Iowa Vs. Northern Illinois Final Score: Hawkeyes Come Back In Final Minutes To Score 18-17 Win

It was nothing but field goal after field goal for the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday against Northern Illinois. That is to say, it was nothing but field goals until the final three minutes, when Damon Bullock broke a 23-yard touchdown run to put Iowa up by a single point. That was enough to do it, with Iowa taking home an 18-17 win and a 1-0 mark to start their season.

Bullock's touchdown run was set into motion by great field position to start off the drive. Northern Illinois had started the previous drive on their own one-yard line, and after a rush of 3 yards, a penalty of -2 yards and a rush for a loss of 1 yard, the Huskies were forced to punt from their own one-yard line.

Luckily for them, the punt only went 34 yards, and was returned to the 24-yard line by Micah Hyde. Iowa had a rush for no gain and a pass complete for one yard before Bullock broke for the 23-yard touchdown on a 3rd and 9. They failed the two-point conversion attempt, but already had the lead.

Mike Meyer had four field goals on the night, with one in the fourth quarter from 50 yards out. He was 4-for-5 on the night in field goals. James Vandenberg only managed to put up 129 yards passing on the day, with -15 yards rushing to go with it. He completed 21 of 33 passes, at an average of 3.9 yards per pass. Iowa really did favor the bubble screen.

Jordan Lynch only had 54 yards passing for Northern Illinois, completing six of his 16 pass attempts, but he carried the football 18 times for 119 yards, contributing to a team rushing total of 147 yards. Lynch and Keith Harris Jr. had the two rushing touchdowns for North Illinois on the day.

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Iowa Vs. Northern Illinois 2012: Schedule, Game Time, Odds And More

The Northern Illinois football team will hope its experienced defense can help the team in an upset bid at home against Iowa at 2:30 p.m. CT in Saturday's season opener. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

The teams last played each other in 2007, when Iowa came away with a 16-3 win. Northern Illinois is the defending MAC champion. They finished last season 11-3 overall and 7-1 in the MAC. Iowa is coming off a 7-6 season and 4-4 finish in the Big 10.

SB Nation's Satchel Prince noted that fans should expect a more defensive-minded Northern Illinois team this season:

Now, it appears that fans will be treated to a Northern Illinois team that's geared a bit more towards defense. In 2011, the Huskies were No. 12 nationally in scoring offense and No. 85 nationally in scoring defense, but it's hard to imagine a remotely similar performance in 2012.

Iowa is favored by six points in the game.

For updates on Northern Illinois football, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For all your college football needs, visit SB Nation's NCAA football news hub.

Northern Illinois Football Preview: Experienced Defense Will Be Key To Success

SB Nation's Bill Connelly previews Northern Illinois football, noting an increased focus on defense.