Iowa’s backfield put on a show Saturday, and the numbers were as loud as the final score.
In a 55-0 win over Northern Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, the Hawkeyes ripped off 422 rushing yards and six touchdowns as a team. Xavier Williams set the pace with 151 yards and three scores, Nathan McNeil added 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Braeden Jackson chipped in 125 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Jackson also found the end zone on a 24-yard touchdown reception. For McNeil and Jackson, those scores marked the first touchdowns of their Iowa careers.
Afterward, Williams pointed straight to the men up front.
"They make our job really easy. I think our O-line is second to none.
We wanted to control more work last year, and I haven't seen much of a fall-off at all. So they make our jobs really easy," Williams said.
He also made it clear the room expects production no matter who’s carrying the load.
"I think our running back room is second to none in the country, and we kind of have that mentality going into every game, and it's really all about your opportunity. We knew we were going to get an opportunity today, and we were all very excited, and we stepped up, so it was good."
McNeil echoed that same confidence, saying the group came in ready and made the most of its chances.
"Before the game, we were ready, we were prepared. So, it's just like we went out there and played and did our best that we could, and that's the best way, " McNeil said.
"Everybody in the running back room is capable of doing even better than today. So it's like, the depth in the room is really deep.
So it's just like whoever's in is gonna make a play."
Iowa now turns to a much tougher assignment. The Hawkeyes head to Ann Arbor, Mich., for their Big Ten opener against No.
18 Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Like Iowa, the Wolverines bring a defense that could make life difficult for the Hawkeyes at the Big House.
In Other News...
Braeden Jackson Just Added To Iowas Walk-On Tradition
Braeden Jacksons name already carries some football weight in Iowa circles, and now the walk-on running back has given Hawkeye fans another reminder of why that tradition still resonates. In a notable game, he flashed the kind of burst and versatility that can turn a roster afterthought into a real storyline, piling up 125 rushing yards, adding 24 more as a receiver and finding the end zone twice.
It fits the family history, too. Jackson is the son of Fred Jackson, the former Coe College standout who went from unrecruited long shot to a nine-season NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, and Braeden followed a similarly determined path after a strong high school career as both a football player and track star. He chose to walk on at Iowa in part because of his fathers connection to the coaching staff, and performances like this only deepen the sense that the Hawkeyes may have found another name worth remembering. [Read more 🡒]
Braeden Jackson Just Made Iowas Backfield Picture A Lot Tougher
Braeden Jackson turned a lopsided afternoon into something worth watching for Iowa. In the Hawkeyes 55-0 win over Northern Iowa, the second-year running back piled up 125 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns, continuing the kind of steady rise that has made him easy to notice in a crowded backfield. A preferred walk-on who arrived in December 2024, Jackson has been one of the quieter development stories on the roster, but his progress has been hard to miss.
What stands out most is how much cleaner and more complete his game looks now. Iowa quarterback Hank Brown and head coach Kirk Ferentz have both pointed to Jacksons improved awareness and physical development, and his background helps explain why he keeps trending up. As the son of former NFL running back Fred Jackson, he has had the benefit of football knowledge at home, and it is starting to show on the field in a way that could make the Hawkeyes backfield even harder to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Ferentz Sends Iowa Fans A Promising Message Before Michigan Test
Iowa is heading into its first Big Ten game of the season with a familiar kind of test waiting on the other side, and Kirk Ferentz spent part of the buildup offering a reassuring look at his roster. The Hawkeyes are set to face No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 26, and Ferentz said the recovery process is moving in the right direction for several key players, including Kamari Moulton and Bryce Hawthorne, as the team tries to get healthier at an important point on the schedule.
The matchup itself brings the bigger challenge, of course, and Ferentz made clear that Iowa will need its defense locked in against a Michigan offense led by quarterback Bryce Underwood. For a Hawkeyes team trying to open conference play on solid footing, the combination of improved health and a stern test against a ranked opponent gives this week a little extra weight, even before the game kicks off. [Read more 🡒]