No. 6 Iowa tops Purdue 40-20, clinches Big Ten West

The season’s first winter storm dumped 4-6 inches of wet, heavy snow in Iowa City that fell persistently over the last 15 hours or so, according to the Des Moines Register; the newspaper said crews worked all night long trying to clear the stadium for the game.

The Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Purdue Boilermakers today in a game on the college football schedule which sees one Big Ten team undefeated and nationally ranked for the 2015 season, and the other team struggling through a disappointing season that they’re still trying to turn around.

Stat of the game: From Iowa’s touchdown early in the second quarter until the game-changing, 91-yard drive in the third, the Boilermakers gained 207 yards to Hawkeyes’ 20.

Iowa out gained Purdue 203-156 in total yards in the first half and the turnover battle is even at 1 each. Blough was the Big Ten’s offensive player of the week on November 2 after throwing for 274 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-45 upset of Nebraska.

But once again, it was Beathard who made the plays that helped keep Iowa unbeaten. He has added 268 rushing yards as well.

The Boilermakers closed to 20-13 by halftime on a 1-yard TD by Markell Jones and two short field goals by Paul Griggs. He finished with two, both on third down, forcing the Hawkeyes to punt.

Senior Jordan Canzeri, in his final carry at Kinnick Stadium, ran for a 42-yard touchdown with 2:12 left that kicked off a celebration in Iowa City, with fans chanting “Let’s Go Hawks!”

The Iowa Hawkeyes (10-0) outlasted Minnesota, 40-35, last week in which CJ Beathard threw for 212 yards in 18 of 26 passes.