Happy Halloween, Hawkeye fans. Iowa gets a chance to wash away last Saturday’s mess today, and the timing could hardly be better: Wisconsin comes to Kinnick with the Heartland Trophy on the line in the 100th meeting between the two programs.
The Hawkeyes are trying to move on from a 13-10 loss that featured a blocked punt, four turnovers and a fall out of the top 25. Now they get a trophy game at home, with homecoming in the mix as well.
It’s the first time Wisconsin has served as Iowa’s homecoming guest since 1988, and the all-time series is as tight as it gets - Wisconsin leads 49-48-2. If Iowa wins today, the series gets even at 49-49-2 heading into the second century.
The biggest question for Iowa starts under center. Hank Brown is expected to go again after Jeremy Hecklinski was benched in the middle of the first half last week. Brown’s return didn’t exactly spark the offense, though, as he finished 11 for 21 for 136 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble.
The ground game didn’t do him any favors. Iowa managed just 90 rushing yards and three yards per carry, and now Kamari Moulton is out for the year. That would normally look like a bad setup against a defense with a pulse, but Wisconsin’s defense has been anything but soft.
The Badgers enter the day leading the country in yards per play allowed at 3.9. They just shut down USC in a 24-7 win that included negative 17 rushing yards, and that result pushed Wisconsin back into the rankings for the first time since 2023.
It also took a lot of heat off Luke Fickell. Linebacker Cooper Catalano has been the tackle leader with 60 on the season, while edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks tops the team with five sacks.
Still, this matchup cuts both ways. Wisconsin’s offense has been stuck in the mud, ranking 102nd nationally and averaging one point per game fewer than Iowa. Quarterback Colton Joseph is also the Badgers’ leading rusher, and he’ll be facing an Iowa defense that is giving up just 14.3 points per game while ranking fifth nationally against the run.
History also leans Iowa’s way lately. The Hawkeyes have won four straight in the series by a combined 118-26, and Wisconsin hasn’t won at Kinnick since 2018.
FanDuel Sportsbook opened Iowa as a 4.5-point favorite, but the line has moved to Iowa -1.5. The over/under has held at 36.5.
Can Hank Brown put together the clean game Iowa has been searching for since the bye? Can the Hawkeyes find enough in the run game to matter? And can Phil Parker’s defense force a 102nd-ranked Wisconsin offense to earn every inch at Kinnick?
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Iowa Just Made A Big Ten Statement Wisconsin Fans Wont Forget
A milestone rivalry game turned into a lopsided afternoon in Iowa City, where Iowa blanked No. 25 Wisconsin 30-0 in the 100th meeting between the longtime Big Ten foes. Hank Brown guided the offense with 222 passing yards and two touchdowns, while the Hawkeyes defense kept Wisconsin in check all day and held the Badgers to 235 total yards.
For Iowa, it was the kind of result that resonates well beyond one Saturday, especially against a ranked opponent in a series that had been dead even for decades. The shutout also marked the second straight time Iowa has blanked Wisconsin, and it pushed the all-time series to 49-49-2, a striking note in a matchup that has now produced plenty of history and a fresh dose of frustration for Luke Fickells team. [Read more 🡒]