Hank Brown kept Iowa on schedule, and the Hawkeyes’ defense did the rest.
Brown went 20 of 24 for 222 yards and two touchdowns as Iowa blanked No. 25 Wisconsin 30-0 on Saturday in Iowa City, giving the Hawkeyes their second straight shutout of the Badgers and their fifth consecutive win in the series.
The result came in the 100th meeting between the rivals, who play for the Heartland Trophy. Iowa has now outscored Wisconsin 148-26 during its five-game run in the matchup.
“It’s very, very disappointing,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “I'm not sitting here saying I've got any answers for you. I'm not pointing fingers at anybody or anything because in all three phases of the game, we were completely manhandled for 60 minutes.”
Iowa’s defense, ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense, delivered its third shutout of the season and held Wisconsin to 235 total yards, including just 52 on the ground. The Hawkeyes made the game feel a lot like last year’s 37-0 rout.
Brown opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end DJ Vonnahme in the first quarter, then found Tony Diaz for another 4-yard score late in the first half to finish off a 98-yard drive. Caden Buhr added three field goals, including a career-long 54-yarder in the third quarter, and Vonnahme chipped in again with a 2-yard touchdown run in the third.
“I thought he played a really good game,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “You have to have control out there, and it's a hard position. He clearly was in control today.”
Wisconsin’s offense never found a rhythm. Colton Joseph completed only 5 of 14 passes for 90 yards before giving way in the second half to freshman Ryan Hopkins. Joseph was sacked once and lost a fumble, which set up Buhr’s 28-yard field goal just before halftime and pushed Iowa’s lead to 20-0.
“I just thought it was an opportunity,” Fickell said of the quarterback change. "It was just a time we needed to try to find a way, to have a little bit of a spark."
The Badgers’ best chance to get on the board came in the second quarter, when they reached the Iowa 1-yard line. But Abu Sama was stopped for a 1-yard loss on fourth down, and Wisconsin never got close again.
“It doesn't feel good,” Fickell said. “It doesn't feel good at all.”
Iowa, which improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten, bounced back from last week’s 13-10 loss at Minnesota by scoring on its first drive and on six of its first seven possessions. The Hawkeyes also controlled the clock by nearly 11 minutes and got completions to seven different receivers.
“We're later in the season, and our offense is growing,” Brown said. “I think this offense has shown we're very resilient.”
The win also pulled Iowa even with Wisconsin in the all-time series at 49-49-2.
“I go back to when I got here,” Ferentz said, who became Iowa’s head coach in 1999. “We were looking up at everybody, and Wisconsin was at the top of the heap.
It took us four years to have a win at them. But none of them have come easy in that time.”
Wisconsin hosts Rutgers next Saturday.
In Other News...
Future Hawkeye Turns Heads As Iowa Centers Earn Early National Buzz
Iowas center pipeline is drawing plenty of attention before the season even gets rolling. On the wrestling side, future Hawkeye Everest Leydecker made a major statement by winning gold at the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan in the 55 Kg weight class, a result that only adds to the buzz around what Iowa is bringing in across its programs.
The basketball front has its own early national recognition, too. Mens center Andrew McKeever landed on the preseason watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, while womens center Ava Heiden was added to the preseason watch list for the Lisa Leslie Award. For a program that has long valued size, strength and production in the middle, Iowa suddenly has multiple bigs getting noticed well beyond Iowa City. [Read more 🡒]
Caitlin Clark Just Left An NBA Star In Awe
Tyrese Maxey got his first face-to-face look at Caitlin Clark after the Indiana Fevers game against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Philly guard sounded every bit like a fan who had just met one of the sports biggest names. Maxey said he was trying not to fan out during the exchange, a telling reaction for a player who has carved out his own place in the NBA and still found himself impressed by Clarks presence and ability.
For Iowa fans, it is another reminder of how far Clarks star has traveled since her college days and how quickly she has become a name that resonates well beyond the WNBA. She just wrapped a strong season with career highs and an All-WNBA First-Team nod, and moments like this only add to the sense that her reach keeps growing every time she steps into a new arena. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Sent Wisconsin Another Message Fans Wont Ignore
Iowas latest trip through the Big Ten rivalry lane brought another emphatic result, and this one carried a little extra weight. The Hawkeyes rolled past Wisconsin 30-0, extending their winning streak over the Badgers to five straight while posting a second consecutive shutout, a reminder that this matchup has tilted hard in Iowas favor.
Hank Brown gave the offense the kind of steady night it has been looking for, completing 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns as the Hawkeyes controlled the game on both sides of the ball. The defense kept Wisconsin from ever finding a rhythm, and the coaching staffs adjustments showed up again, even if ball-security issues like Xavier Williams fumbles still linger as something Iowa will want cleaned up before the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]