Hiring Tim Lester as OC continues to pay off as the offense keeps getting better
Iowa’s offense isn’t just better under Tim Lester. It’s showing signs of becoming a real threat.
Lester took over before the 2024 season after the program moved on from Brian Ferentz, and the turnaround has been obvious. In his first year directing the offense, Iowa averaged 27.7 points per game, a huge jump from the 15.4 points per game in 2023. As he’s had more time to settle in and bring in players who fit what he wants to do, the Hawkeyes have started to see the payoff.
The numbers this season keep backing that up. Iowa has already posted 40 points against Northern Illinois in week one, 55 against Northern Iowa in week three, and 41 against Washington in week six. Through the current stretch, the Hawkeyes are averaging 31.0 points per game and 403.2 total yards per game.
The clearest sign of the change is how often Iowa is breaking through the 38-point barrier. Since Lester became the offensive coordinator, the Hawkeyes have scored 38 or more points 12 times in 32 games. In the three years before Lester, Iowa did it just twice.
- David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) October 16, 2026
That kind of production doesn’t guarantee success by itself, but it does show how much the offense has grown from the days when it was dragging the program down under Brian Ferentz. Iowa has long leaned on defense and special teams, but now the offense is carrying more of its share, too.
Lester deserves plenty of credit for that shift. The unit still isn’t fully out of the woods, and Iowa remains stronger on defense than it is on offense.
But there’s no denying the offense has helped pick up the slack when the defense has had rough stretches this season. Michigan’s offense lit up Iowa’s defense, yet Hank Brown and the Hawkeyes answered with an 81-yard drive that ended in the game-winning touchdown.
There are still some things to clean up, but the direction is unmistakable. More than that, the offense is playing with a confidence Iowa fans haven’t been used to seeing. That part may be the most encouraging of all.
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