Xavier Williams didn’t waste much time explaining why Iowa’s ground game looked so different against Northern Iowa.
The running back pointed straight at the offensive line, and after the Hawkeyes piled up 422 rushing yards in the win, it’s hard to argue with him. That total was the seventh-most in program history and the most under Kirk Ferentz, a massive bounce-back after Iowa was held to 93 rushing yards by Iowa State in week two.
“We won the Joe Moore award last year, and I haven't seen much of fall off at all. They make our jobs really easy.”
That was Williams’ take after Iowa’s big day on the ground, and the numbers backed him up. Even with starting back Kamari Moulton and backup L.J. Phillips Jr. sidelined by injuries, Iowa kept churning out yards with Williams, Braeden Jackson, Nathan McNeil, and O’Lantae Dean carrying the load against a Northern Iowa defense that couldn’t slow the avalanche.
The offensive line came into the season with some questions, but three games in, those doubts have been pushed to the side. Right guard Kade Pieper and left tackle Trevor Lauck are the only returners, while Leighton Jones has taken over at left guard, Cael Winter at center, and Jack Dotzler at right tackle. Williams said the group hasn’t shown much drop-off from last year’s Joe Moore Award-winning unit, and Iowa’s production suggests he’s right.
The Hawkeyes are now averaging 268 rushing yards per game through three weeks, which ranks No. 10 in college football. And the eye-opening part is how they’ve done it without their top two backs. Most teams don’t put up 400-plus rushing yards with reserve players leading the way, but Iowa did exactly that.
The depth in the backfield showed up in a big way against UNI. Williams led the team with 151 rushing yards, Jackson added 125, and McNeil finished with 111. It was the first time Iowa has had three rushers top 100 yards in the same game since 1983.
Now comes the bigger challenge. Week four sends Iowa on the road to Michigan, and that matchup will tell a lot more about how real this rushing surge is. But if the Hawkeyes keep running like this, the start of the season could point toward something much bigger.
In Other News...
Iowas Michigan Depth Chart Raises New Concern For Key Hawkeyes
Iowas Week 4 depth chart for Michigan brought a familiar kind of intrigue, starting with the decision to go with Hank Brown at quarterback. The bigger attention grabber, though, was not at the top of the lineup but deeper down, where several familiar names did not appear at all, leaving fans to wonder whether the Hawkeyes are dealing with health issues, a little gamesmanship from Kirk Ferentz, or some mix of both.
DJ Vonnahme and Kamari Moulton were among the players missing from the chart, and that only adds to the uncertainty around how Iowa plans to handle a matchup that tends to demand every available piece. On the defensive side, recent transfer Tyler Brown already saw the field in Week 3 and is expected to keep factoring into the rotation, but the broader picture in Iowa City remains cloudy as the Hawkeyes head into a game where the depth chart may be telling only part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Has One Annoying Problem To Fix Before Big Ten Play
Iowa wrapped up its nonconference slate with a 55-0 rout of Northern Iowa, and the biggest takeaway from Kirk Ferentz was not just the lopsided score but the way his team handled the game. The Hawkeyes showed a cleaner, more physical front than they had earlier in the season, with the offensive line drawing praise for its protection and run blocking as the ground game hummed along.
Ferentz still pointed to the same irritating issue that can linger after a dominant win: penalties and the little things that tend to add up once Big Ten play begins. Iowa has enough evidence now that its identity is coming into focus, but the staff knows the margin for error gets thinner fast once the schedule turns conference-heavy, making the cleanup work every bit as important as the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Freshmen Are Already Forcing Their Way Into The Rotation
Through the first three games, Iowas 2026 freshman class has already done more than simply get their feet wet. Several first-year players have found their way onto the field in real spots, and the early snap counts show a class that is contributing on both sides of the ball. For a program that often asks newcomers to earn everything, that kind of immediate participation stands out and gives the staff useful options as the season moves forward.
The bigger takeaway is not just that the freshmen are playing, but that some have been productive while doing it, stacking tackles, pressures and solid grades in the process. Iowa has leaned on young players in a way that can change the tone of a rotation, especially when depth and development matter as much as raw talent. The question now is how much bigger those roles get as the games get tougher and the staff decides who can handle even more responsibility. [Read more 🡒]