Iowa Beat Northwestern 24-10 at Ryan Field Behind Brown and Jackson

Iowa beat Northwestern 24-10 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois, on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in a game the Hawkeyes led from their opening drive to the final whistle. Hank Brown passed for one touchdown and ran for one touchdown, L.J. Phillips Jr. rushed for 128 yards on 21 carries, and Braeden Jackson returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Iowa improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten with its fifth straight win over Northwestern.

Brown starts the scoring, Iowa build the lead

Brown opened the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown run on Iowa's opening drive. Iowa led 7-0 after the first quarter and 14-0 at halftime, scoring seven points in each of the first two quarters while Northwestern were held scoreless before the break. Brown's touchdown pass gave him a hand in two of Iowa's scores on the night, and Phillips carried the ground game with 128 yards on 21 carries against a defense that spent long stretches on the field.

Northwestern got on the board in the third quarter through a 45-yard field goal by Jackson Kleather. Iowa answered with 10 points in the same quarter. Jackson took a kickoff back 96 yards for a touchdown, and Caden Buhr kicked a 52-yard field goal. Northwestern scored seven points in the fourth quarter, and Iowa scored none, but the gap built over the first three quarters was too large to close.

Defense holds Northwestern to a season low

The yardage was close. Iowa outgained Northwestern 296-286, yet the game turned on downs and pressure. Iowa held the Wildcats to 1-for-11 on third downs, recorded six sacks and forced three turnovers on downs. Iowa were the first team this season to hold Northwestern below 23 points, and the 10 points were a season low for the Wildcats.

Northwestern played without starting quarterback Aidan Chiles, who missed the game with an injury. Nicco Marchiol started in his place. The loss was Northwestern's first at its new Ryan Field. The Wildcats fell to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten.

What it means

Iowa never trailed in the game, and the win keeps the Hawkeyes at 4-2 in conference play with two losses overall. The combination that won it was plain: an early lead built on the opening drive, a rushing attack led by Phillips, a kickoff return touchdown that broke the game open in the third quarter, and a defense that gave up yards in small pieces but stopped drives on third down and on downs. Iowa next host Purdue on November 14. Northwestern leave Ryan Field with their third conference loss and a season low in points, after a night when their offense could not finish drives against the Iowa pass rush.