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The Cy-Hawk Trophy has returned to Iowa City, and it's safe to say there are a lot of happy Hawkeye fans out there. 

But they wouldn't be happy if it weren't for the valiant efforts from their beloved players. 

Here are our position grades after Iowa's 16-13 victory at Kinnick Stadium. 

Quarterback: B+ 

You really couldn't have asked for a better performance from Hank Brown on Saturday. Iowa's running game was abysmal (more on that in a second), so the outcome of this game would fall right on Brown and the passing attack. 

But Brown delivered. 

CBS Sports reported that Brown would share reps again with Jeremy Hecklinski in this one, but Brown simply played too well for Tim Lester and Kirk Ferentz to consider going back to the rotation. Brown went 21-of-30 for 191 yards, while also chipping in Iowa's lone touchdown of the contest on the ground from a yard out. 

The Hawkeyes are going to win a lot of football games if they can complete 70% of their passes, but what prevents Brown's grade from being an A here was his tendency to stare down Tony Diaz for most of the first half. The pair did connect on a 56-yard bomb to set up Brown's touchdown run, but not using the middle of the field contributed to a rough offensive start and 10-0 deficit for Iowa. 

Brown was also saved in the second half when his pass to tight end Addison Ostrenga was deflected at the line of scrimmage. That may seem like a minor thing to note, but if you go back and watch the tape, the deflection actually helped the Hawkeyes, as the pass would've likely been taken the other way for a pick-six. 

Running Backs: D

There's not much you can say about the rushing attack in this one. One week after rushing for 289 yards against Northern Illinois, this unit couldn't muster anything against a ferocious Iowa State front. 

Running backs are only as good as their offensive line. Holes were few and far between, but this group does deserve credit for leading Iowa down the field at the end of the game. Kamari Moulton picked up a few first downs with some tough running, and Nathan McNeil squeezed out nine yards on two carries to set up the game-winning field goal. 

Ninety-three rushing yards isn't going to cut it in Big Ten play, though. A tune-up game against Northern Iowa next weekend should help this crew get back on track. 

Wide Receivers: A

There were only three wideouts that caught passes for Iowa in this game – Diaz, Reece Vander Zee, and Evan James. The first two are probably the Hawkeyes' two best receivers, so getting them the football wasn't the worst decision in the world. 

It's hard to find new words to describe Diaz. He was terrific against Northern Illinois, but it's safe to say he can be considered a legitimate wideout in the Big Ten after Saturday's game. The UTRGV transfer collected 95 yards on eight receptions, including a 56-yard catch to set up Iowa's only touchdown of the game. 

Diaz is going to be the primary target for the remainder of the year, but don't count out Vander Zee, either. He was targeted four times and finished with 32 yards on three catches. He's a big body that can be a threat on the outside or in traffic. 

As for James, his lone reception was a three-yard play that saw him narrowly step out of bounds on 3rd down in the red zone, but he did a nice job to evade the tackler. 

Nothing to complain about here. 

Tight Ends: B- 

Iowa hasn't involved its tight ends as much as it would like to in these first two games of the year. DJ Vonnahme and Thomas Meyer combined for just three catches for 30 yards, but Meyer's five-yard reception was the first of his college career. 

Defense: A-

Iowa's defense looked to be in trouble after giving up a 10-play, 66-yard touchdown drive, but this group really clamped down after that. ISU quarterback Jaylen Raynor didn't have many passing lanes in this one, and though the Cyclones totaled a respectable 138 yards on the ground, the Hawkeyes came through when they needed to. Iowa State went three-and-out on three of its final five possessions, including the last two before the 'Clones were forced to turn to desperation time. 

We'll leave you with this thought, too: Iowa State recorded just four first downs in the second half. 

Special Teams: A+ 

Special teams were a major question mark for Iowa entering the season, but Chris Polizzi's crew silenced the doubters on the big stage. Caden Buhr is obviously the hero after drilling a game-winning 42-yard field goal in the final seconds, but punter Boston Everitt was equally impressive, collecting 264 yards on six punts. Each punt really helped flip the field position and pin Iowa State deep in its own territory, so Hawkeye fans have to be happy with what they saw from their Aussie punter. 

It didn't affect Iowa this weekend, but the return game could be something to monitor moving forward. Vander Zee made some nice plays back there on Saturday, but James nearly gave the Cyclones a gift by not catching the football and then almost touching it. 

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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

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