IOWA CITY, IA - The Iowa Hawkeyes' defense dominated Illinois State on Saturday, and one of the big reasons was a Northeast Nebraskan.
Howells-Dodge grad Nathan Bazata made his first career start as a defensive lineman for the Hawkeyes in their 31-14 win over FCS #2-rated Illinois State. Bazata helped the Hawkeyes limit the Redbirds to just 231 yards of offense and just 35 on the ground.
Bazata was credited with three solo tackles on the day, one for a loss. But perhaps his biggest play was blocking a 50-yard field goal attempt by Illinois State kicke Sean Slattery late in the 1st half. That allowed Iowa's offense to march down the field and score a field goal of their own, finishing the half with a 17-0 lead.
Bazata was a four-year letter winner for Howells and Howells-Dodge from 2009 to 2012. He was a first team all-state selection as a sophomore and senior.
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