Iowa made an early statement in what ended up being a loss to Northwestern. Defensive end Zach VanValkenburg was making his second start for the Hawkeyes and he made the most of it with a career best seven tackles, and he forced a fumble and recovered it in the first half. He discusses the struggles Iowa faced against the Wildcats and what needs to improve moving forward.

Q: What problems did Northwestern cause with their run game that allowed them to sustain drives?

ZACH: I think we did a good job of hustling to the football. I think we did a good job of playing with a lot of effort. Obviously we came up a little short and we have to be more physical next week.

Q: How difficult was it going against Bowser and why could he push the pile forward?

ZACH: All credit to him. He’s a fast back that makes plays. He’s a good running back and we have to do a better against that.

Q: Can you discuss Daviyon Nixon and his performance today along the line?

ZACH: Yeah, he’s a great player and we really rely on him to make a lot of plays. It’s a group effort, he is a great player, and he really brings the group together.

Q: How do you go about flushing this one after a similar type situation last week where you give up a lead?

ZACH: I think we have to be really objective looking at the tape. I think we showed a lot of good effort and there are a lot of good things along with the bad. As long as we move forward and improve this week, we will have a chance to be better next week.