Know Your Opponent: Four Questions Ahead of Northwestern vs. No. 21 Iowa

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Know Your Opponent: Four Questions Ahead of Northwestern vs. No. 21 Iowa

Daniel Shi · Roundtable Sports

Fri, November 6, 2026 at 5:49 PM UTC ·

3 min read

1. How has quarterback Hank Brown developed since his transfer from Auburn over the past few seasons?

Brown already came to Iowa with the perfect skill set that every pocket passer needs to possess, like great arm strength and the ability to see the field well, but the biggest thing (offensive coordinator) Tim Lester wanted to work on when Brown arrived in Iowa City was his footwork. It was clear that it was a work in progress when Brown couldn't finish off eventual national champion Indiana in 2025, but that has looked a lot better this year.

The main problem Brown has right now is finding consistency. He threw two interceptions in Iowa's loss to Minnesota two weeks ago, but he rallied back by completing 83% of his passes and recording a pair of touchdowns against Wisconsin. A lot of the Hawkeyes' success in this game depends on which Brown we're going to see.

2. Is there anything in particular that makes a Kirk Ferentz-led defense even more potent this year compared to previous years?

Kirk Ferentz reacts on the sideline against Wisconsin - Credit: Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Good question, but it's honestly just another year of a well-coached, tenacious defense in Iowa City. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker does a tremendous job getting the most out of his players, and there are so many young guys who have stepped up this year, especially linebacker Cam Buffington and defensive backs Xavier Styles and Jaylen Watson. The Hawkeyes do tend to yield explosive plays every once in a while, but they make up for it with great red zone defense. Bend but don't break is always the mantra in Iowa City.

3. Are there any special teams weapons/notes Northwestern fans should be aware of?

I thought Iowa's special teams would take a step back this year for two reasons. First, longtime coordinator LeVar Woods departed for Michigan State, so that was a big blow considering he played for Kirk Ferentz and was really good at his job for so long. Secondly, the personnel just didn't have much experience. There was going to be a new punter and kicker, and if you know anything about Iowa football, the Hawks play a lot of close games, so we thought that could hurt Iowa early in the season. But that hasn't been the case. Boston Everitt is already one of the best punters in the Big Ten, and second-year kicker Caden Buhr is 13-of-15 on the season and just nailed a career-long 54-yarder against Wisconsin.

4. What is your prediction for the game?

Iowa 27, Northwestern 24.

You can read my detailed prediction on HawkeyeRoundtable.com, but while I don't like this matchup for Iowa because of Northwestern's offensive firepower, Kirk Ferentz has a pretty good history of winning in November. He's 64-33 in the month before Christmas during his Iowa career, and I think the Hawkeyes produce more November magic in front of a good visiting Iowa contingent at Ryan Field.

Kickoff between Iowa and Northwestern is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on FOX.