Iowa didn’t just beat No. 25 Wisconsin. It flattened the Badgers, 30-0, and did it with a performance that looked nothing like the Hawkeyes fans had just seen the week before.
The tone was set right away. Iowa took the opening possession and turned it into points, with Caden Buhr drilling a 24-yard field goal.
Then quarterback Hank Brown finished a 12-play, six-minute, 75-yard march with a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end D.J. Vonnahme late in the first quarter.
That pushed the Hawkeyes ahead 10-0 and put Wisconsin on its heels before the game had really settled in.
The Badgers had their best chance to answer early in the second quarter. They put together an 11-play drive that carried them from their own 12 all the way to the Iowa 1-yard line. But on fourth-and-goal, Iowa slammed the door, stuffing former Iowa State back Abu Sama III on an end-around for a 1-yard loss.
That stop turned into a hammer blow. Iowa marched 98 yards in just seven plays, with Brown finding Tony Diaz for 35 yards, Reece Vander Zee for eight, Xavier Williams for 27 on a flea flicker, and Vander Zee again for eight.
Diaz then finished the drive himself, taking a jet sweep left and scoring from four yards out in the left corner of the end zone. With the extra point, Iowa led 17-0.
Pass in the songbooks, as legendary former Iowa broadcaster Ron Gonder used to say.
The Hawkeyes kept adding to it from there. Buhr connected on three field goals overall, including a career-long 54-yarder in the second half. He also hit from 28 yards after linebacker Jayden Montgomery recovered a fumble by Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph at the Badgers 17 with less than a minute left in the first half.
Brown was sharp throughout, completing 83% of his 24 throws for 222 yards. Iowa’s offense also got a boost from the ground game, which finished with 140 rushing yards.
Williams got the start at running back and carried 20 times for 78 yards, though he also fumbled twice and lost one. Iowa’s lone rushing touchdown came on an eight-yard end-around by Vonnahme.
The defense did its part, too. Iowa held Wisconsin to 235 total yards and forced two turnovers. In the second half, defensive back Jacob Wallace picked off a pass from backup quarterback Ryan Hopkins.
The numbers behind this one are eye-catching. Iowa has now allowed 0 points in the last two games of this series and scored 67 in those same two meetings.
The win also came in the 100th meeting between the neighboring rivals, and it evened the all-time series at 49-49-2. Iowa has won five straight in the series by a combined 148-26.
Under Luke Fickell, Wisconsin has been outscored 124-16 in four games against Iowa, including results of 15-6, 42-10, 37-0 and now 30-0.
There was one notable injury development for Iowa. Starting center Cael Winter went into the medical tent in the third quarter and did not return.
Michael Myslinski, a sixth-year player from Jacksonville, Fla., stepped in. Iowa’s pregame out list included defensive backs Cody Haddad, Kyler Gerardy and Tyler Brown, linebacker Burke Gautcher, running backs Kamari Moulton and Brevin Doll, wide receiver Brody Schaffer, offensive linemen Lucas Allgeyer and Trent Wilson, and defensive lineman Emmanuel Olagbaju.
Moulton remains out for the season with a shoulder injury.
Iowa’s next game is another top-25 matchup, maybe. The Hawkeyes go to Northwestern on Saturday at the new and remodeled Ryan Field, though kickoff time and television information are still unknown. Northwestern entered its game Saturday at Oregon with a 6-1 record.
In Other News...
Iowa Just Made A Big Ten Statement Wisconsin Fans Wont Forget
In a rivalry that has been going on for generations, Iowa delivered a result that will linger in Madison for a while. The Hawkeyes blanked No. 25 Wisconsin 30-0 in the 100th meeting between the programs, leaning on a sharp outing from quarterback Hank Brown, who threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns, while the defense held the Badgers to 235 total yards.
It was Iowas second straight shutout of Wisconsin, and the win pulled the all-time series even at 49-49-2. For Luke Fickells team, the frustration was obvious after a game in which Wisconsin never found any traction, while Iowa walked away with a statement victory that fit the moment and the history attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Sent Wisconsin Another Message Fans Wont Ignore
Iowas latest meeting with Wisconsin looked a lot like the last few, only more lopsided. The Hawkeyes rolled to a 30-0 win, their fifth straight over the Badgers and their second consecutive shutout, with Hank Brown giving the offense a steadier rhythm by completing 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. It was the kind of performance that let Iowa control the game on both sides, and it also suggested the coaching adjustments made this week were aimed squarely at keeping the pressure on an opponent that has had trouble solving the Hawkeyes.
Even with the defense smothering Wisconsin again, there were still a few loose ends for Iowa to clean up, especially the fumbles from Xavier Williams. Those mistakes did not change the outcome this time, but they remain the sort of issue that can matter more when the games get tighter. For now, though, Iowa has another emphatic result to point to, and Wisconsin has another reminder that this matchup has become a problem it has not figured out how to fix. [Read more 🡒]
George Kittle Is Bringing A Bigger Spotlight Back To Iowa City
George Kittle is set to bring a little extra national attention back to Iowa City before Iowas matchup with Wisconsin, with the former Hawkeyes tight end scheduled to appear as a special guest on Foxs Big Noon Kickoff ahead of the game. The San Francisco 49ers standout will also serve as honorary captain for the Hawkeyes, a role that includes the pregame coin toss and a visit to the locker room before kickoff at Kinnick Stadium.
For Iowa, having one of its most recognizable alumni back on campus adds another layer to an already high-profile Saturday. The game is set for 11 a.m. CT and will air on Fox, giving Kittle a prominent spot in the buildup as the Hawkeyes try to make the most of a nationally televised stage with a familiar face helping set the tone. [Read more 🡒]