Iowa northern illinois game at soldier field

Old people my ass. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. By Chip Wesley Leave a Comment. Unlike my last event recap, I will spare you all the indignity of having to read a rambling 15 minute introduction that clearly has nothing really to do with the actual post.

The Trip Up :. The Hundley : Blazing out of work early on Friday, it was clear that this was going to be a big weekend. After we got onto I outside of Silvis, IL, it was already congested. And this stretch of 88 usually has tumbleweeds blowing across the road until you hit Annie Glidden Road and the Oasis.

After toasting a few cans of the barley and hops in their Congress Hotel suite, we made our way to the Hawkeye Huddle at Navy Pier. It was official. But these invaders were peace-loving folk who enjoy domestic beer, tenderloins and classic rock. Gameday Morning :. The Hundley : Maybe I misspelled that. We left Wrigleyville after picking up some beers and caught a cab to Soldier. Chaim : We drank more than anticipated at the Huddle and took the party with us to Exchequer.

You know a restaurant is old school esp. Tailgating :. The Hundley : The geniuses that be the Chicago Police decided that people taking public transportation should get dropped off 5 miles from the stadium. Hey, what do I know? As I was regaining motor skills and cognitive thinking abilities, I noticed that 99 out of every people were wearing a yellow t-shirt. A home game for us, indeed.

Perhaps because of the somewhat confined space it seemed crazier than the tailgating I remember from my college days in Iowa City. For the gals, they were not so lucky. It was a quarterback who looked a little shaky in his second start. It was 10 penalties for yards.

It was eight dropped passes. It was a kicker who couldn't kick straight. It was one shanked punt. It was an offensive lineman running around in circles on the field-goal unit. The Hawkeyes left a lot on the table Saturday at Soldier Field. But it was a victory over Northern Illinois before 61, mostly Iowa fans. It was a victory shaved down because of all of the above, but it was a victory. Take a deep breath. It wasn't Michigan. Can you believe it?

In light of the big bomb in the Big House, Iowa's victory over a team picked for a second-tier finish in the Mid-American Conference looked like football artistry.

For the beauty in Iowa's victory you have to look at the ugly grunt work of football. Running backs Albert Young and Damian Sims rushed for and yards, respectively, repeating their performance against Minnesota, the last time a pair of Iowa running backs went over yards.

The yards is been-there, done-that for Young, who did it for the 11th time. It's still sort of new for Sims, who logged just his third. Iowa's running game was the spine of its victory. It was the one thing the Hawkeyes could lean on. Iowa's offense sort of futzed around through the first quarter. Sophomore quarterback Jake Christensen started the game 1-for-7 and was 2-for-9 before a scramble to nowhere and a sack near the end of the first quarter. That gave the Hawkeyes something to work with.

It really got us going as far as field position. Young carried three straight times, giving Iowa a lead on a 7-yard run with left in the second quarter. After a yard punt pinned the Hawkeyes at their 5, they really leaned on Young, Sims and an offensive line that had three new starters, including sophomore Travis Meade, who won the last spot at left guard. Young carried four straight times, moving the ball to Iowa's Christensen finished off the yard drive with a 5-yard TD pass to tight end Brandon Myers.

You could almost feel the weight being taken off Christensen. He didn't force it, just let the game come, and he finally had a few highlights to show for it.

He saw things out there. He managed the team and the huddle, all those intangible things you take for granted sometimes. Christensen finished just 12 of 29 for yards and the one TD. He was hounded by eight drops, but he also missed his share of open receivers.

Sooner or later, we'll start taking advantage of those. If Iowa's running game was the spine, its defense was everything else. When Iowa was bullying the Big Ten in and , you heard defensive coordinator Norm Parker use the term 'one-dimensional,' meaning the Hawkeyes stopped the run and forced their opponents to pass. August 17, The Huskies and Hawkeyes kick off the college football season July 25, The banners that had adorned light standards across campus are now down.

June 22, Northern Illinois University and the Rockford RiverHawks are helping wrap up stateline area baseball fans in summertime fun. Friday, June The first 1, fans through the gate at RiverHawks Stadium will receive a free fleece Football game times, TV broadcasts announced. June 7, Five additional Northern Illinois football games have been scheduled for broadcast, and the Huskies released four game times Thursday as the Mid-American Conference released its complete television schedule.

May 7, Members of the general public can purchase tickets to the Sept. Fans can order tickets online, over Action-packed day set April 21 for SpringFest, including football, Chessick groundbreaking.