Iowa didn’t just handle Northern Illinois in Week 1. It smothered the Huskies from the opening whistle and rolled to a 40-0 win at Kinnick Stadium, a performance that gave the Hawkeyes plenty to feel good about before hate week against Iowa State.
That matters because NIU wasn’t some soft landing spot. The Huskies beat Notre Dame in their opening game in 2025, and even if this wasn’t the same team, Iowa still treated them like a real threat and never let them breathe. After a second look at the game, four clear themes jump out from the Hawkeyes’ opener.
The biggest one is that Iowa’s defense looks every bit as nasty as it has in recent seasons, even after losing a bunch of talent from last year. Phil Parker kept that unit humming, and the new faces did not look overwhelmed. NIU didn’t pick up a first down until the second half, and most of its modest offensive output came against backups and third-stringers.
The Huskies had little choice but to move away from the run early because Iowa’s front four kept winning the line of scrimmage. Neither NIU quarterback found much room to operate, with the two combining for just 113 passing yards and one interception.
On the ground, the Huskies managed only seven rushing yards. Iowa also kept wrecking third down and throwing off the timing of the offense all afternoon.
Kamari Moulton gave the offense the kind of spark that can change how opponents have to defend Iowa. Fully healthy again, he looked like a back ready to break out. Last season, he had already shown he could be a steady contributor before an injury cost him time and kept him from reaching 1,000 yards, with a chance to lead the Big Ten in rushing.
Against Northern Illinois, he was explosive outside and tough to bring down inside. Moulton finished with 183 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, and that number only tells part of the story.
Even if his day had ended after the first quarter, it still would have counted as a strong outing. Instead, he kept piling up damage and sent a warning to Iowa State, especially since he missed the Cyclones game last year after getting hurt in Week 1.
Tony Diaz gave Iowa something else it has been missing: a receiver who can stretch the field. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley transfer arrived with plenty of buzz after turning down multiple SEC powerhouses, including Alabama, and he backed it up right away. Diaz looked open constantly, worked all over the field and finished with team highs in catches, targets and receiving yards, going for 7 receptions, 13 targets and 84 yards.
That kind of presence changes the shape of the offense. Iowa has leaned heavily on its tight ends for years, and DJ Vonnahme led the team last season with 434 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. Diaz gives the Hawkeyes a vertical option they haven’t had in a long time, which should make it harder for defenses to crowd the box and sit on the run.
The quarterback race also gave Iowa something to sort through, and Hank Brown made a strong case in his first start. He had a few throws he’d like back, especially some balls sailed off his back foot, but overall he was steady and at times looked sharper than Jeremy Hecklinski. Brown got off to a good start running the offense and connected with Diaz on a touchdown pass.
Hecklinski wasn’t buried by one game. He dealt with some bad breaks, including false starts and drops at the wrong moments.
But Brown clearly made the better first impression, and Kirk Ferentz stuck to the plan by giving both quarterbacks a few series in the first half. Brown didn’t play in the second half, which isn’t a final verdict by itself, but it does show he handled his opening chance well.
How Ferentz divides the reps against ISU will be worth watching, though a similar approach seems likely.
In Other News...
Iowa Just Sent A Telling Message Before The Cy-Hawk Game
Iowa heads into the Cy-Hawk game with a depth chart that says plenty about how the Hawkeyes are approaching Week 2. The most notable detail is the quarterback spot, where Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are both listed with an OR designation, a sign the staff is keeping the door open to shared playing time as it sorts through the position. At running back, the backfield will be thinner than expected with L.J. Phillips Jr. out because of a high-ankle sprain, leaving Nathan McNeil and Xavier Williams as the main options behind him.
There was also a small wrinkle on special teams that stood out after Week 1. Evan James, who had the kind of punt return performance that usually earns a bigger role, is still listed behind Reece Vander Zee on the depth chart. For a rivalry game that often turns on field position and a few timely snaps, those decisions suggest Iowa is still calibrating key spots even as the rivalry week pressure ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Keeps One Big Week 2 Decision Alive Before Iowa State
Iowas official Week 2 depth chart keeps the most interesting quarterback question intact heading into the Iowa State game. Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are still both listed as starters, which means the Hawkeyes are carrying the competition forward for at least another week while leaving the rest of the offense largely unchanged. Theres also continuity up front on both the offensive and defensive lines, a sign the staff is comfortable with the foundation even as one of the teams biggest decisions remains open.
Elsewhere on the chart, Kamari Moulton sits atop the running back spot with backups behind him, while L.J. Phillips Jr. is absent because of a lower-body injury. Tight end is listed with four players in starter or backup roles, giving Iowa some flexibility there, and Evan James shows up as the backup punt returner behind Reece Vander Zee. But all the attention still circles back to quarterback, where Iowa has made clear it is not ready to close the book before facing its in-state rival. [Read more 🡒]
Iowas Backfield Suddenly Faces Pressure Before A Huge Iowa State Test
Iowas win over Northern Illinois came with a cost that could shape the next week of preparation, especially in the backfield. Offensive linemen Cael Winter and Kade Pieper both dealt with heat-related issues during the game, and running back L.J. Phillips Jr. came away with a high-ankle sprain that is expected to keep him out against Iowa State.
The Hawkeyes have built enough depth at running back to absorb the loss, but the timing is still less than ideal with a rivalry test looming. Any reshuffling behind the line will only add to the challenge of getting the offense settled before a matchup that already carries plenty of pressure for both sides. [Read more 🡒]