Breathe easier, America: the Iowa Hawkeyes' luck finally ran out. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi was injured just before halftime of today's 17-10 loss to Northwestern in Iowa City. Stanzi was tackled in his own end zone by Northwestern's Corey Wootton. He sprained his right ankle and fumbled the ball. Northwestern recovered the fumble for a touchdown.Stanzi did not return to the game. Redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, who holds most of the state of Iowa's high school passing records, replaced him. Vandenberg's first pass was intercepted by the Wildcats.
ESPN cameras showed Stanzi on crutches and in a protective boot during the second half.
Both teams had quarterback trouble. Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa left the game with a hand injury. Mike Kafka came in but was clearly still nursing a hamstring injury from last week.
Vandenberg finished 9-of-27 for 81 yards with one interception. He showed promise but frequently overthrew or underthrew open receivers. The Hawkeyes travel to Columbus to face the Buckeyes next week in a game they will have to win to keep their Big Ten title hopes alive.




