Pat Fitzgerald loves to talk about not necessarily throwing the metaphorical punches, but responding to them.
And for nearly every successful punch Iowa threw, Northwestern had a response in a potentially season-saving 38-31 win over its arch-rival, Iowa, at Kinnick Stadium.
Given the way this season has gone, a shift in momentum late in the first half created the sense that Northwestern would fall apart once again. After a brilliant quarter-and-a-half, Justin Jackson — he of three career fumbles — put one on the ground. The most dependable man on the team had let his team down, at least momentarily.