Northwestern used its stellar run game to sprint past Iowa 28-17 today.

The Wildcats (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) had more than 300 yards on the ground, including more than 100 from both junior quarterback Kain Colter and junior running back Venric Mark. Colter led the way with three rushing touchdowns and a 47-yard passing score to sophomore wideout Christian Jones. NU attempted only 10 passes the entire day, completing seven of them for 84 yards and the score.

On defense, NU was able to keep Iowa running back Mark Weisman in check before he left the game with an injury. Iowa (4-4, 2-2) quarterback James Vandenberg finished the game 24 for 38 through the air, accumulating 214 passing yards. Vandenberg added two rushing scores for Iowa’s only two touchdowns.

The Cats held a commanding 28-3 lead with nearly 11 minutes left in the third quarter, but Iowa scored touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters to make things interesting. However, NU got a crucial stop on fourth down with two minutes left to seal the deal and its seventh victory of the season.

— Josh Walfish