Northwestern - 10 things to watch

Iowa makes the short trip to Evanston, IL to battle the Northwestern Wildcats.  Of late, the Wildcats have had a ton of success against the Hawkeyes, winning 4 of the last 5 games.  This week a freshman running back at Northwestern was asked about Iowa and he said that he didn't know much, other than that Coach Fitz, hates them.  He is the new Dan McCarney, he may not get much out of his team, but gets them up for Iowa.  Here are ten things to watch on Saturday:

1. Iowa has to avoid turnovers - The last two years, Iowa has turned the ball over 9 times against Northwestern.  Iowa has to avoid the turnover problem that  has plagued them the last few years.
2. Star players must finish the game - Last year, Iowa was up 10 when Ricky Stanzi went down and Iowa proceeded to lose the game.  Two years ago, Shonn Greene went down with a concussion and Iowa wasn't the same team after he left the game.  If Iowa loses Stanzi or another star this season it could point to the same outcome as the last two years.
3. Iowa defensive line - Northwestern isn't a running team, but when they do run, they run with their quarterback, Dan Persa.  Their passing attack is a quick one and if the linebackers are worried about the run, it keeps them from getting to their drop zones that Northwestern will exploit.  If the front four can contain Persa's running ability, it really helps the linebackers focus on the mass of receivers that Northwestern will throw at them.
4. Kicker - Neither kicker has been great with PAT's, with Meyer missing 2 and Stefan Demos missing 3.  The main difference is Meyer is a freshman and Demos is a Senior, missing PAT's is something a freshman does, not a senior.  
5. Adam Robinson - After missing last week's narrow escape at Indiana, the sophomore running back will be back in the backfield for the Hawks.  Now, Robinson's backup, Marcus Coker, had a great game, but was curiously absent in the red zone and the second half.  There was a direct correlation between that and Kirk Ferentz not being comfortable with Coker's inexperience.  This week, look for Iowa to spell Robinson with Coker to help reduce the wear on an already beaten up body.
6. Mother nature - Looks like the game time weather will be cold and wet.  If it is raining, it helps Iowa a lot, the are the more physical team on both sides of the ball and it isn't even close.  If there is a wet ball, it hampers Northwestern's game plan of short quick passes more than it hurts Iowa's pound the ball style.  If Iowa can get an early lead, they will be able to take the air out of the ball and start to beat up on the Northwestern lines.  If they can do this, the Wildcats could begin to physically wear down.
7. Senior leaders - Iowa's senior class is 1-3 against the Wildcats in their first four years on campus, this team has too many great senior leaders to allow this team to not be ready to play.  The leadership has to know that next week's game doesn't mean anything unless they take care of business on Saturday.
8. Norm - It could just be a coincidence, but Iowa played arguably its best defense of the season against Michigan State, the first game back for defensive coordinator in six weeks.  He missed last week but is making the trip to Evanston this weekend.  No, he has not been that involved in the game plan, but there is no denying his emotional boost to the defense, not to mention that he makes some of the best adjustments on the fly of any defensive coordinator in the nation.
9. Offensive Line - Northwestern loves to blitz, something that Iowa has not had too much trouble with since the Arizona game.  However, the offensive line seemed to take a step back last week, allowing two sacks.  The line is more talented than the Wildcat defense, but talent doesn't always win.
10. James Morris - Morris has stepped into a starting role and even though he is a true freshman, he hasn't even blinked.  He is solid against the run and is great against the pass.  This will be a great test for him as Persa is a running quarterback and Morris might be assigned to him as a spy.  With Northwestern lining up with an empty backfield often, it leaves Persa 1 on 1 with Morris on quarterback draws.  If Morris can hold his own, Iowa will win the game.