Iowa heads into Saturday’s road matchup with Northwestern at 6-2 and sitting at No. 19 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and the path forward is clear: win this one, and the Hawkeyes are suddenly three victories away from a 10-2 finish and a shot at the 12-team field.
That kind of climb usually demands your best players show up big, and Iowa has three names that could tilt this game.
The first is Cam Buffington, who has been Iowa’s most important defensive player this season. He brings length, speed and a very high football IQ, and he leads the team in tackles for a reason.
Saturday’s assignment is a heavy one, because Northwestern’s offense starts with the run. Chip Kelly’s new-look system leans on gimmicky formations, motion and hidden players, but the foundation is still the ground game.
The Wildcats are expected to lean on Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II, while also mixing in quarterback runs from Aidan Chiles. Buffington’s job is to help Iowa get those plays under control early and keep Northwestern from staying on schedule.
That matters because Phil Parker’s defense tends to snowball when it gets the offense behind the sticks. If Buffington and the Hawkeyes can slow the run, Northwestern is forced into more passing situations, and that changes the feel of the game fast.
That’s where Zach Lutmer comes in. His speed and instincts make him a natural fit for those passing downs, where he can break on throws and also close quickly in run support. In the right spots, he can be the kind of player who makes the defense feel even faster.
On the other side of the ball, Tony Diaz looks ready to stay in the spotlight after being reintroduced to the Iowa offense in a big way last weekend. He has been the most talented wide receiver Iowa has had during the 2020s, and Tim Lester knows it. He also knows he has to scheme touches for him.
This year’s offense has a little more explosiveness than Iowa has had in recent seasons, which makes scoring easier than grinding through long, methodical drives. On a fast track in Ryan Field, Diaz could find room against a Northwestern pass defense that ranks 95th in the country.
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Iowa Heads Into Northwestern With One Huge Worry On Both Sides
Iowas trip to Northwestern comes with the usual Big Ten late-season wear and tear, but this one carries an especially heavy injury load on both sidelines. The two teams have a combined 29 players on their injury reports, and for the Hawkeyes the concern starts up front, where the offensive line is already thinner than usual with starting center Cael Winter out and Michael Myslinski stepping in.
The issues do not stop there for Iowa, either. Two starting defensive backs, Jaylen Watson and Zach Lutmer, are listed as questionable, adding another layer of uncertainty to a group that will need to hold up against a Northwestern offense that has its own question mark at quarterback, with Aidan Chiles also questionable for the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Campbell Shared An Update After A Frightening Week 8 Scare
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Fortunately, Campbell later offered a positive update on his condition and indicated he should be okay, which is the news everyone around the program wanted most. His update came as another busy NFL weekend unfolded for former Hawkeyes, with TJ Hockenson, Sam LaPorta, Amani Hooker, Drew Stevens and Lukas Van Ness all turning in notable Week 8 performances that kept Iowas pro pipeline in the spotlight for another Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas November Edge Could Suddenly Mean Much More This Year
November has long been a comfortable month for Kirk Ferentzs Iowa teams, and the numbers back it up. Since 2014, the Hawkeyes are 36-13 in the month, a stretch that has helped define how this program handles the grind late in the season. Ferentz has pointed to the same ingredients for years: managing stress, keeping the right mindset and leaning on fundamentals when the weather turns and the stakes rise.
This November, though, the usual routine carries a little more weight. Iowa is trying to turn that late-season steadiness into something bigger, with a College Football Playoff berth in view if the Hawkeyes can keep stacking wins. The formula is familiar, but the payoff could be different this time, which is exactly why the next few weeks matter so much in Iowa City. [Read more 🡒]