Iowa is 2-0, and the early story of the season has been less about one star taking over than a handful of players doing exactly what this team needs. That fits the program’s identity. It also explains why these five names have mattered so much through two games.
Start on defense, where Cam Buffington has stepped into a role that Iowa has long prized. The linebacker came into the year with some buzz, and he’s backing it up fast.
He leads the Hawkeyes with 21 tackles, more than twice as many as the next player on the team. His biggest night came against Iowa State, when he piled up 15 tackles and helped shut down the Cyclones’ run game.
He’s going to be leaned on all season, and so far he looks ready for it.
On the outside, Tony Diaz has changed the way opponents have to defend Iowa. He gives the Hawkeyes a real deep threat at wide receiver, which is a major shift for an offense that used to invite defenses to crowd the box and dare the run game to win anyway.
That’s a much riskier game now. Diaz leads Iowa with 179 receiving yards and 15 catches, and the production suggests the preseason talk around him was deserved - maybe even not enough.
Defenses are going to pay close attention to him, and Tim Lester will have to keep finding ways to answer that.
Special teams have also already delivered a defining moment. After four seasons of Drew Stevens setting the standard, the job has moved on to Caden Buhr, and he’s handled the transition well after a shaky Week 1.
Against Iowa State, Buhr went 3-for-3, including the game-winner. He’s 5-for-6 on the season, and for an Iowa team that lives in tight games, that kind of confidence matters.
At quarterback, Hank Brown doesn’t need to light up a stat sheet to be effective. Through two games, including one in which he played every snap, he’s been efficient and steady.
Brown is completing 66% of his passes, a meaningful jump for Iowa compared to recent seasons, and he threw for 191 yards against a strong Iowa State defense. He’s also shown he can add something with his legs, including a rushing touchdown in the red zone.
For this offense, that may be plenty.
The last name on the list is Bryce Hawthorne, and his impact has been easy to miss if you’re only glancing at the box score. That’s what makes it so valuable.
Entering the season, defensive tackle depth was a question. Through two games, Hawthorne has answered it by doing a little of everything.
He’s second on the team in tackles with nine, he’s generating pressure in the passing game, and he’s doing the dirty work inside by taking on blockers and holding his ground. That lets Iowa’s linebackers finish plays.
That’s been the formula so far: a linebacker flying around, a receiver stretching the field, a kicker delivering in the clutch, a quarterback staying efficient, and a defensive tackle doing the unglamorous work that keeps the whole thing together.
In Other News...
Tony Diaz Added Extra Edge To Iowa's Emerging Passing Attack
Tony Diaz has given Iowas passing game a different kind of jolt through the first two weeks, emerging as the Hawkeyes most productive receiver and helping widen an attack that has looked more varied than it has in recent seasons. With more options showing up in the passing game, Iowa is no longer leaning on just one route to move the ball, and Diaz has been at the center of that early expansion.
After the win, Diaz added a little more spice to the week by calling out Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers for mistakenly referring to him as Nate Diaz. He was quick to acknowledge the Cyclones as a strong opponent, but the moment also underscored how a receiver making noise on the field can create a little edge off it too, especially when an emerging passing game is still trying to establish its identity. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Iowa Test Just Became A Lot More Real
Michigans early-season runway gets a little more interesting from here, because the Wolverines now know their Big Ten opener against Iowa will land in the traditional 3:30 p.m. ET CBS window. Michigan is 2-0 and gets UTEP before conference play begins, but the Hawkeyes are the opponent that will start to define what this first stretch of the season really means.
Iowa arrives at 2-0 and ranked No. 18, with a new starting quarterback in Hank Brown and a running game that has already looked like the backbone of the offense behind Kamari Moulton. The setting only raises the stakes for both sides, since this is the kind of matchup that can turn into an early measuring stick for a Michigan team still settling in and an Iowa group trying to prove its formula travels against a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Sent Iowa Fans A Frustrating Cy-Hawk Message
Iowa walked out of the Cy-Hawk game with the result it wanted, improving to 2-0 after beating Iowa State, but the mood around the Hawkeyes got a little less pleasant once ESPNs latest FPI update arrived. Despite the win, Iowa fell six spots to No. 32 in the rankings, a reminder that the advanced metrics still have plenty of questions about how high this team can climb.
The bigger picture for the Hawkeyes did not shift much, at least not in ESPNs projections. Iowas outlook still points toward a bowl trip with a 91.4% chance to get there, while the College Football Playoff remains a long shot at 8.1%. For a team that already has one of its biggest rivalry wins in hand, the challenge now is proving the numbers wrong in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]