Iowa football: Grading the Hawkeyes after their win over Iowa State

Style points don’t matter in college football, so two wins for the Iowa Hawkeyes are two wins, and that’s the best they can do so far. Saturday’s 13-3 win over Iowa State wasn’t pretty — it was downright ugly at times, in fact — but it was a rivalry win all the same.

Here’s what I liked and didn’t like about the opener:

What I liked

1. Iowa’s defense is making a huge statement: For two straight weeks, the Iowa defense has rescued its anemic brethren on the offensive side of the ball. They did it again Saturday, shutting down Iowa State’s potent offense, holding them to only three points. It was their lowest point total since the 42-3 loss to Iowa in 2016.

The Hawkeyes are getting great play at every level, but the veteran defensive line has been exceptional. I’m guessing Parker Hesse is the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year so far. He’s been making tackles, knocking down passes and being downright disruptive on every player. That’s veteran leadership there.

2. Struggling offense still made plays at the end: Despite struggling most of the day, the Hawkeyes offense came through when they needed to, marching on a 13-play, 83-yard drive to score a game-clinching touchdown with 4:47 left in the fourth quarter. Mehki Stewart scored on a 2-yard run to seal the deal.  Iowa averaged only 2.9 yards per carry all day, but they at least found a way at the end

3. Smelling blood, and closing out games:  After the touchdown, the defense basically sealed the deal, first forcing a three-and-out and then forcing a fumble to end it on the last possession. That’s a good trend to start, because there are going to be close games down the road.

What I didn’t like

1. An offense that can’t find its way: I expected much more from the offense on Saturday. In the opener, they struggled in the first half but then reeled off 30 points in the second half in the win against Northern Illinois. That didn’t happen against Iowa State other than the one game-clinching drive. Nate Stanley was 16-for-28 passing for 168 yards, but they haven’t been clicking on all cylinders yet.

2. Running out of time: The Hawkeyes have survived two poor offensive performances and they’ve got one week left to figure everything out. That comes Saturday at home against Northern Iowa. After that, it’s for real. The Hawkeyes have proven to be the second-best team in the Big Ten West so far, but the Sept. 22 game is with Wisconsin, by far the best team. Will this offense be ready?

Tom Brew

Tom Brew has been a recognized reporter in Big Ten sports for decades. Among other projects, he writes about Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.