Iowa Hawkeyes vs Northern Illinois History is One-Sided, But Carries a Scar

The two teams have met 10 times in history, but things are about as one-sided as you could get, with the Iowa Hawkeyes owning this series.

Iowa's Ivory Kelly-Martin runs in for a touchdown during the Hawkeyes' game against Northern Illinois at Kinnick Stadium on Satuday, Sept. 1, 2018. 20180901 Iowa Vs Niu Football 35 Jpg | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Week 1 games for Big Ten teams are often a tune-up game against an unfamiliar foe from a lower-level FBS conference or the FCS Ranks.

The Week 1 matchup for the Iowa Hawkeyes, while it does come from the Mountain West Conference, has a shockingly deep and intimate history, with some scars to remind Iowa what it's dealing with.

Iowa Hawkeyes vs Northern Illinois History

The frequency of these two teams meeting up really shouldn't be that shocking. Dekalb, Illinois is not even a two and a half hour bus ride to Iowa City. The ease of the matchup and logistics, amid a world that sees college football travel booming, makes sense.

These two have met 10 times in history, with the Iowa Hawkeyes holding an expected 9-1 record in the series.

The problem? Those nine wins are currently on just a one-game winning streak. The Huskies have burned Iowa before, and it wasn't some upset in the 1950s, either.

In 2013, the Huskies waltzed into Kinnick Stadium, dropped 30 points on the Hawkeyes, and left with a 30-27 win, stunning Iowa and its faithful.

Iowa held a 24-17 halftime lead, only to get outscored 13-3 in the second half, which included a game-winning field goal with just four seconds left.

Northern Illinois legend Jordan Lynch had a day against Iowa, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 56 more yards on the ground. This game started Northern Illinois' run to a perfect 12-0 regular season.

Iowa needs to replicate the most recent matchup

In 2018, Northern Illinois made its return to Kinnick Stadium, which saw things go quite differently.

Well, sort of. In typical Iowa fashion, the Hawkeyes held only a 3-0 lead at halftime before posting a 30-point outburst in the second half to run away with things 33-7.

The way Iowa won this game could be a recipe for success this year. Nate Stanley was just 11-for-23 on the day for 108 yards and one touchdown to one interception, but the story was on the ground.

Iowa rumbled for 217 yards and three scores on the ground. Toren Young led the way with 84 yards, while Ivory Kelly-Martin added 62 yards and Mekhi Sargent poured in 41 yards.

In all honesty, the sort of game plan is how I see the 2026 rendition of this series shaking out. I don't see the Hawkeyes asking Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown to do a whole lot, aside from some play-action passes.

The triple-headed monster Iowa used in this game in 2018 feels very similar to Iowa's quartet of Kamari Moulton, L.J. Phillips Jr., Xavier Williams, and Nathan McNeil, all of whom should see touches on Saturday if healthy.