Damon Bullock ran for 150 yards and scored on a late 23-yard touchdown run to lead Iowa to an 18-17 victory over Northern Illinois in the season opener on Saturday. The Hawkeyes simply got all they could handle from the reigning Mid-American Conference champions but came out on top after trailing most of the way. They were down 17-12 when Bullock ran untouched around the left end to put them ahead by one. That happened after Iowa downed a punt at the NIU 1, pinning the Huskies against the goal line.

Rather than take a safety, Northern Illinois punted. Iowa took over on the 24 and Bullock ran it in on third down. The 2-point conversation failed, but the defense held its ground, giving Iowa a tense victory at Soldier Field.

[ AP RECAP | BOX | PLAY BY PLAY | BY QUARTER | SCOREBOARD | BTN CONNECT ]

EDITOR’S NOTE

In partnership with Narrative Science, BTN.com posts recaps after every quarter of every Big Ten football game. Use the links above for more info on this specific game, including full Big Ten campus weather reports. And enter your zip code below to find the TV channel airing BTN football games on your TV provider. If your game isn’t listed, it’s on another TV network. Learn more about our TV GameFinder.

http://btn.com/tag/iowa-vs-northern-illinois/