Iowa football is finally back, and the opener brings all the usual questions that come with a new season in Iowa City.
Eight months have passed since the Hawkeyes finished by beating Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, and plenty has changed for Kirk Ferentz’s team since then. Veterans are gone to the NFL, new players have arrived through the transfer portal, and the quarterback competition is still very much alive heading into Week 1.
Northern Illinois walks into Kinnick Stadium with some uncertainty of its own after a disappointing 2025 season that ended in a coaching change. Interim head coach Rob Harley is guiding the Huskies into a new era, and with NIU now in the Mountain West Conference, there are fresh storylines on both sides. Even with some key departures, the Huskies still bring enough back on offense to make Saturday worth watching.
The Hawkeyes Wire staff weighed the matchup and came away expecting Iowa to win, though not in a style that would leave anyone confused about what kind of team this is.
Josh Helmer sees the quarterback battle lingering into the opener as a possible obstacle for the Hawkeyes early on. Still, he expects Iowa to lean on proven playmakers like DJ Vonnahme and Kamari Moulton, while also giving fans their first look at new offensive pieces such as receivers Tony Diaz and Evan James and running back L.J.
Phillips Jr. Even with three offensive line starters now in the NFL, Helmer believes Iowa can still live on the ground.
On defense, he pointed to returnees Jayden Montgomery and Zach Lutmer, along with Addison Ostrenga, and noted Iose Epenesa’s first career start as one of the key storylines. His prediction: Iowa 34, Northern Illinois 13.
Scout Springgate also expects some early bumps with the quarterback situation still unresolved, and he said Saturday will give Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker a chance to sort through new combinations on defense in live action. He also warned against taking the Huskies lightly, pointing to Northern Illinois’ 16-14 win at then-No.
7 Notre Dame two years ago and calling that the kind of upset that keeps the spirit of "MACtion" alive. For Springgate, the formula is simple: control the pace, avoid mistakes, and keep NIU from finding any offensive confidence.
Zach Hiney put the quarterback competition front and center too, saying both Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski should get chances against a Huskies defense that is replacing most of its 2025 production. But he doesn’t think that battle changes the outcome.
In his view, Iowa’s ground game and offensive line should set the tone, while Phil Parker’s defense works through a lot of turnover across all three levels, especially up front. Hiney acknowledged that Northern Illinois has skill players capable of creating problems early, but expects the Hawkeyes to settle in, shut things down, and pull away.
The common thread across all three predictions is familiar: Iowa may start a little slow, but the run game, the defense, and the physical edge should carry the day. Not flashy.
Not pretty in every stretch. Just a season-opening win the Iowa way.
In Other News...
Brutal Heat Forced Iowa Fans To Change Their Kinnick Routine
The heat hanging over the states football openers forced both Iowa schools to rethink what a September Saturday looks like at the stadium. At Kinnick Stadium, the University of Iowa rolled out heat-related safety measures that included allowing fans to bring sealed water bottles, handing out refillable bottles, and adding cooling stations along with medical support to help people get through the day.
Across the border at Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State made its own adjustments, including alcohol sales inside the stadium for the first time. Those sales came with limits on where fans could buy, how much they could buy and when they could buy it, and the Cyclones also added more security as part of the broader effort to keep the opener manageable in punishing conditions. [Read more 🡒]
Three Iowa Legends Just Added To Hawkeyes Program Pride
USA TODAY Sports gave Iowa fans another reminder of how much talent has passed through the program under Kirk Ferentz, naming three Hawkeyes to its All-2000s college football teams. Punter Tory Taylor landed on the first team, while tight end Dallas Clark and kicker Nate Kaeding were both placed on the second team, a nod to the kind of impact each player had in a different corner of the game.
For Iowa, the list reads like a snapshot of what has long made the program hard to face: field position, reliable special teams and playmakers who changed games without needing constant spotlight. Taylors inclusion is especially notable given how often he flipped the field, while Clark and Kaeding remain part of the schools standard for consistency and big moments, adding another layer to the Hawkeyes long-running pride in development and toughness. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Is Bringing Back A Hawkeyes Legend For The Opener
Iowa is tapping into its own history for the 2026 opener, naming former running back Sedrick Shaw as the Week 1 honorary captain for the game against Northern Illinois. Shaw remains one of the programs most accomplished backs, still holding multiple Iowa rushing records, and his return gives the Hawkeyes a familiar face with real weight in the programs record book. He was also a third-round NFL draft pick, adding another layer to a career that already means plenty in Iowa City.
Shaw will take part in the pregame coin toss and stay with the team throughout the game, a fitting nod for a player who helped define an era of Hawkeye football. His recognition does not stop there, either, as he is also set to be inducted into the Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. For a program that prides itself on honoring its past, it is the kind of choice that connects a new season to one of its more enduring names. [Read more 🡒]