Iowa’s 4-1 start has bought the Hawkeyes some breathing room, but the offense just ran into a problem that can’t be brushed aside anymore. After five games, the conversation has shifted from “what’s working?” to “what exactly is holding this unit back?”
Against Ohio State, Iowa couldn’t get much going through the air, and the ground game was even more troubling. The numbers look respectable at first glance: 901 rushing yards on 153 carries, 5.9 yards per attempt and 10 rushing touchdowns.
On paper, that’s a productive run game. In reality, it’s been heavily inflated by two lopsided matchups.
Games against Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa account for 711 of those 901 rushing yards. Strip those out, and Iowa has managed only 190 rushing yards against Iowa State, Michigan and Ohio State. That’s the part that matters now.
Here’s how the Hawkeyes have fared on the ground against Power Four competition:
Iowa vs. Iowa State: 29 rushes, 93 yards, 3.2 yards per carry, 1 touchdown
Iowa vs. Michigan: 24 rushes, 58 yards, 2.4 yards per carry
Iowa vs. Ohio State: 21 rushes, 39 yards, 1.9 yards per carry, 1 touchdown
Totals: 74 rushes, 190 yards, 2.56 yards per carry, 2 touchdowns
That means 78% of Iowa’s rushing yards and 80% of its rushing touchdowns have come against a Group of Six opponent and an FCS program. That’s a tough reality to escape.
It’s not easy to pin this all on offensive coordinator Tim Lester. His previous two years calling plays produced 2,564 rushing yards in 2024 and 2,300 rushing yards in 2025, so the scheme itself doesn’t look like it has been blown up. The bigger issue seems to be a mix of personnel and line play.
The backfield hasn’t had much continuity. Kamari Moulton and L.J.
Phillips have both missed time, while Braeden Jackson is forcing his way onto the field. Iowa has been working with a committee, but without a clear leader.
And then there’s the offensive line, where the questions are getting harder to ignore. Losing three players to the NFL may not be the kind of plug-and-play change that was easy to assume. George Barnett and Iowa have been elite in recent years, but replacing that level of talent is a much steeper task than it looks on paper.
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Washington, meanwhile, is the team with more immediate pressure. At 3-2, the Huskies need a win to keep their College Football Playoff hopes from slipping further, and this is only the second Big Ten meeting between the programs, with Iowa holding a 4-3 edge in the all-time series. For Iowa, it is the kind of road game that can say plenty about where this team stands in the league race. [Read more 🡒]