EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) _ After almost two years, Northwestern finally has a Big Ten victory.

Quarterback Zak Kustok scored on a keeper on fourth-and-2 with four seconds left Saturday to give Northwestern a 23-21 victory over Iowa in a matchup of the Big Ten's worst teams.

It was the first Big Ten victory for Northwestern (3-4, 1-3) since Nov. 15, 1997, when they beat _ guess who? _ Iowa (1-5, 0-3). But it wasn't a pretty win, as the Wildcats blew a 16-0 halftime lead and barely moved the ball in the second half.

The win also was marred by the loss of receiver Sam Simmons, who broke his collarbone in the first half and will miss the rest of the season.

The Wildcats trailed 21-16 when they got the ball back with 2:37 left. Kustok, playing in just his third game after suing the NCAA to regain some of his eligibility, moved Northwestern to the Iowa 10 with completions of 18, 16 and 11 yards. Damien Anderson then rushed for nine yards.

The Hawkeyes then stuffed Anderson twice, once for a 1-yard loss, and Kustok's pass to Ian Miller was incomplete. That brought up fourth down, and Kustok optioned to the right side and ran in untouched.

Kustok finished 16-of-35 for 146 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 11 yards. Anderson rushed for a career-high 162 yards, topping his 150-yard effort of three weeks ago at Purdue, and Tim Long kicked three field goals.

The winning drive was the only highlight of the second half for Northwestern. After holding the Hawkeyes to 79 yards of total offense in the first half and controlling the ball for a whopping 22:09, Northwestern and Iowa swapped roles in the second half.

Less than 1 1/2 minutes into the third quarter, John Schweighardt let a punt slip through his hands. He fell on the ball, but it popped out and Vincent Wilson recovered it at the Wildcats 5. Three plays later, Randy Reiners scored on the 3-yard keeper to cut the lead to 16-7 with 12:13 to go.

Iowa also scored on Ladell Betts' career-long, 74-yard touchdown run, and a 2-yard run by Scott Mullen.

Betts finished with 103 yards on 16 carries. Reiners was 11-of-28 for 143 yards.