No. 15 Iowa heads to Minnesota on Saturday afternoon with a chance to keep its momentum rolling after a brief reset week, and the big storyline is still under center. Jeremy Hecklinski is set for his second straight start for the Hawkeyes while Hank Brown remains out injured, and Iowa is asking the junior to keep steering the offense the way he did against Washington.
Hecklinski’s first extended action came in a 41-24 win at Washington, where he went 14 of 19 for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Before that, he stepped in against Ohio State on Oct. 3 and completed all five of his passes for 67 yards. He had also thrown just two passes last season, hitting both in limited duty before getting some snaps in blowouts earlier this year.
Iowa comes into this Big Ten matchup at No. 15 after taking its first loss of the season against Ohio State to open the month, then responding with the upset road win at Washington before last week’s bye. The Hawkeyes have also had Minnesota’s number lately, winning the last two meetings, including a 41-3 rout last October.
Minnesota, meanwhile, was off last week after getting thumped 41-13 at Purdue, a result that snapped a three-game winning streak. That up-and-down profile is part of why the Gophers are a tough read heading into this one.
The Hawkeyes have looked strong on the road in recent weeks, with wins at Michigan and Washington adding to the case for Iowa away from home. Even with the short turnaround for a quarterback who wasn’t named the starter until early this week, the extra prep time from the bye matters.
The pick here is Iowa to keep it going on the road and cover as the favorite.
In Other News...
Gophers Can Finally Flip Iowas Hidden Edge In This Rivalry
Special teams have long been a pressure point in the Iowa-Minnesota rivalry, and for the Gophers, thats hardly a small footnote. P.J. Fleck has leaned into the idea that this matchup often turns on hidden yards and hidden moments, where one kick, one return, or one coverage bust can swing a game as much as anything happening on offense or defense. Iowa has made a habit of owning those edges with players like Cooper DeJean and Tory Taylor, while Minnesota has been trying to narrow the gap on the third phase.
The 2023 meeting was another reminder of how thin that margin can be. A controversial ruling wiped away a punt-return score that Iowa backers still argue about, and Minnesota still came away needing every bit of its special-teams steadiness to stay in it. Dragan Kesich was central to that effort, and his role only underscores what Fleck keeps returning to: if the Gophers can keep this rivalry from tilting on hidden advantages, they give themselves a real chance to finally change the script. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Must Fix One Rivalry Problem To Take Back Floyd
Minnesota heads into its matchup with Iowa with more than a standard Big Ten result hanging over the day. The Gophers have already put themselves in position to chase a rare sweep of the rivalry trophies, and this one carries the biggest weight of all because Floyd remains the trophy the program has had the hardest time reclaiming. Iowas recent grip on the series has made every meeting feel like a referendum on whether Minnesota can finally turn good seasons into something more durable in the rivalry.
The Hawkeyes also arrive with a new wrinkle under center after Kirk Ferentz settled on Jeremy Hecklinski at quarterback following Hank Browns shoulder injury. That adjustment adds another layer to a game that already features plenty of familiarity and frustration on both sides, and it leaves Minnesota with a straightforward but difficult task: find a way to solve the rivalry problem that has kept this trophy out of reach for too long. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Flecks Fourth-Down Habit Is Haunting Minnesota At The Worst Time
P.J. Flecks fourth-down tendencies have become one of the more debated parts of Minnesotas season, especially when the Gophers find themselves needing a spark. For all the recent success the offense has had converting when it does take the gamble, Minnesota still ranks low nationally in fourth-down attempts, and that caution was on display in the loss at Purdue, where the Gophers let a few chances to stay aggressive slip by.
With Iowa next on the schedule, the discussion around Flecks philosophy is likely to linger. He has said his approach is built around not chasing points too early, even if the scoreboard is starting to demand more urgency, and this is the kind of matchup where every possession in the rivalry matters a little more than usual. [Read more 🡒]