Opponent Offense Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Despite being more committed to the pass this year, this is basically the same Iowa team we’ve seen for years. They have their moments, but the pass game is not explosive and when the run game isn’t moving the ball, they aren’t scoring either. Their starting QB is also questionable for this game. On the other hand, they don’t turn the ball over very much and when combined with their awesome defense and kicking game, they play complimentary football. When it’s all working, this offense isn’t often putting the team in position to lose.
The Numbers
- Scoring Offense: 29 points per game (16.7 PPG against P4)
- Total Offense: 391 yards per game
- Rushing Offense: 180 yards per game (48.5 in B1G play)
- Passing Offense: 211 yards per game
- Turnover Rate: 5.5% (21st)
- QBHank Brown: 78/124 (62.9%), 832 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
- QB Jeremy Hecklinski: 18/32, 208 yards, 1 TD in relief
Key Players
The quarterback situation is the story this week. Hank Brown (Sr., 6-4, 218) beat out Jeremy Hecklinski for the job in camp. His best day came at Michigan, where he went 21-of-35 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. He also drove Iowa 91 yards in the final 1:48 and won it with a 16-yard touchdown on the last snap of the game. A week later he couldn’t get anything going against Ohio State. He fumbled on a sack on the second play of the game, went 12-of-27 with an interception, and got injured on a hard hit in the third quarter. Iowa still lists him as the starter, but there’s real doubt he plays.
That means Jeremy Hecklinski (Soph., 5-11, 188) probably gets the start. He was the 2023 Georgia high school player of the year and was a mid-high 3-star prospect. After Brown got injured, he came in and provided a spark against Ohio State, completing all five of his passes for 67 yards. He led Iowa’s only touchdown drive and threw the two-point conversion. It was garbage time, but he looked quicker and more decisive than Brown. He’s definitely the more athletic of the two, and a gamer type of QB who has some moxie to him.
WR Reece Vander Zee was the hero in Ann Arbor. He caught both of Brown’s touchdowns, including the second to win it as time expired. Tony Diaz, an FCS All-American transfer from UT Rio Grande Valley, is Iowa’s most dangerous receiver and leader in yards (306) and receptions (25). He’s relatively small at 5-10, but plays physical and with an edge. He had 8 catches for 95 yards against Iowa State and was one of the few bright spots against Ohio State, along with tight end DJ Vonnahme. In classic Iowa fashion, he was their leading receiver last season (somehow with just 29 receptions for 434 yards) and remains the go-to option on third down this year.
The running game has disappeared in conference play after big days against Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa. RB Kamari Moulton opened the season with 183 yards against NIU, ripping off some big runs, but managed just 27 yards on 11 carries against Ohio State.
On the offensive line, things are going decently well despite losing three first-team All-Big Ten starters, including Rimington winner Logan Jones. Guard Kade Pieper and tackle Trevor Lauck are still very good and leading the unit this season.
The Scheme
Third-year coordinator Tim Lester has Iowa throwing more than it has in years. They pass the ball about 56% of the time, which is top-20 nationally. You’ll see screens, motion, quick slants, and actual passes to wide receivers. Underneath it, though, this is still Iowa. The Hawkeyes want to run the ball, win field position with excellent special teams, and keep the score low. If Hecklinski starts, I would expect Lester to simplify things. That probably means establishing the run while taking advantage of his athleticism with bootlegs and play-action.
Final Thoughts
This sets up well for Washington (on defense, at least.) Iowa has averaged fewer than 17 points against power-conference teams, and now it might be starting a backup on a short week, three time zones away, in a Friday night game at Husky Stadium. If Washington stops the run on early downs and forces Hecklinski into third-and-long, it’s hard to see where Iowa’s points come from when they have the ball. As long as the Huskies’ offense doesn’t give the Hawkeyes short fields, they should be in control.
Washington’s defense should be good enough to focus on the run and force Hecklinksi and Diaz beat them. Diaz is a playmaker and will have his moments, and Vonnahme is a steady presence, but this offense has been mediocre at best during conference play. This offense isn’t good at scoring, but they’re good at not losing the team games. The Huskies could certainly use a little bit of that right now.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos