Hawkeye History: Iowa Football vs Northern Iowa Rekindles In-State Matchup

Northern Iowa isn't unfamiliar for the Hawkeyes. This Saturday will rekindle a matchup of two in-state programs when Panthers come to Kinnick Stadium.

Sep 15, 2018; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Nate Stanley (4) runs with the ball as Northern Iowa Panthers linebacker Rickey Neal Jr. (7) looks to make the tackle at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the second time in as many weeks, the Iowa Hawkeyes will be seeking a win over another in-state foe, which will truly put the crown on Kirk Ferentz's squad as the kings of the state.

Fresh off a gutsy 16-13 win over the Iowa State Cyclones to bring the Cy-Hawk Trophy back home, Iowa will be back in action against the Northern Iowa Panthers in Week 3.

This is Iowa's final nonconference game and third straight home game before they open up Big Ten play on the road against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.

Iowa vs Northern Iowa History

While the Northern Iowa Panthers are an FCS program, that doesn't mean there isn't familiarity with them for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

These two programs are separated by just 90 miles and often get together for games. There have been seven meetings in the all-time series between the Hawkeyes and Panthers.

Iowa has won all seven matchups in this series, which started in 1995. The closest matchup came in 2009, when Northern Iowa nearly upset the Hawkeyes before falling 17-16.

During the 2010s, this matchup was played three times, in 2012, 2014, and 2018. Iowa won all three, but Northern Iowa was competitive in 2012 and 2014, losing by scores of just 27-16 and 31-23, respectively.

Iowa's largest win over Northern Iowa came in 1997 in a 66-0 game. The last matchup was in 2018, and it saw Iowa win 38-14. The Hawkeyes' offense was rolling, as Nate Stanley threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, while Iowa churned out 238 yards on 50 carries.

The defense held Northern Iowa to 228 total yards of offense, which was highlighted by allowing only six rushing yards on 21 carries.

What to expect in the 2026 version of Iowa vs UNI

Northern Iowa enters this game with a record of 1-1, which most recently includes a 56-14 drubbing of the Drake Bulldogs, another in-state program.

The success has largely been on the shoulders of quarterback Jaxon Dailey, who is 36-for-51 on the year for 529 yards and three touchdowns.

On the ground, Northern Iowa is struggling, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, which is a bad matchup going against Iowa's stout front seven on defense, which is allowing just 2.2 yards per carry through two games.

That is what I expect to happen in this one. Iowa should be able to eliminate most of the running game and force Northern Iowa into passing downs. Iowa is a turnover-hungry team, and getting a few this game would go a long way in building even more confidence in the secondary.