Northwestern @ Iowa preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 13, 2010 ) Iowa 17, Northwestern 21

THE STORY: A pair of teams coming off disappointing league losses square off Saturday night as Iowa hosts Northwestern in Big Ten play. Northwestern is mired in a three-game losing streak, including two straight to ranked foes. The Wildcats have won three straight against the Hawkeyes, five of the last six, and three in a row in Iowa City.

TV: Big Ten Network. LINE: Iowa -6.5

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten): Last Saturday, the Wildcats led by 10 at halftime, but saw Michigan explode in the second half and roll to a 42-24 win. Senior quarterback Dan Persa, playing in just his second game this season after coming off a foot injury, threw for a career-high 331 yards. His previous personal best was a 318-yard effort in last year's comeback win over Iowa. In his season debut two weeks ago, Persa set a career-high with four touchdown passes in a 38-35 loss at No. 15 Illinois. Despite the three-game skid, the Wildcats lead the Big Ten in turnover margin (+1.2 per game). NU is tied for fifth in the nation with only four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions).

ABOUT IOWA (3-2, 0-1 Big Ten): The Hawkeyes dropped their conference opener at Penn State last weekend, 13-3, as they committed three turnovers in the fourth quarter. The three points at Penn State marked the first time since a 31-6 loss to Purdue on Oct. 20, 2007 that Iowa did not score a touchdown. The 10-point loss at Penn State also marked the first time in 48 games that the Hawkeyes lost a game by more than nine points. Junior defensive back Micah Hyde garnered his third interception of the year, however, while sophomore linebacker James Morris had 13 tackles. Sophomore kicker Mike Meyer is 9 of 11 on field goal attempts this year, 23 of 28 in his career.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Saturday is Iowa's only night game of the season. The Hawkeyes are 8-1 in night games over the last four seasons.

2. Iowa is 20-4 at home since 2008, with two of those losses coming to Northwestern.

3. A win Saturday would move NU head coach Pat Fitzgerald ahead of College Football Hall of Famer Ara Parseghian into third place on the school's all-time wins list.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 24, Iowa 23 -- The Wildcats continue their mastery over the Hawkeyes as Persa comes up big.