No. 22 Iowa Crushes Northern Iowa 45-21

Posted 8:04PM on Saturday 17th September 2005 ( 19 years ago )

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Drew Tate returned from a concussion to throw two touchdown passes and Albert Young ran for two more scores, leading No. 22 Iowa to a 45-21 victory over Northern Iowa on Saturday. In tying a school record with its 20th straight win at home, Iowa (2-1) got some of its confidence back after a 23-3 loss at Iowa State - something the Hawkeyes had considered essential with their Big Ten opener at Ohio State looming next Saturday. Northern Iowa (2-1) also got something from the game. The Panthers, one of the nation's top Division I-AA programs, had a chance to test themselves against a major I-A team and the university collected a $325,000 guarantee. Tate showed no problems from the concussion that knocked him out of the Iowa State game, completing 15 of 18 passes for 247 yards and no interceptions. He threw touchdown passes of 11 and 71 yards to Clinton Solomon and called it a day after playing three quarters. Young carried 13 times for 97 yards and capped two 80-yard drives with first-quarter touchdowns, one from the 10 and the other from 1 yard out. The Hawkeyes scored on four of five first-half possessions and also got a touchdown on Jovon Johnson's 18-yard interception return en route to a 31-7 lead. Iowa finished with 496 yards, including 308 in the first half. That offensive efficiency was a sharp contrast to the Hawkeyes' sloppy play the week before, when they turned the ball over five times and never got closer to the end zone than the Iowa State 26. Still, it wasn't a waltz for Iowa, which gave up three Eric Sanders touchdown passes. Sanders, who had completed 84 percent of his passes coming in, went 19-of-29 for 263 yards, including touchdown throws of 12 yards to Brian Cutright, 4 yards to Justin Surrency and 22 yards to David Horne. Cutright's touchdown drew Northern Iowa to 21-7 midway through the second quarter, giving a small contingent of Panthers' fans a reason to cheer. But Iowa answered with Kyle Schlicher's 23-yard field goal, then got the ball right back when Abdul Hodge recovered Horne's fumble at the Northern Iowa 35. The Hawkeyes needed only three plays to score, Tate hitting Solomon for the TD from the 11. Solomon caught the ball at the 8, stiff armed Dre Dokes and took it in. In the third quarter, Solomon broke free on a post pattern and Tate hit him in stride. Alphonso Key caught Solomon inside the 15, but the Iowa receiver fought him off and scored standing up. Northern Iowa had a chance to make a statement early. Trailing 7-0, the Panthers drove to the Iowa 20, helped by Sanders' 35-yard pass to Patrick Hunter, who made a juggling catch after Johnson tipped the ball. But Brian Wingert was wide left on a 37-yard field goal attempt when the drive stalled, just his seventh miss in 35 career tries. © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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