The Iowa Hawkeyes were seeking some tutoring after last week's performance against Minnesota. The extra time hitting the books paid off today in a big way. Iowa rolled Wisconsin 30-0 on the shoulders of an elite performance from Hank Brown and a defensive masterpiece.
Sitting at 6-2 on the year after the fifth straight win over Wisconsin, it's time to dig into the report card from the Iowa Hawkeyes' strong showing.
Offense Grade:A
This is what it can look like when Iowa gets the ground game going, makes smart decisions through the air, and targets its playmakers in timely moments. It was an outstanding showing from the Hawkeyes today.
Hank Brown did nearly everything right. Tony Diaz shined, showing his true playmaking ability and game-changing highlight-reel skill set. DJ Vonnahme was a focal point again. The only knock here is the fumbles from Xavier Williams, which have to be cleaned up before they become an issue.
Defense Grade:A+
Back-to-back shutouts of Wisconsin. What more needs to be said about this unit? The defense bottled up anything and everything Wisconsin tried to do. Aside from one drive, which ended in Iowa standing strong on a fourth-and-goal stand, Wisconsin was inept on offense.
Wisconsin completed less than 50% of its passes, had 52 rushing yards on 2.2 yards per carry, and Iowa saw Jacob Wallace reel in an incredible interception. No notes from this unit. Phil Parker once again put the clamps on an offense's best stuff, turning them into a puddle.
Special Teams Grade:A-
Caden Buhr owns the day for the special teams unit. He was 3-for-3 today, including a new career-long of 54 yards. He was money for Iowa's kicking game, which is becoming a trend. He is now 10-for-12 on the year.
The only nitpicking here was Iowa failing to down a punt by Boston Everitt's inside the two-yard line late in this game. It ended up being a moot point, but it's a learning moment to make this already elite unit even better.
Coaching Grade:A+
This was a vintage Iowa performance where the Hawkeyes rallied after a lackluster showing and put together a spirited effort for Kirk Ferentz. Doing it against a rival makes it even better.
Offensively, Tim Lester was creative, balanced, and trusted his stars. He didn't overthink things, and his game plan was refreshing. Defensively, it was Phil Parker turning an offense into a pumpkin on Halloween, not allowing an inch all day.
Overall Grade:A
This is how good Iowa can be. If this team can continue to get effort from all three units moving forward, the Hawkeyes can not only play with anyone in the country, but they can beat any team on their schedule or that they are paired up against.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa as Iowa Football Report Card: Hawkeyes Return to Honor Roll Against Wisconsin .
