Iowa 18, Northern Illinois 17
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, September 1, 2012
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Temperature:
73°
Head Official:
Dave Witvoet
Attendance:
52117
By SportsDirect Inc.
Iowa 18, Northern Illinois 17: Damon Bullock ran for 150 yards and the go-ahead score - a 23-yard jaunt off left-tackle with 2:15 left – as Iowa rallied for a victory at Chicago's Soldier Field, ending the Huskies’ FBS-best nine-game winning streak.
Mike Meyer kicked four field goals for the Hawkeyes (1-0), who won their 12th straight season opener despite a sluggish offensive performance. Five of Iowa’s first six drives began in Northern Illinois territory.
Meyer's fourth field goal cut the Huskies’ lead to 17-12 with 9:33 left, and after the Hawkeyes pinned the Huskies deep in their own territory, Bullock capped a three-play, 24-yard drive by bursting through the line and down the left sideline for his first-career touchdown.
Quarterback Jordan Lynch ran for 119 yards and a touchdown in his first-career start for the Huskies (0-1), who are coming off their first Mid-American Conference title since 1983. They dominated most of the game and led 17-9 heading into the fourth quarter.
It was Northern Illinois' first loss since a 48-41 setback to Central Michigan on Oct. 1, 2011.
GAME NOTEBOOK: It was technically a “neutral site” game, but the Huskies often use Solider Field as their home field. They have played three games there in the last six years, the most recent being a 49-7 loss to Wisconsin last season. … The Huskies’ defensive front hounded Iowa QB James Vandenberg to the tune of five sacks. … Northern Illinois had five new starters on its offensive line.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Iowa |
|
Northern Illinois |
Damon Bullock
|
Player |
Jordan Lynch
|
30 |
Attempts |
18 |
150 |
Yards |
119 |
5.0 |
Avg Yards |
6.6 |
1 |
Touchdowns |
1 |
0 |
Long |
0 |
Receiving
Iowa |
|
Northern Illinois |
Keenan Davis
| Player |
Martel Moore
|
5 |
Receptions |
3 |
41 |
Yards |
39 |
8.2 |
Avg Yards |
13.0 |
0 |
Touchdowns |
0 |
0 |
Long |
0 |
Team Stats Summary
|
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
Iowa
|
270 |
141 |
129 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
2.0 |
2 |
Northern Illinois
|
201 |
147 |
54 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
6.0 |
0 |