Numbers To Know Ahead Of Iowa Football's Clash At Northwestern

While the newly 19th-ranked Iowa football team may not be celebrating earning a spot in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, the Hawkeyes certainly have a chance to stay in the playoff mix as the calendar turns to November. 

Winning out is obviously the first step for Iowa (6-2, 3-2) as it tries to reach the CFP for the first time, but the first game on the docket won't be easy. The Hawkeyes will travel to Evanston, Illinois to take on Northwestern (6-2, 3-2) on Saturday night in what will be essentially a de-facto elimination game. 

We'll have more coverage to come, but in the meantime, here are some numbers you should know ahead of Saturday's primetime clash. 

55-28-3: Iowa hasn't been on the historical end against many of its longtime Big Ten opponents, but it has dominated the series against Northwestern. The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 55-28-3, including a 40-14 victory in Iowa City in 2024. Iowa has won the last four meetings against Northwestern, with the Wildcats' most recent win being a comeback win in 2020 that ultimately was the difference in the Big Ten West title race. 

2: Iowa's offense hasn't been known for moving the football very well in this decade, but the Hawkeyes seem to be at their best in 2026 when they are pinned back at their own 2. Iowa has recorded a 98-yard touchdown drive in each of the last two weeks, with the latest example leading to a Tony Diaz touchdown run against Wisconsin. 

8: Iowa's defense continues to play well despite undergoing a ton of turnover this year. The Hawkeyes rank fourth in the FBS in scoring defense (12.5 points per game) and rushing defense (79 yards per game), 12th in total defense (275.5 yards per game, but the most important statistic to know right now is this: teams just can't reach the end zone when playing Iowa. The Hawkeyes have allowed just one touchdown over their last eight quarters (two games), with that one touchdown coming on a 4th-and-goal at Minnesota. 

23: Iowa always has a good track record in the month of November under Kirk Ferentz (he's 64-33 in November) but the run it's on right now is pretty impressive. The Hawkeyes have won 23 of their last 28 games in the month before Christmas despite going 2-2 last season (losses to Oregon, USC, wins over Nebraska and Michigan State). That streak dates back to 2019, where Iowa rattled off three wins in four games to finish 10-3 and ranked No. 15 in the country. 

12: Shutout wins are very hard to come by, but Iowa has tallied 12 of them since 2018 - the best mark in the nation. The Hawkeyes' three shutout wins this year are their most in a season since 1997 - Hayden Fry's penultimate season as head coach. And not only that, the blanking of the Badgers also marked Iowa's first shutout win over an AP-ranked squad since 1960, when Iowa beat No. 6 Northwestern. 

33.6: The offseason hiring of Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator has paid extreme dividends for Northwestern. The Wildcats are averaging 33.6 points per game (second in Big Ten) with quarterback Aidan Chiles (1,898 passing yards, 13 TD) playing the best football of his career. 

374.1: While Northwestern is certainly scoring the football at a high rate, it hasn't been the best on the defensive side of the ball. The Wildcats have yielded 374.1 yards per game (16th best in Big Ten), including 441 yards in last Saturday's loss to Oregon. Iowa may have some opportunities to move the football, but it's still worth mentioning that Northwestern has an excellent red zone defense. Teams usually are forced to settle for field goals when playing the Wildcats (third best red zone defense in Big Ten), so we'll see what Tim Lester can dial up on Saturday.