IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa turned a 3-0 halftime lead into a 33-7 victory over the Northern Illinois University Huskies Saturday in the season opener for both teams at Kinnick Stadium.
 
After the teams played to a near draw in the first half, with the only score a 33-yard field goal by Iowa's Miguel Recinos with 12:20 to play in the second quarter, the Hawkeyes exploded for 30 points in the second half. The Iowa defense, meanwhile, held NIU scoreless until the 2:12 mark of the fourth quarter when quarterback Marcus Childers hit wide receiver Jauan Wesley in the corner of the end zone from 10 yards out for the Huskies' lone score of the game.
 
"It was a tale of two halves," said NIU Head Coach Rod Carey. "I thought we came out, should have had the lead at halftime, and probably had the upper hand.  In the second half, we didn't play well, and they got after us. Their D-line took it to us. That was not Huskie Football in the second half."
 
The game started well for the Huskies, who forced a quick three-and-out on Iowa's first series. Wesley then blocked the Iowa punt, which went out of bounds at the Iowa 23-yard line. NIU advanced to the 16, before kicker Andrew Gantz' field goal was wide left.
 
The teams traded punts, and senior cornerback Albert Smalls stopped Iowa's next drive with a sideline interception. After NIU's next drive stalled at the Iowa 39 when D.J. Brown was dropped for a loss on fourth and two, Iowa embarked on the lone scoring drive of the first half, going from its 45 to the NIU 15, setting up Recinos' three-pointer.
 
Two possessions later, NIU appeared to be in business, moving from its 39 to the Iowa 23 before Childers' pass was picked off at the seven-yard line.  Childers finished the game 14-of-25 for 105 yards, while Iowa starter Nate Stanley was 11-of-23 for 108 yards.  
 
NIU missed one more chance to score just before halftime.  After the Childers' interception, the Huskies' defense forced an Iowa three-and-out, giving the Huskies the ball at the Iowa 45 with 23 seconds left in the half. A completion to freshman Cole Tucker put the ball at the 32-yard line, but Gantz' field goal try again missed left.
 
"Congratulations to Iowa," Carey said. "They are a really good football team.  In the second half, their D-line got after our O-line, and our defense was on the field too much."
 
After totaling just 58 yards on 19 carries on the ground in the first half, Iowa ran 29 times for 151 yards in the second half and scored three rushing touchdowns.  They scored their first touchdown on a one-yard pass from Stanley to tight end Noah Fant on fourth and one midway through the third quarter.  The Huskie offense, meanwhile, could not get untracked, going three-and-out on its first three possessions of the second half.  On the fourth, Childers was sacked for one of his five times on the day and fumbled to set up the Hawkeyes' third touchdown.  
 
"If you don't get good backs down at first contact, it turns into a big run and they hit us with those in the second half," Carey said. "Our running game was effective, not consistent.  We were running it, then we'd have holding, a sack, a turnover deep in their territory.  It took us off schedule and we'd get into third and medium, third and long and those are not easy to convert against a good team."  
 
After a 69-yard punt by Iowa in the fourth quarter put the ball on the NIU one, the Huskies gave up a safety, and a touchdown after a pair of penalties on the free kick gave Iowa possession at the NIU 35.
Down 33-0, the Huskies mounted their lone scoring drive behind the running of freshman Jordan Nettles, who gained 33 yards on six carries in the first seven plays of the drive.  Two Childers completions and a facemask penalty on Iowa on another Nettles run gave NIU the ball at the 10, where Childers found Wesley in the corner of the end zone for the score.
 
Nettles finished with 74 yards on 13 carries to lead all Huskie ballcarriers.  Brown caught five passes for 38 yards and Wesley had four for 43. Linebacker Kyle Pugh led NIU defenders with nine tackles, followed by safety Mykelti Williams with eight, including seven solo. Defensive end Sutton Smith recorded five tackles with one sack and a forced fumble.
 
"I thought Sutton played a good game," Carey said. "He was disruptive. We have to go in, learn from this and go back to work."
 
NIU opens its home schedule next Saturday when the Huskies play host to Utah, the first team from the Pac 12 to visit Huskie Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are available online at NIUHuskies.com.  Get $10 off a West Side ticket purchase (regularly $40) by ordering tickets online using the promo code "PACKHUSKIE."  The offer expires at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4.   
 
-- NIU --