After three games, the NIU football team’s offense was in sad shape, scoring only 15 points per game.

The Huskies’ average dropped even further after their fourth game Saturday afternoon, a 58-7 loss to Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. The Huskies (1-3) scored their touchdown late in the fourth quarter, with mostly backups on the field.

At least this time, the scoring deficiency wasn’t due to mixups and blunders. Instead, it was because the Hawkeyes (3-0) are a superior team in size and strength.

“They’re bigger and stronger,” NIU starting offensive lineman Tim O’Brien said.

“Iowa’s a really tough team,” offensive lineman Kurt Weinberg said. “We knew their four defensive linemen were their top tacklers on the team.”

The Hawkeye’s defensive line blew by Huskie blockers and pressed NIU quarterbacks and running backs all day, recording six sacks (defensive end Leroy Smith led with two) and yielding 223 yards, but only 70 of them in the first half.

NIU starting quarterback Stacey McKinney was sacked five times, fumbled to Smith in the end zone for an Iowa touchdown and threw an interception. He completed three out of 13 passes. He was relieved by Rob Rugai in the middle of the fourth quarter.

“I think Stacey really had a lot of pressure on him,” NIU head coach Charlie Sadler said. “I’m sure Iowa had something to do with that … I’m glad I wasn’t taking the snaps today.”

McKinney’s best chance of putting the Huskies on the scoreboard came in the third quarter when, on NIU’s 40, he went deep down the sideline, but overthrew a wide-open William Patrick.

“I couldn’t see him at all,” McKinney said. “There was so much pressure on my backside.

“Iowa has the best defense I’ve played this year,” he said.