EVANSTON, Ill — Alex Padilla took over for the struggling Spencer Petras and led three scoring drives, Tyler Goodson ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and No. 22 Iowa beat Northwestern 17-12 to stop a two-game losing streak.
The Hawkeyes got the bounce-back win they were seeking coming off lopsided losses to Purdue and Wisconsin that sent them tumbling 17 spots in the AP poll, though it wasn’t exactly a breeze. Northwestern pulled to within 17-12 with 2:21 remaining on Andrew Marty’s 31-yard touchdown to Evan Hull and quickly got the ball back after Iowa went three and out. But Dane Belton immediately sealed it with his second interception, sending the Wildcats to their third straight loss.
The Hawkeyes won for the first time since beating Penn State on Oct. 9
Iowa is now 8-2 going into next week's home game against Minnesota.