Iowa’s win over Northern Illinois gave the Hawkeyes plenty to like, and the biggest reason was simple: the offense finally had the kind of structure an inexperienced quarterback can lean on.
The line held up cleanly and didn’t give up a sack. Iowa also spread the workload everywhere, with 11 different players carrying the ball for 289 yards.
The tight ends were involved too, as three of them combined for 8 catches and 68 yards, while Diaz worked the slot and finished with 7 receptions for 84 yards. Neither quarterback lit up the stat sheet, but both were steady enough to keep the offense moving.
Iowa averaged 7.6 yards per carry, went over 500 total yards for the first time since September 2019, and the supporting cast did exactly what it needed to do.
That doesn’t mean the quarterback question is settled. After the game, Kirk Ferentz declined to name a starter for next weekend and said, “Tonight, we’re just going to enjoy the game and talk about it tomorrow.”
Tim Lester has already made the evaluation criteria clear: turnovers, explosive plays, and time to throw. Hecklinski threw an interception in the third quarter with 5:17 left, and it came on a 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
He also had some rough moments when the pocket broke down, though there’s a fair argument that his opportunities changed later in the game after some of the starting offensive line and Kamari Moulton were done for the day. Both quarterbacks should see meaningful snaps against ISU, but Brown still looks like the starter.
The red zone was the one area that kept Iowa from turning the night into something even cleaner. On multiple trips inside the 2-yard line, the Hawkeyes had trouble punching it in.
One sequence featured a first-and-goal at the 2, two stuffed runs, a failed QB sneak, and then a touchdown pass to Diaz on fourth down. Another ended with three ineffective plays and then Hecklinski’s interception.
That’s a fix Iowa will need fast.
Defensively, the Hawkeyes were relentless. Buffington at middle linebacker was physical and quick to the snap, Jayden Montgomery backed up the fall-camp buzz with strong play, and Jacob Wallace made a solid first start at Cash.
Landyn Van Kekerix was everywhere at Leo, Kahmari Brown had a defined role as the right end on passing downs and showed real pass-rush ability, and Deshaun Lee came away with a nice interception. Pitching a shutout while holding Northern Illinois to 120 yards is about as suffocating as it gets, and that total tied for the sixth fewest allowed in the 342-game Kirk Ferentz era.
NIU managed only seven first downs, and its first one came on a penalty in the third quarter.
Special teams were a little shaky at the start. Iowa missed a PAT and a field goal, though the field-goal miss came from 52 yards and had the distance to be good from 60-plus.
Caden Buhr settled in after the early nerves and made his next two kicks. The coverage units were steady throughout, and Landyn Van Kekerix added a punishing hit on kickoff coverage.
Evan James also delivered a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown, which could make him the favorite to handle those duties so Reece Vander Zee and Zach Lutmer can avoid extra wear and tear.
There were a few injury notes as well. LJ Phillips left late in the first quarter limping and was later seen in a boot on his left foot.
On the replay, he was dragged down just past the line of scrimmage while a tackler held onto his left ankle. The full picture likely won’t come until Kirk Speaks on Tuesday afternoon.
Kade Pieper and Cael Winter both exited in the first half and did not return, but Ferentz said afterward that it was strictly heat related and that they’d be back on Saturday. There were no other reported injuries, and the limited second-half snaps for the two deep players were tied to the heat and the heavy rotation in a lopsided game.
Diaz also drew a couple of defensive interference calls, which says plenty about how hard he was to handle. And the screen-pass touchdown from Hecklinski to Xavier Williams late in the second quarter was the same play Brown didn’t finish against Indiana last year. Ah yes, if only …
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