5 things to know about Iowa
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
As the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0) head to Kinnick Stadium to take on the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0) in what is one of the games of the year in the Big Ten so far, here are five things to know about the Iowa Hawkeyes.
(An honorable-mention sixth thing to know is that the Hawkeyes have a great defense, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.)
The Hawkeyes have a four-headed rushing attack
When it comes to running the football, Iowa knows what they are doing. Kamari Moulton is the starting running back and is one of the best backs in the conference. He has 284 yards on 39 carries and two touchdowns. However, the Hawkeyes have four running backs with over 120 yards this season. Braeden Jackson, Xavier Williams, and Nathan McNeil all see snaps in the backfield, and quarterback Hank Brown is a capable runner as well.
Iowa has a legitimate wide receiver threat
It has been a while since Iowa was able to maximize a pass catcher, but Tony Diaz is the real deal. He has 20 catches for 247 yards and a touchdown, and against archrival Iowa State, he had eight catches for 95 yards and was pivotal in the Hawkeyes’ comeback win in that game. He is good enough that he will test Jermaine Matthews and Devin Sanchez in this game.
Iowa is coming off a buzzer-beating win
The Hawkeyes are riding an emotional roller coaster coming into this game, as they defeated No. 18 Michigan last week in Ann Arbor 20-19, as quarterback Hank Brown capped off a 91-yard winning touchdown drive with a 16-yard pass to Reece Vander Zee with no time left on the clock to win the game. The Football Gods always correct the course.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz loves breaking records
Ferentz has been the head coach at Iowa since 1999 and is currently the longest-tenured head coach at the FBS level. He has the most wins in the Big Ten all time and the most bowl wins in the Big Ten. He is also the all-time wins leader at Iowa and recorded his 200th career win at Iowa in 2024. Ferentz is a coach who has seen it all and been around for a long time. Hopefully they get a chance to make the playoffs in his tenure.
The Hawkeye Wave
This is obviously an incredibly well-known tradition at this point, but it’s worth bringing up. I am an emotional guy, and this makes me cry every time. In 2017, Iowa started the tradition of all 70,000-plus fans turning and waving to the IU Stead Family Children’s Hospital at the end of the first quarter. They wave to the pediatric patients and families, and it is genuinely a great moment every game. Credit to Iowa for this one.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos