No. 20 Iowa heads to Seattle on Friday night with a few numbers working in its favor and a few that have been stubbornly in the way for decades.
The Hawkeyes are looking for their first regular-season win in the Pacific time zone since 1987, a one-point victory over Arizona. That drought has stretched across five losses, including two in Big Ten road games at UCLA in 2024 and USC in 2025. This will also be Iowa’s first trip to Seattle since 1963.
The matchup carries some old history, too. Iowa leads the all-time series 4-3, but Washington owns two of the biggest wins between the programs, knocking off the Hawkeyes in the Rose Bowl after the 1981 and 1990 seasons. Their first meeting came in 1937, the debut of Iowa quarterback Nile Kinnick, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1939.
Both teams enter off losses, and Iowa has usually answered that kind of setback under the current stretch, winning after its loss of the season in each of the last four years. Washington, meanwhile, is trying to avoid a third straight defeat.
A few personnel and performance notes stand out on both sides. Iowa receiver Tony Diaz has 306 receiving yards through five games, more than any Hawkeyes wideout had all of last season.
The Hawkeyes have also been productive on special teams, already scoring on both a punt return and a kickoff return this year. The last time Washington allowed one of those plays was in 2013.
On the other side, Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has already seen Iowa up close. He played in the Hawkeyes’ 40-16 win over the Huskies in 2024, coming on as the backup and completing 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards.
Protection has been an issue for Washington, which has given up 15 sacks in five games. Iowa has allowed only five.
The Huskies’ defense is being led in tackles by Alex McLaughlin with 33 and Jacob Manu with 30; each has 2.5 sacks, tied for the team lead. Joseph Anderson tops Iowa with three sacks.
The Hawkeyes have also had trouble running the ball against top competition. In three games against power-four opponents this season, Iowa has managed just 190 rushing yards. That sets up a tricky test against a Washington defense that has allowed 111.4 rushing yards per game.
There is some recent Friday-night success in Iowa’s corner, too. The Hawkeyes have won four of their last five Big Ten games played on Fridays.
Washington, for its part, has been tough to beat at home in non-Saturday games, going 10-1 in its last 11. Since Husky Stadium reopened in 2013, the Huskies are 71-19 there.
The game will be carried live with Robert Griffin III on the call. Griffin won the Heisman Trophy at Baylor in 2011.
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