After trailing much of the game, Iowa out-scored Northern Illinois 9-0 in the fourth quarter to win 18-17 Saturday.
Damon Bullock had a 23-yard touchdown run with 3:35 remaining to give Iowa its first lead since taking a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter. The Iowa defense was able to hold Northern Illinois on its final possession.
NIU took a 7-3 lead in the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run by Keith Harris. They led 10-6 at halftime and took a 17-9 lead in the third quarter on a 73-yard touchdown run by Jordan Lynch.
Bullock had 30 carries for 151 yards for Iowa. Lynch had 18 carries for 121 yards for NIU. Mike Meyer kicked four field goals for Iowa, including a 50-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Box Score Hero: Damon Bullock. Not only did he provide the game-winning score, his 151 rushing yards helped Iowa keep the score close even when they were struggling to get the ball in the end zone early in the game.
Rankings Ramifications: Both teams were unranked coming in. A close win over a MAC school is a good start to the season for Iowa, but probably not enough to vault them into the top 25.
But Did They Cover?: Iowa was favored by six coming in, so they didn't cover.
For More On This Game:
For more on Hawkeyes football, visit Iowa blog Black Heart Gold Pants, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire. For more on NIU football, visit Northern Illinois blog Red And Black Attack, plus MAC blog Hustle Belt.
Next Week's Schedule: Iowa hosts Iowa State on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 2:30 p.m. ET, while Northern Illinois will return home to host Tennessee-Martin on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. ET.
Check the national college football scoreboard right here, and look through SB Nation's many excellent college football blogs to find your team's community.