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Iowa football cruises past UNI: Final score, recap, highlights
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- Iowa football cruises past UNI: Final score, recap, highlights
Well, that was dominant.
Iowa (3-0) scored early and often on their way to a 55-0 romp over Northern Iowa (1-2). The Hawkeyes scored touchdowns on six of their seven first-half possessions to build a 42-0 halftime lead. They were able to cruise from there to the win.
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Hank Brown played five drives, all of which ended in touchdowns. The fourth-year quarterback went a perfect 12-for-12 in the game, throwing for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa 's ground game was electric, racking up an astounding 422 yards and six touchdowns. Xavier Williams led the way with 151 rushing yards. Braeden Jackson added 125 yards on the ground. Nathan McNeil had 111 rushing yards of his own.
Iowa 's defense shut down every single Panthers attack. The unit picked up two sacks and a pair of interceptions from Jacob Wallace and Rashad Godfrey Jr. in the process. This was as well-rounded a performance as you'll see from a football team.
As the Hawkeyes celebrate their victory and prepare for Michigan next weekend, take a look back through all of the highlights from Saturday's game:
Iowa vs. UNI score
| Quarter |
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
— |
Score |
| Iowa |
21 |
21 |
7 |
6 |
— |
55 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
0 |
Iowa vs. Northern Iowa live updates, analysis
Hit refresh for the latest updates from Iowa football's Week 3 game against UNI at Kinnick Stadium.
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FINAL: Iowa 55, Northern Iowa 0
07:24 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
IOWA WINS! The Hawkeyes improve to 3-0 following a dominant shutout win over the Panthers. A massive showdown with Michigan at the Big House is up next.
Iowa 55, Northern Iowa 0: Braeden Jackson turns on the jets for another touchdown
06:59 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Braeden Jackson had a receiving touchdown in the first half. Now he has a rushing touchdown too. Jackson followed his blockers, broke a few tackles, and sped down the sidelines for an impressive 62-yard touchdown run. He's now up to 108 rushing yards on the day, the third Hawkeye to cross 100 yards on the ground in this game!
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The extra point was blocked.
END 3Q: Iowa 49, Northern Iowa 0
06:47 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
The fireworks have slowed down in the second half. Iowa added one touchdown in the third quarter, courtesy of Xavier Williams. They're 15 minutes away from a 3-0 record and the beginning of Big Ten play. There's been a lot to like in this game from the home team.
Rashad Godfrey Jr. joins the fun
06:37 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa picks off Jaxon Dailey for the second time today, this time courtesy of third-year defensive back Rashad Godfrey Jr. Just like Jacob Wallace, it's the first career interception for Godfrey, who took advantage of a ball that floated in the air too long. Iowa's defense came to play today!
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Iowa 49, Northern Iowa 0: Xavier Williams completes the hat trick
06:28 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
For the third time today, Xavier Williams makes a house call! His latest score comes from 37 yards out to expand Iowa's lead. Williams has 151 yards and three touchdowns on just six carries today. What a day for Iowa's running back room.
Boston Everitt with shades of Tory Taylor
06:18 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa's first-year Australian punter hasn't been needed much today. When called upon, he's been great. Boston Everitt booted a beautiful 54-yard punt that rolled down inside the one-yard line. He looked a lot like fan-favorite Tory Taylor on that kick!
HALFTIME: Iowa 42, Northern Iowa 0
05:47 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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That was a dominant first half for Iowa. They outgained the Panthers 418-82, scoring touchdowns on six of their seven drives. Hank Brown went 12-for-12 for 153 yards and two scores. Jeremy Hecklinski went 5-for-6 for 48 yards.
On the ground, Xavier Williams has 103 yards and two touchdowns. Nathan McNeil has 88 yards and two scores as well. Ten different receivers have caught a pass, as both quarterbacks did a great job distributing the ball.
Cam Buffington leads the defense with six total tackles and two tackles for loss. Drew Campbell has a sack, while Joseph Anderson and Devan Kennedy split another. Jacob Wallace had an interception. All three phases executed perfectly in the opening 30 minutes!
Iowa 42, Northern Iowa 0: Nathan McNeil bullies his way into the end zone
05:42 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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Jeremy Hecklinski leads his first touchdown drive of the day! He had a few good throws to Jarriett Buie to move the offense down the field. Nathan McNeil finished the drive off with a dominant 12-yard touchdown run. McNeil has a career-best 88 rushing yards and two scores today.
Joseph Anderson gets the sack!
05:32 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
UNI had a nice drive going until Joseph Anderson picked up a huge sack on third down. The Panthers had to punt. Anderson now has 2.5 sacks this season for the Hawkeye defense! Hecklinski and the offense are back out there.
Iowa punts for the first time
05:27 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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Jeremy Hecklinski's first drive ends in a punt. He had a long third-down completion to Reece Vander Zee, wiped out by offensive pass interference. He was sacked on the ensuing play. Boston Everitt boots a good punt in his first appearance of the day.
Jeremy Hecklinski has entered the game
05:22 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
After Iowa forced another punt, Jeremy Hecklinski led the offense onto the field. Hank Brown went 12-for-12 for 153 yards and two touchdowns, leading Iowa to five touchdown drives. His day may be done given the score of the game. Now it's time to see what Hecklinski can do!
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Iowa 35, Northern Iowa 0: Xavier Williams finds the end zone again
05:14 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa has now scored touchdowns on all five drives in this game! This time around, Xavier Williams rushes it in from 16 yards out. Without their top two running backs, Iowa has gotten a ton of production from the rest of the room today. This offense is clinical.
Drew Campbell gets home for the sack!
05:08 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa fans are used to seeing a Campbell make plays on Saturday. Jack's younger brother Drew, got home for the sack on third down to force another punt! Bryce Hawthorne was slow to get up after the play, but was able to walk off the field. Iowa's offense is back on the field.
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Iowa 28, Northern Iowa 0: Hank Brown finds Addison Ostrenga for the score
05:02 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Another drive for the Iowa offense ends in a score! They take advantage of the short field after the interception on a well-designed tight end screen. Brown finds his fifth-year tight end Ostrenga for a 14-yard touchdown. Iowa is cruising so far!
Jacob Wallace picks it off!
04:59 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
UNI quarterback Jaxon Dailey heaved up a prayer on 3rd-and-long, and Jacob Wallace came down with it! It's the first career interception for the second-year defensive back. Iowa's offense is back in business.
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END 1Q: Iowa 21, Northern Iowa 0
04:53 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Time to wave! The Hawkeyes were simply dominant in that first quarter. They had 243 yards of total offense across three touchdown drives. Hank Brown is a perfect 10-for-10 through the air. Xavier Williams has three carries for 87 yards and a score. Nathan McNeil has two receptions for 35 yards to lead the way in the receiving game.
Defensively, Iowa has bent, but not broken. Kirk Ferentz couldn't ask for a better start to this game.
TOUCHDOWN IOWA: Iowa 21, Northern Iowa 0
04:48 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa's offense can do no wrong today. Three drives, three touchdowns. This time around, Xavier Williams finds paydirt with a 48-yard touchdown run. Brown is now 10-for-10 for 121 yards and a score in this game. What a first quarter for the Hawks!
Hawkeye defense gets another stop
04:41 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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Just like their first drive, the Panthers picked up a first down and entered Iowa territory. And once again, the Hawkeye defense buckled down and got the stop. The offense will take over from their own 10-yard line after the punt.
TOUCHDOWN HAWKS: Iowa 14, Northern Iowa 0
04:32 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa drives right down the field for another score! Hank Brown found Braeden Jackson for a beautiful 24-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead. The run game is going, and Tim Lester is utilizing play action to perfection. What a start for the home team!
Brown is 8-for-8 for 89 yards and a touchdown already. Tony Diaz had a pair of receptions on the drive too.
Iowa forces a punt
04:24 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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The Panthers picked up one first down and almost a second, but were forced to punt. The Hawkeyes will take over from their own 22-yard line following the return from Evan James. Tyler Brown was active in his Iowa debut, forcing a fumble that went out of bounds on the drive.
Iowa 7, Northern Iowa 0: Nathan McNeil finds the end zone from two yards out
04:14 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Iowa starts the game with a clinical, methodical opening drive. They use Xavier Williams, Braeden Jackson, and Nathan McNeil to drive down the field with ease. McNeil found the end zone for the first touchdown of his career!
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The drive went eight plays, 75 yards. Iowa gets a fast start in this rivalry game.
UNI wins the toss and defers
04:05 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
The Hawkeyes' offense will start this game. The ball is kicked off, and we're underway in the last non-conference game of the 2026 season!
Mark Gronowski is in the house
03:46 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Mark Gronowski is back at Kinnick Stadium for today's game. He led Iowa to nine wins last season while rushing for 16 touchdowns, the most by a quarterback in a single season in program history .
DJ Vonnahme may be out as well
03:33 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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In addition to Moulton and Phillips missing this game, it looks like Iowa may be without its star tight end too. David Eickholt of 247Sports reported that DJ Vonnahme joined the two running backs in missing final warm-ups. If he can't go, Addison Ostrenga and Thomas Meyer should see an uptick in playing time.
Iowa is missing some playmakers
03:16 PM ET, September 19 2026
It looks like Iowa will be without the services of both LJ Phillips Jr. and Kamari Moulton . Madison Hricik of The Gazette reported that both were in street clothes during pregame. Phillips suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1, while Moulton was banged up last week. Xavier Williams and Nathan McNeil will take on a bigger workload in this game.
Hawks have arrived at Kinnick
03:01 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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The Hawkeyes have arrived at Kinnick Stadium for today's game.
Hawkeyes Wire staff picks
02:39 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
The Hawkeyes Wire staff is rolling with Iowa to get a big win today . Here's what the staff picked:
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Josh Helmer:Iowa 38, UNI 10
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Scout Springgate:Iowa 38, UNI 13
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Zach Hiney:Iowa 48, UNI 6
Iowa City weather
02:20 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
Per AccuWeather , it will be 81 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff. Temperatures will peak at 84 degrees before gradually cooling as the game winds down. There's a chance of rain and storms around 5 p.m., which could impact the second half of the game. The wind will be out of the southwest at around 9 mph.
Where to watch Iowa vs. Northern Iowa
02:03 PM ET, September 19 2026, Zach Hiney
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Date:Saturday, Sept. 19
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Time:3 p.m. CT
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TV:FS1
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football cruises past UNI: Final score, recap, highlights
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