For Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers fans, it’s a short wait this season for a game between the long-time rivals thanks to this week’s Thursday night game.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is brimming with confidence after last week’s 41-21 rout of the Indianapolis Colts. On Tuesday, he felt like trash talking and wished Green Bay’s secondary good luck with his receiving corp.

For Green Bay, they’ll look to recover from last week’s home loss against the San Francisco 49ers. It was a wakeup call for the division’s favored team and the likelihood of losing a second game at Lambeau has no appeal.

History is on Green Bay’s side for Thursday as they’ve won the last five games against their rival. The Bears’ last win came on Sept. 25, 2010 in the Windy City and it’s an even longer dry spell for a Lambeau victory: Oct. 7, 2007.

I say it’s time to break the spell; it may very well happen.

Cutler will enter the game with bravado after passing for 333 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. New wide receiver Brandon Marshall, his former go-to guy at the Denver Broncos, was again his favorite as the big player had nine catches for 119 yards and one touchdown in Week 1.

It was nice to see a tall receiver on the field. Anyone notice him walking next to Devin Hester? It looked like a father-son duo.

In addition, Cutler appears to have found a second receiver he likes with 6’3″ rookie Alshon Jeffery. In his NFL debut, the player had three receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown.

Up north, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tried his best with 303 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception but the team’s problems came to light in its 30-22 loss.

Unfortunately for Green Bay, they had the sole distinction of the conference’s only loss on Sunday.

The Packers new but old running back and former Chicago Bear Cedric Benson disappointed in his first outing. He had nine carries for 18 yards. His quarterback led the team in rushing with 5 carries for 27 yards.

On the receiving side, Rodgers went to James Jones, who had 4 receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown. He was the team’s leader followed by Randall Cobb with 9 receptions for 77  yards.

The Bears defense will need to stop Rodgers and that means Julius Peppers, Israel Idonije, rookie Shea McClellin along with Henry Melton need to rattle and get in the quarterback’s face.

The team also needs to have vintage Brian Urlacher in the game.

Another great game by the Bears’ small cornerback Tim Jennings would also be good.

Cutler will need to watch out for veteran defensive back Charles Woodson along with his defensive teammates that will try to stop the running duo of Matt Forte and Michael Bush.

The moody quarterback will also need to throw with accuracy, receive protection by his improving O-line and not lose his head in the game.

Hopefully the Bears will not have to rely on one of their leading scorers, kicker Robbie Gould, to get points on the board. On Sunday, Gould had two field goals with 35-yarder as his long one.

I bleed Orange and Blue so I am drinking the Kool-Aid this week. I see a 20-17 win for the Bears.

On a sunny, cool day in the Windy City, the Chicago Bears shone in their 41-21 win over the Indianapolis Colts. For this team, it had been awhile since they incurred such a high-scoring game: Can you say Oct. 4, 2009 over the Detroit Lions with a 48-point win?

For the opposing team, Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck had a disappointing inauguration into the NFL but his stats don’t paint a horrible picture. Luck completed 23 of 45 passes for 309 yards with one touchdown, three interceptions and a fumble, which isn’t unlike the debut of another former Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning.

He threw for 302 yards and also had three interceptions and one touchdown in his first NFL game.

As for Luck, the game definitely had a welcome to the NFL feel.

He said, “It definitely was kicked up another notch, especially against a defense with Lance Briggs, Julius Peppers, Henry Melton and [Brian] Urlacher. They have a lot of speed out there. They’re a fast team. There was a noticeable difference.”

For the Bears, they got off to a rough start thanks to quarterback Jay Cutler. On the team’s second possession, whether he wasn’t focused or running back Matt Forte was off, the Colts jumped on the scoreboard first thanks to a pick six by Cutler.

This was the Colts only lead of the game and loud grumbling could be heard throughout Solider Field.

The home team didn’t stay behind for too long, getting on the board thanks to running back Michael Bush’s one-yard touchdown four minutes after the Colts.

In the second quarter, wide receiver Brandon Marshall showed up and got a touchdown. The Bears scored a field goal with five minutes after his touchdown.

The Bears held the Colts to a field goal in the second quarter and after Bush’s second touchdown for the half, the team entered halftime with a 24-14 lead.

Bears Coach Lovie Smith must have given a much-needed rousing halftime speech as the the team returned from the break and saw a Forte touchdown and a Robbie Gould field goal at the front end of the third quarter. While the Colts got a touchdown at the top of the fourth quarter, that would be it for the visiting team.

For the day, Cutler threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns. His reunion with his wide receiver gave Marshall 119 yards receiving with a touchdown.

While Bears fans could say the passing game has improved now that Cutler and Marshall are reunited along with the addition of Alshon Jeffery and the return of Earl Bennett, the team still shone with its running game.

Running back Matt Forte ran for 80 yards, with one touchdown and 40 yards receiving. Bush showed why he’s a great addition with his two touchdowns, 12 carries and 42 yards.

The defense owes a shout out to Bears cornerback and former Colt, Tim Jennings. He picked off two of Luck’s passes and deflected a ball that had been picked off by his fellow defenseman Chris Conte.

For the day, the Bears forced five turnovers.

Jennings said of the game, “It was a good day. I was able to catch the ball. I dropped one in the end zone. … I caught more than I dropped today. Last year I struggled with that.”

On Sunday, the Chicago Bears will kick off their season by hosting the Indianapolis Colts. Expectations are high for this team and after last year’s dismal ending everyone is ready for business to get back to usual and then some.

There’s new faces for the Bears including players, a GM and coaching changes. Questions will linger during the season on linebacker Brian Urlacher’s knee and if the Bears don’t succeed, will it be time to say goodbye to Lovie Smith?

Let’s take a look at the first game.

Andrew Luck’s NFL debut

Change has come for the Colts and it’s new era with quarterback Andrew Luck. I can’t think of a worse team for a rookie to face for his first game than the Bears.

Welcome to the NFL Andrew. Have you met Julius Peppers, Urlacher or Israel Idonije? Maybe you know Charles Tillman or Lance Briggs?

Yes, these guys are getting old but between their size, experience and drive, it’s like rattling a hornet’s nest on the field.

Rookie quarterbacks beware. These guys are tough to beat.

Cutler and Marshall Reunion

Bears fans are excited about the reunion of quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall. It’s been a lovefest between these two in the offseason and now it’s time to see if they can bring their old Denver Broncos magic to the Windy City.

They didn’t impress me too much in the preseason but hey, it was early and everyone is still trying to get up to speed.

Rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey has caught Cutler’s eye and I’m curious to see if he’ll have a good season. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of Cutler and if Jeffrey can show up every week, Cutler will have a nice playmate on the field.

Which he needs.

With Mike Tice as the team’s offensive coordinator, it will be interesting to see the chemistry with Cutler. Will Tice utilize tight ends? How much latitude will Cutler have as the field general?

Matt Forte – Michael Bush Duo

When he signed with the team this spring, running back Michael Bush most likely thought he’d have a greater role with the Bears thanks to the uncertainly surrounding Forte’s contract. But his contract is signed; Forte is back and now Bush will have to find his place.

Forte will take lead role as running back but I think Bush will be a great complement. For a team that places high expectations on its passing quarterback, at the end of the day there’s still a lot of focus on its running game.

What’s Up with Devin Hester? 

Aside from watching this talented player, there’s always the question of what to do with Devin Hester. Sure the guy can run fast, very fast, but factor in a play or a scheme and well, I wonder how much time the player spends reviewing the playbook. Earlier in the offseason the team said they’d have some special plays for Hester this season.

I am curious to see his role considering he hasn’t been in the conversation with the team’s other wide receivers recently.

Prediction for Sunday? Bears take a 24-14 win.

After the Chicago Bears 3-31 loss against the Denver Broncos, fans shook their heads, thinking the team lots of work to do. Expectations were likely muted for preseason Game 2 against the Washington Redskins but the team showed up and took a 33-31 win.

There were improvements between the two games. Here’s three things we learned from the win.

1. The Bears Need Cutler at the Helm

Ok, this isn’t really news/anything we’ve learned but after Cutler’s absence last season, Saturday’s performance was a nice reminder that he is a difference maker for this team and finally becoming a leader. In just four possessions, he led the Bears to two touchdowns and one field goal.

In the opening series, he completed 4 of 5 passes for 81 yards. This led to running back Michael Bush’s first touchdown (a one-yarder).

Cutler built a nice 17-0 lead and then exited in the second quarter. For the game,  he was 7 for 13, 122 yards with an 86.1 passer rating.

He said of Saturday’s game, “It’s fun to get back out there. Last game it was tough to have to only watch. We had a good week of practice. I thought there was a lot more intensity and a bigger sense of urgency from the guys. We threw the first one to ‘B’ and we started rolling a bit.”

2. Great Additions to the Offense

On Saturday, Bears fans had their first opportunity to see the Cutler-Marshall duo as Bears teammates. They didn’t disappoint as Brandon Marshall was the recipient of Cutler’s first preseason pass: a nice 41-yarder.

Rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffery grabbed three catches for 62 yards during the first half. He’s gained a fan from the team, fellow wide receiver Devin Hester, who said of the player, “He is doing good. He is going to be a big factor on our team.”

Bush had two touchdowns; both within the 10-yard line. He joined the team while top running back Matt Forte’s future with the Bears looked questionable. His expectations were high and after Forte got everything squared away, Bush possibly thought some of his opportunities would decline.

After Saturday’s game, it had to give him a boost of confidence to make a name for himself on this team and show he’s a good complement to Forte. Bush said of Saturday’s play, “It felt good, but it’s the preseason. I’d like it a lot more if it was the regular season.’’

3. Defense Shows Up, Quiets Concerns About Urlacher’s Absence

With news of Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher’s third offseason knee surgery this week, a hush came across Chicago that the Bears’ defense would be at a loss without the face of the team.

Fortunately, it was short-lived as the defense stepped up on Saturday. Going up against Redskins’ quarterback Robert Griffin III, they sacked the rookie three times, and kept him to 49 yards passing with a 79.9 rating. They also caused a fumble that was later converted by the offense into a touchdown.

Israel Idonije had 2 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble, which was recovered by Julius Peppers in Redskins territory.

Raise your hand if you think Sunday’s Bears game was one of the worst ones you’ve watched in a long time.

Or maybe you were smarter than me and turned it off at halftime.

Overall, it was a team fail. I’m not really sure where to start other than to say the Bears never really got out of the starting gates for the entire game.

While gray clouds blanketed Chicago, quarterback Caleb Hanie had his own special black cloud with his less than 50 percent completion rate and a passer rater of 23.8. The green starter threw three picks (now a total of six in his last two games) and incurred seven sacks. The team’s offense was held to 181 yards, with the Bears having less than 100 yards from rushing and passing.

Running back Matt Forte went down in the first quarter from a hit to the knee. A prolonged silence could be heard as he lay on the field before leaving for the day. In fact, don’t look for his return in 2011 (there’s only four remaining games) as Forte’s Grade 2 MCL sprain may sideline him for two to six weeks.

Running back Marion Barber has been a great addition and complement to Forte, but he’s no No. 22.

And for the second year, Forte will dampen my end of season fantasy play.

There was hope for a Bears’ first half touchdown during the second quarter. With the Bears on the four-yard line, Barber went in for the touchdown but thanks to an illegal formation penalty, the touchdown was called back by officials. With their five yard-penalty, the team settled for their sole lead of the game with a 32-yard field goal by kicker Robbie Gould at the 9:44 mark.

Looking to pull ahead with a second field goal, Gould’s 51-yard field goal attempt had been pushed back compliments of a Bears delay of game penalty. Again, being so close yet so far, Chicago lost yards and forced a punt at the Chiefs 13-yard line.

In his third chance for a field goal during the third quarter, Gould’s 41-yard attempt was no good.

Kansas City got on the board before halftime with a touchdown thanks in part to Brian Urlacher. Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko’s pass was batted down by Urlacher, into the hands of running back Dexter McClusker. This put Kansas ahead 7-3 at halftime.

The only score in the second half came in the third quarter from a 21-yard field goal by the Chief’s Ryan Succop.

While Chicago remained gloomy after the game, there was some sunshine for Bears fans. With Sunday’s Atlanta, Detroit and Dallas losses, the Bears remain in Wild Card hunt as a fifth seed.

Shocking, right?

Next week, the Bears will travel to Denver to play a hot Broncos team. Considering they almost lost to Minnesota, I have some hope; however, the Bears need to do some Tim Tebow-size praying for a win after Sunday’s loss.

On Friday, the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-3) will kick off a new rivalry, the Heroes Game, with the Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3, 4-3). They will travel to Lincoln for an 11 a.m. game that will be televised on ABC.

As the conference’s newest family member, Nebraska came with high expectations. I was skeptical of their first year “success” with concerns from playing against new teams, Bo Pelini’s coaching, and the quarterback situation. I didn’t expect them to land in Indianapolis on Dec. 3 but I also didn’t think they’d either lose to Northwestern or get spanked by Wisconsin and Michigan.

Maybe Nebraska is who I thought they were but against Iowa, they hold a 26-12-3 record, with Iowa’s last win coming in 1981. It’s been 30 years; maybe this will be the year.

Let’s take a look at this week’s game.

Defense

Iowa’s defense has come together in the last few games thanks to great play by seniors Broderick Binns and Mike Daniels as well as sophomore Tanner Miller. However, the Hawkeye’s 387.8 yards per game is nothing to brag about (eighth in the conference) but neither is Nebraska at 358.0 yards per game, coming in at No. 7.

Both teams will face talented offensive weapons and with Iowa’s difficulty in stopping the run (averaging 153.8 yards per game vs. Nebraska’s 168.2 yards), this should be interesting.

Advantage: Draw

Offense

Iowa’s talented trio of quarterback James Vandenberg, wide receiver Marvin McNutt, Jr. and running back Marcus Coker, is tough to beat. All of them are at the top of the conference with McNutt having his best season ever and Vandenberg being impressive and confident in his first season at the helm.

Just when Coker had a potential opportunity to get a break with Mika’il McCall back in the lineup, the freshman running back got into some trouble and will not play on Friday.

Look for Jason White to get some reps.

Nebraska also has some offensive talent to brag about with quarterback Taylor Martinez’s rushing numbers and running back Rex Burkead’s 1,108 yards, ranking him No. 23 in the nation.

Advantage: Iowa 

Kicking

Iowa’s duo of Mike Meyer and Eric Guthrie has been solid this season sans a few bad kicks by Meyer. Last week, Nebraska struggled with kickoffs, a blocked punt and a failed fake field goal. However the team’s kicker, Brett Maher is good, hitting a career-long 51-yard field goal and a 69-yard punt against Michigan.

Winner: Talent vs. Consistency: Draw

There’s bragging rights for the game’s winner and a chance to go to a more prestigious bowl. Nebraska will be looking for revenge after last week and Iowa arrives with confidence.

Iowa wins in a tight game, 31-24.

On a windy November day in Chicago, the Bears rolled on to their fifth consecutive win by beating the San Diego Chargers, 31-20.

The Bears are now 7-3 and sit tied for second in the NFC North. Good news, right? Well, not so fast as quarterback Jay Cutler is most likely out for the season.

But let’s take a look at the game.

First Half 

Both teams got their first scores of the game with field goals in the first quarter. The Bears got on the board with a six-pointer in the second quarter by running back Marion Barber. Two minutes later, San Diego tied up the game but the Bears grabbed a second touchdown from rarely used Kellen Davis to enter halftime ahead, 17-10.

Second Half

San Diego came back from the break and tied the game 17-17 but Cutler scored a touchdown to pull the team ahead for the rest of the game, both in the second quarter. Chicago got their final score with a Johnny Knox touchdown less than a minute later for a commanding 31-20 lead.

The Chargers grabbed another field goal at the top of the fourth quarter and had a few touchdown chances but the team’s interception-prone quarterback, Philip Rivers, lived up to this season’s reputation and put the ball back in the Bears’ hands to shut the game down in the last two minutes.

Cutler is perhaps the biggest news coming out of Sunday’s game. The quarterback fractured his throwing thumb and he will be out for six to eight weeks.

Welcome back Caleb Hanie. Or, do we say hello to a veteran quarterback waiting to come out of the wings for December play?

Looking at the Bears’ receiving corp, Roy Williams led the team with five catches for 62 yards. He caught three consecutive passes, all first downs.

Johnny Knox was the team’s reception leader with 97 yards on three catches and one touchdown. However, from a slip in the fourth quarter while trying to make a catch, Knox’s missed pass went to a San Diego Charger for an interception.

Earl Bennett came in between these two with three receptions for 75 yards.

Matt Forte led in rushing with 21 carries for 59 yards, followed by Barber with six carries for 23 yards.

On the opposing side, quarterback Rivers went 21 for 31 passes for 280 yards, two touchdowns and two picks.

Wide receiver Vincent Jackson had seven receptions for 165 yards contributing to the Chargers’ 332 yards of total offense in three quarters. The Bears controlled the ball for almost the entire fourth quarter but the defense could have been sharper;  it was only their second game of the season without a sack.

With a defense that will need to step up more than ever and an offensive line that looks better each week but still a little shaky, everyone will need to perform tremendously for the remainder of the season with Hanie at the helm.

Just when Bears’ fans were feeling good about the season, the Cutler bad news has put a dark cloud over it.

After spending time in the friendly confines of Kinnick Stadium, the Iowa Hawkeyes traveled this weekend and captured its first road win of the season with a 31-21 win against the Purdue Boilermakers.

Iowa’s defense, offensive trio and senior defensive players were key to the win.

First Half

Iowa jumped on the board pretty quickly with a 26-yard pass touchdown from quarterback James Vandenberg to wide receiver Marvin McNutt at 11:46. Purdue came back five minutes later and grabbed a touchdown but Iowa scored a second one with a five-yard pass to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz.

The Boilermakers again tied it up in the second quarter at 4:49 but Iowa pulled away by the half thanks to a Marcus Coker touchdown.

Iowa led 21-14 at the half.

Second Half

The third quarter’s only score was a 38-yard field goal by kicker Mike Meyer, which enabled Iowa to pull ahead 24-14.

The final quarter was interesting. McNutt grabbed his second touchdown of the game with a 53-yard pass from Vandenberg thrown behind him to take a resounding 31-14 lead. That would be Iowa’s final score of the game but Purdue grabbed seven more points at the 11:58 mark and almost six more points at the end.

With 1:27 remaining, Purdue appeared to score a touchdown. They moved to line up for the extra points, but official review determined the play was a fumble by Purdue quarterback Robert Marve at the goal line. The ball was returned by the officials to Iowa.

Another potential fourth quarter scramble averted.

Iowa had a big offensive day with 408 yards and two turnovers in occasional sloppy play.

For the day, Vandenberg was 22 for 32, 273 yards and three touchdowns.

Coker had another 100-plus rushing game with 30 carries for 139 yards and one touchdown. Mika’il McCall made a brief appearance but didn’t do much with his 2 carries for 4 yards.

McNutt had another great game with 9 receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He also set another school record, the number of touchdown catches in a single season with 12. If McNutt can grab eight more receptions, he grab another record: single-season receptions at 82.

After some ankle problems, wide receiver Kennan Davis was back and had 7 receptions for 63 yards.

Contributing to Iowa’s win was great defensive play with its four turnovers (two interceptions by Tannen Miller), 14 points allowed, and Purdue’s 282 offensive yards.

Defensive linemen Mike Daniels led the team in tackles with eight (four for a loss) and two sacks. Broderick Binns, who has been great this season, grabbed seven tackles and one sack. Cornerback Shaun Prater added six tackles, one sack and two pass breakups.

Better later than never for this defense to show up.

Iowa has one more game for the regular season before they go bowling. They’ll play Nebraska on Friday in Lincoln and after Michigan’s rout of the Cornhuskers, Big Red will be looking for a big win.

In a hotly contested game, the Bears rolled over new division rival, the Detroit Lions, with a 37-13 win on Sunday.

It was an aggressive, angry game but fortunately the Bears were able to take a commanding lead at the start and keep it.

With the win, the Bears have won four consecutive games and sit in a 6-3 NFC North tie with Detroit. The wild-card race is beginning to look interesting.

Here’s a look at the game.

First Half

The Bears took a quick 10-0 lead from recovered fumbles on Detroit’s first two possessions.

Matt Forte got the Bears on the board first with a six-yard touchdown run, followed by a Robbie Gould 43-yard field goal.

The Bears opened the second quarter with a 35-yard field goal. Devin Hester shook off a week filled with illness and a cranky left ankle and soon followed with an 82-yard punt return to have the Bears take a commanding 20-0 lead.

Why teams continue to Hester, I’ll never know but Bears fans won’t argue.

The Lions went into panic mode and quickly grabbed two field goals in the quarter to avoid a scoreless first half.

So much for Lion’s defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh recent conversation with NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell about unnecessary roughness rules. In the second quarter, Suh ripped off Cutler’s helmet from the back; no penalty was called.

The Bears entered the half ahead 21-6.

Second Half

The interceptions kept coming from Detroit and the Bears’ Major Wright recorded his first career touchdown with a 24-yd return at the top of the quarter.

Next up for an interception touchdown? Charles Tillman. He ran in a 44-yard return and the Lions saw themselves down 34-6; it was only four minutes into the third quarter.

Third time was the charm for the Bears as they got three more points in the third quarter with a 50-yard field goal by Gould.

In the fourth quarter, Detroit grabbed its first touchdown of the game. The Bears still led 37-13 and backup quarterback Caleb Hanie entered the game to give Cutler a rest.

The second half was an ugly one with tempers flaring and players fighting. Rookie Detroit tackle Nick Fairley drove Cutler into the end zone’s turf and received a roughing the passer call late in the third quarter.

Next up? Bears cornerback D.J. Moore exited in the fourth quarter after Tim Jennings’ interception return. Stafford wasn’t happy with his third pick of the day and dragged Moore down by the back of his helmet.

Moore said not so fast and went after Stafford. A small brawl ensued.

Stafford remained in the game while Moore exited with a big smile on his face.

It wasn’t a great day for stats. Matt Forte led in rushing with a measly 18 carries for 64 yards while Cutler went 9 for 19 for 123 yards. Earl Bennett continued as his quarterback’s favorite target, grabbing 81 of Cutler’s yards.

With an offensive line that is coming together, bad news hit the group with the season-ending wrist injury of guard Chris Williams on Sunday. He had surgery today and Edwin Williams will pinch hit.

Iowa lost its perfect home record on Saturday with its 37-21 loss to Michigan State. The Hawkeyes fall to 6-4, 3-3.

Michigan State will return to Lansing with bragging rights, erasing last year’s loss and continuing on its march to the first Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 3.

They sit at 8-2, 5-1.

The Iowa team that played against Michigan definitely failed to show up again this week.

Let’s take a look at this disappointing game.

First half

It was a defensive game at first until Michigan State jumped on the board at 9:17 with a pass by quarterback Kirk Cousins to his wide receiver B.J. Cunningham. Iowa’s defense appeared surprised by the play, setting the tone for the day.

Michigan State’s second touchdown came from an Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg interception. At the end of the first quarter, they had a comfortable 14-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Iowa scored from an eight-yard pass by Vandenberg to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz. This was his first touchdown as a Hawkeye.

Iowa fans breathed a sigh of relief for the seven-point game but it didn’t last long. Michigan State scored on a second Iowa turnover and with the second quarter’s field goal and two touchdowns, Sparty entered halftime ahead 31-7; they had also successfully blocked an Iowa field goal at the end of the quarter.

There were a lot of three and outs for the teams and a high number of Iowa penalties.

Running back Marcus Coker was held to 13 carries for 40 yards and Vandenberg struggled with his passing, finishing the first half at a 50 percent completion.

Second half

Iowa had some signs of life in the early part of the second half with two touchdowns in the third quarter: one by wide receiver Marvin McNutt and a second one by Coker.

With a 34-21 MSU lead entering the final quarter, Hawkeye Nation had dreams of another fourth quarter comeback with 10 minutes remaining but after a false start and an incomplete pass, it was not in the stars today.

Michigan State’s final field goal at 5:11 put the nail in the coffin.

For the day, Vandenberg had 262 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Cousins fared slightly better with 260 yards and three touchdowns.

Iowa’s MVP for the day was McNutt with his eight catches for 130 yards. With Saturday’s performance, he became Iowa’s leader in career receiving yards at 2,635.

Michigan State’s wide receiver B.J. Cunningham had two touchdowns and running back Le’Veon Bell had 20 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown.

Iowa’s Coker didn’t add too many yards in the second half, ending the day with 21 carries for 57 yards.

It was a disappointing day for the Hawkeyes but Michigan State appeared more prepared, with a stronger will to win. After all, it had been 22 years since Michigan State had last won at Kinnick.