Northern Iowa wasn't necessarily supposed to be much of a proving ground for the Iowa Hawkeyes,
as they were always supposed to be a big favorite, but the win taught us quite a bit about this team during a 55-0- win.
Iowa found its quarterback. Iowa found its running back depth. And Iowa found out that, as a whole team, it could do what is expected of it against teams they are picked to beat.
It isn't often that a player is perfect, yet Hank Brown found a way to do so today. He was perfect as Iowa's quarterback on the day, going 12-for-12 for 153 yards and two touchdowns. It's as good as it gets.
Also, let's just call a spade a spade. This is Hank Brown's job moving forward. It has to be. He leads this offense with confidence and rhythm, and is keeping things in rhythm. For an Iowa team that is bound to see better teams throughout the rest of the year, those things matter.
Kamari Moulton had the day off nursing some bumps and bruises, but it didn't seem to matter for Iowa's run game, and that is a fantastic sign of things to come for a team looking to run the ball early and often
Xavier Williams is going to be called upon as this year goes in with the physicality of the Big Ten, and there has to be extreme confidence in Xavier Williams from Iowa's offensive staff after this game.
Xavier Williams ended the day with a ridiculous 25.2 yards per carry average as he went for 151 yards on just six carries, with half of them finding the end zone for three touchdowns.
Games like this set the stage for Iowa to see some younger players flash, and Braedan Jackson took the opportunity to shine as brightly as possible. In a running back room already oozing with talent, Jackson showed he is ready for carries.
The bigger part of Jackson's game wasn't just toting the rock. He flashed speed, but even more importantly, he flashed an elegance in the passing game, which is something that adds an entirely new element to Iowa's passing game.
Given his chance, Braedan Jackson reeled off 125 yards on the ground on just 11 carries, with one touchdown. What stands out is his three receptions for 37 yards, giving Iowa a potential option in the passing game out of the backfield.
Iowa is 3-0 after the nonconference slate. That's all you could ask for. Iowa did what it was expected to do against Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa, while finding a way to win in the always-quirky Cy-Hawk game.
Entering Big Ten play undefeated is the first goal of many for the Hawkeyes, and now it is on to trying to handle business against the Big Ten.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa as Iowa Football Stock Report: First Quarter of the Season Sees Early Returns .
