances.

First-Year RB Isaiah Bowser. With no disrespect to Bennett Skowronek, Bowser had his greatest game to date, and it came against the nation’s fifth-best run defense on the road. Not too shabby a performance for someone who, through the first six games of the season, was only given two carries. Bowser ran hard and with confidence, requirements for any back in this type of offense. He also helped Thorson through the air, making three catches for 33 yards, with two of them resulting in first downs. Bowser is starting to become one of top players for this offense, giving the Wildcats the added weapon they needed to compete for a championship.

Junior DE Joe Gaziano. “Gazilla” got back into the sack column with a takedown of Nate Stanley on the second Iowa possession of the game. He created havoc most of the night, notching six tackles (three solo), a sack, a QB hurry, two TFLs and, perhaps most crucially, a forced fumble at the end of the game that Ruiz pounced on to seal the victory and the Big Ten West title. In a big-time game, he was a big-time player, putting up better stats than any of the Hawkeye defensive linemen.

Senior P Jake Collins. It seems to be repetitive to give Collins this award, but he continues to earn it - and this time he earned it just a little more. In addition to averaging 40.4 yards per punt and putting four of seven inside the 20 (two were also returned from inside the 10), he was also called upon to do the kickoffs and placekicking with Drew Luckenbaugh still nursing a lower body injury and Charlie Kuhbander not even making the trip. He hit both of his PATs and nearly made his first FG since high school, had a meddlesome wind not been present. Collins continues to step up when his team needs him, and Saturday he helped to put NU’s stout defense in solid field position all night.

Redshirt freshman CB Cameron Ruiz. With an injury to starting CB Trae Williams, this youngster was the next man up, thrust into the spotlight in a pivotal game. He suffered some growing pains last week in the fourth quarter against Notre Dame and looked to recover with a solid performance against Iowa. And he did just that.

Ruiz finished with five tackles, two pass break-ups, a forced fumble and a game-clinching fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter. But more than that, he didn’t shy away from anyone. Stanley and the Iowa offense continually went after him early, but he was right there to make plays and even gave a few dismissive stares toward the Hawkeye receivers, letting them know that he was ready to take advantage of his shot - which he did.

This moment was perhaps the most memorable of the year. Following a key first down run on 3rd-and-9 by senior Chad Hanaoka, Thorson threw a deep fly pattern to Skowronek, which, as Skowronek pointed out bit Thorson disputed, wasn’t even designed to go to him. With the ball on its way down, Skowronek dove forward, fully extended, and clutched it with his outstretched hands. He cradled the ball with his palms up and slammed into the nearly-frozen turf, holding on for a spectacular 32-yard TD catch. That grab proved to be the game-winner, and as Skowronek admitted afterward, he knew he had it when he came down. But that’s the type of receiver he is. He does all the fundamental things the right way to do what he’s expected to do; this one just happened to be the best catch of the season and, perhaps, of his career.

Tim Chapman is a teacher and former Michigan high school football coach who is currently working on a book titled "ChampioN Underdog" about the 1995 Northwestern Rose Bowl team. Follow him via Twitter: @Champion_Lit. Email him at nufbhistorian@gmail.com.