Iowa and Rutgers squared off Saturday afternoon in what always shaped up to be a defensive struggle. Ahead of kickoff, the point total for that game approached historical levels as one of the lowest over/under marks since the 2000 season.

To no surprise, the game lived up to that billing with both teams possessing stout defenses entering the game. However, the Hawkeyes were able to shake free enough down the stretch and pulled away with 16 points in the fourth quarter. That paved the way for Iowa’s 22-0 win over the Scarlet Knights.

Here are the key takeaways from the Week 11 game:

Iowa’s passing attack steps up

For much of the season, Iowa has struggled to move the ball, particularly through the air. Facing the Scarlet Knights, Deacon Hill had his best game as a passer, and the receiving game of the Hawkeyes produced some big plays.

Overall, Hill went 20-for-31 with 223 yards to go with a touchdown and an interception. What’s even more impressive is how Iowa was able to spread the ball around.

When it was all said and done, 7 Hawkeyes recorded a reception in the win, and 6 of those players registered at least one catch of 10+ yards. Zach Ortwerth delivered the biggest play with a 54-yard catch, Addison Ostrenga led the team with 8 catches, and Kaleb Brown delivered the first receiving touchdown of his career in the fourth quarter.

To no surprise, that was a career-high performance from Hill. That tops his previous career-high of 116 passing yards in the loss to Minnesota. At this point in the season, any positive performance to build on is a big win.

Hawkeyes dominate time of possession

In a game billed as a defensive struggle, many expected Iowa punter Tory Taylor to play a significant role in the outcome. While he was fantastic when he saw the field, Taylor was called on to punt just 3 times in the game.

A big reason for that is Iowa’s complete domination of the time of possession. While Iowa’s defense was on the field for a long time in previous games, the Hawkeyes were able to keep their offense in operation while holding the ball for more than 38 minutes in the game.

That type of domination can partially be tied back to 3rd-down conversions. Iowa went 9-for-17 until the closing moments of the fourth quarter in part by staying on schedule in early downs and finding success with the passing attack.

By contrast, Rutgers finished 2-for-11 on 3rd down and managed just 7 first downs in the game. Gavin Wimsatt was held in check while going 7-for-18 with 93 yards and an interception while star RB Kyle Monangai had just 39 yards on 13 carries.

B1G West race getting clearer

Believe it or not, but the Hawkeyes stand on the doorstep of Indy and a trip to the B1G Championship Game. With Saturday’s win, Iowa is now 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the B1G.

During the middle afternoon time slot, Wisconsin was beaten by Northwestern and Minnesota is still in the process of getting blown out by Purdue. Nebraska also fell to 3-4 in the B1G with a loss to Maryland.

When Minnesota’s loss eventually goes final, Iowa will hold a 2-game division lead over the Gophers, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin and Illinois who will all hold 3-4 league records with 2 games to play. That means the Hawkeyes will clinch a share of the B1G Wes title coming out of Week 11.

With a win against Illinois next week or vs. Nebraska in the season finale, Iowa will punch its ticket back to the league championship game.