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Grading Iowa Football's Win Over Northern Iowa
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- Grading Iowa Football's Win Over Northern Iowa
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
No. 18 Iowa has put itself in a good position heading into Big Ten play.
It's only Northern Iowa , but a 55-0 victory is far from the worst thing that could've happened heading into a very crucial three-game league stretch before the bye.
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After crunching the numbers, here are our position grades from Saturday's win:
Quarterbacks: A
What more can you say about this group? Efficiency at the quarterback position (or just about every offensive position) has basically been an anomaly in this decade, but that was far from the case on Saturday. Hank Brown was again the starter and produced a perfect performance - literally. The fourth-year completed all 12 of his passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first Iowa quarterback to finish a game with a perfect completion percentage since Brad Banks in 2002 .
The Hawkeyes didn't throw the ball much after Brown was removed from the game near the end of the first half, but Jeremy Hecklinski came in and went 6-for-11 for 65 yards. Jimmy Sullivan also saw game action, but didn't record a pass, bringing the complete quarterback room to 18/23 for for 218 yards.
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It's worth mentioning that a lot of Brown's completions were check downs, but he can't be faulted for taking what Northern Iowa's defense gave him. Plus, the perfectly placed 24-yard touchdown pass to Braeden Jackson showed that he was firing the ball in there when called upon.
"I did not [know that I was perfect] until one of the other quarterbacks said something to me," Brown said after the game. "But definitely efficient. Definitely things that we can improve on."
Running Backs: A+
Iowa was expected to have a big day on the ground, but few probably predicted three underclassmen running backs would tally over 100 yards each. Xavier Williams (151 yards), Jackson (125 yards), and Nathan McNeil (111 yards) got everything they could've asked for and more, with each recording at least two touchdowns (Williams had three). They are the first trio of Iowa running backs to tally over 100 yards each in a game since 1983, and though it's only Northern Iowa, seeing the guys at the end of the depth chart, especially a walk-on in Jackson, post big numbers in a game is a very good sign for the depth of this room, which is going to be tested during a physical Big Ten slate.
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"I think our running back room is second to none in the country," Williams said. "We kind of had that mentality going into every game, and it's really just all about your opportunity. And we knew we were going to get an opportunity today."
Wide Receivers: B+
Iowa's rushing attack was so good that it barely needed to use the aerial attack in this one, but the wide receiver room still turned in a productive afternoon. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester has made a focal point to get his receivers involved, and it's safe to say the Hawkeyes did just that on this day.
Five different wideouts (excluding the running backs, which all produced in the passing game as well) caught passes in this game. Evan James led the bunch with three catches for 35 yards, but the highlight of the day - a 42-yard catch and run from Reece Vander Zee late in the first half - didn't even count because it was negated due to a penalty.
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There's always things to improve upon, but Iowa has to feel pretty good about its receiver room heading into Big Ten play.
Tight Ends: B-
There's only three catches to talk about, but the most emotional moment of the day was probably Addison Ostrenga's 14-yard touchdown reception in the first half. The veteran tight end battled back from a season-ending injury and has always been praised by teammates for his leadership, so it had to feel good for him to hit paydirt for the first time in over two years.
"It's been a been a long time, being out last year, but felt great to get to win today," Ostrenga said. "And all credit to the offensive line and everybody on the offense just allowing me to get in the end zone. It was a great win for the team."
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Like the other positions, this game was about getting the young guys in the room some valuable experience. Mason Woods and Thomas Meyer both earned substantial snaps in this one, with Woods collecting 22 yards on two receptions.
Defense: A
Iowa has now pitched a shutout twice in a season for the first time in four years.
Phil Parker's defense is playing at an unreal level to begin this season, and all you have to do is look at some of the numbers: 4.3 points per game, 176.7 yards per game, 25 first downs, and 2.2 yards per carry. The UNI game was all about getting experience for the entire depth chart, with guys like Julian Manson and Darion Jones making an impact.
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The Hawkeyes were expected to play well against Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa, but many people probably wouldn't have predicted a pair of shutouts in non-conference play. There still are some slight concerns about the pass rush moving forward, but Iowa dodged a major, major, bullet when Kirk Ferentz revealed that Bryce Hawthorne should be fine after he left with an injury in the first half.
Special Teams: B
Iowa may not get many chances to return a kickoff this year, folks. The Hawkeyes haven't had one opportunity in three weeks, but they certainly had chances to return punts on Saturday. The two-man rotation of James and Vander Zee sufficed for the first two weeks, but Iowa opted to go exclusively with James against Northern Iowa. The Furman transfer tallied 40 yards on four returns, so we'll see if he's the guy moving forward.
There's not a lot to talk about on the kicking side because the Hawkeyes were finding the end zone, but is Boston Everitt the next great Iowa Aussie punter? He's been tremendous through three weeks, and his 58 yard punt in the second half couldn't have been placed any better.
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Caden Buhr had an extra point blocked, but that was when Iowa was already leading 55-0. Nothing to complain about with this group, but not enough to push them into the A range, either.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at bradschultz@roundtable.io
