Iowa is safely through nonconference play unscathed, rolling past Western Michigan 41-10 in Week 3.

When it was all said and done, the Hawkeyes recorded what was a dominant final score over the Broncos, but the start of the game provided cause for concern. Cade McNamara threw an early interception and had a number of miscues while the defense gave up a 60+ yard touchdown to WMU.

After a weather delay, Iowa was able to hit the reset button and find its groove. The Hawkeyes eventually capped the win with a late touchdown and can now turn their attention to Penn State.

And while things were far from pretty early on, Iowa is right where it needs to be entering the conference slate. Here are 3 key takeaways from Week 3:

Run game finds juice without Kaleb Johnson

Prior to kickoff, it was announced that Iowa’s starting running back would be sidelined for the game. Missing Johnson provided some worry, but the Hawkeyes had their most successful rushing output of the season.

As a team, Iowa carried the ball 43 times for 254 yards and 3 touchdowns. Leading the way was veteran Leshon Williams who produced 145 yards on 12 carries. He also had 27 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

True freshman Kamari Moulton also provided some extra juice with 50 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 carries. Jaziun Patterson, Seth Anderson and Terrell Washington Jr. all had at least 20 rushing yards in the game, including a 30-yard carry for Anderson.

Status of Luke Lachey a major concern

Lachey entered Week 3 as the team’s leading receiver and arguably the most reliable target for Cade McNamara. Unfortunately, he did not record a catch and left the game in the first half with what appeared to be a serious injury.

Lachey was bent backward with his legs and feet at an awkward angle in the first half. He stayed down on the field in obvious pain and was gingerly helped off the field. Lachey did not put any weight on the right foot and was seen on crutches heading to the locker room after time in the evaluation tent.

Is this the real Cade McNamara?

Heading into the game, there was some optimism McNamara was feeling closer to 100% due to the fact he was not listed on Iowa’s pre-game status report. Through the first 2 games, McNamara had completed just 55.8% of his passes for 314 yards and 2 touchdowns with an interception.

If McNamara was healthy, it did not translate to the passing game. He finished 9-for-18 for 103 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. That is not going to be good enough to keep up with the B1G schedule.