Somehow, Iowa-Northwestern Was Even Worse Than Expected

The Iowa Hawkeyes and Northwestern Wildcats played what some might charitably describe as a football game on Saturday. Most though, would describe it as an embarrassment to offense.

Pregame expectations for the point total were anemic, to say the least.

READ: IOWA’S EMBARRASSING OFFENSE HELPS SET COMICAL GAMBLING RECORD AHEAD OF NORTHWESTERN GAME

And yet, even with a record low over/under of 29.5, the teams somehow, magically, wildly underperformed the literal lowest possible expectations. Iowa "won" the game 10-7, but even that undersells just how ugly it was.

Despite an awesome, unique setting at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

The drive summary for the first half was...unimaginably bad.

Punt. Punt. Missed FG. Punt. Interception. Punt. Punt. Punt. Punt. Punt. Punt. Punt. Both teams combined to gain 48 yards for most of the second quarter. Combined. The entire first half featured 110 total yards. Iowa somehow had nine first downs to Northwestern's two.

There were 10 total pass completions in the first half and 10 punts. Should we just shut both programs down at this point?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 04: Drew Stevens #18 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after kicking a 52-yard game-winning field goal against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field on Saturday in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Iowa And Northwestern Are Almost Too Stereotypical

Northwestern's Brendan Sullivan did improve dramatically in the second half, with a flurry of completions leading to 81 total passing yards and a touchdown.

Iowa's Deacon Hill was 10-of-15 for 65 yards and the Hawkeyes' lone touchdown. Those remarkably bad passing numbers might be more excusable if the running games were dominant.

They were not.

Iowa averaged 2.5 yards per carry on 41 rushing attempts, with Northwestern somehow getting to just 2.2 on their 41 attempts. Neither team even got to 175 total offensive yards.

It's just...somehow getting 29.5 combined points wasn't even remotely possible. There were 14 total points until a miraculous, 52-yard field goal from Iowa's Drew Stevens with 14 seconds left.

Iowa closes out the season with Rutgers, Illinois and Nebraska, all of which are marginally more competent programs than Northwestern. Given Rutgers actually has a relatively strong defense, next week's over/under could once again be embarrassingly low.

Brian Ferentz's season long point goal was...uh, unrealistic.