Iowa is off and running in 2024! While the Hawkeyes did not have Kirk Ferentz for the season opener, it did not hold them back against Illinois State.

That doesn’t mean it was all fun and games in the season opener. In fact, the first half was far from fun and was ugly throughout as the offense struggled to get moving.

Things changed after halftime as Iowa would eventually score 34 points in the 2nd half alone to rout Illinois State. It goes down as a big-time 40-0 shutout to open the season.

Here are the key takeaways from the action:

Tale of 2 halves for Iowa’s offense

Heading into halftime, fans were a bit uncomfortable with the early look at new offensive coordinator Tim Lester. Okay, that’s putting things mildly.

After the first 30 minutes of the game, the Hawkeyes had 2 field goals, 4 punts and 0 touchdowns. The good news? It didn’t take long in the 2nd half for that to change.

Iowa would score touchdowns on 5 of its first 6 possessions of the 2nd half, including 3 touchdowns from starting quarterback Cade McNamara. His performance in itself was night and day between the first and second halves, and he was able to unlock the group after the break.

McNamara went 21-for-31 passing the ball with 251 yards and 3 touchdowns and added 12 yards rushing. It is the first time Iowa has scored 40+ points since Week 3 last season against Western Michigan.

Reece Vander Zee leads improved WRs in impressive debut

Reece Vander Zee entered the season as a name to watch offensively. A 6-foot-4 receiver, Vander Zee is the rare true freshman to make an instant impact for the Hawkeyes.

He would finish the game leading Iowa with 66 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 catches. It’s an impressive debut, but it is also a good sign that Iowa’s receivers as a whole made a larger impact.

Combined, Vander Zee and Jacob Gill went for 8 catches and 112 yards with 3 receiving touchdowns. The Hawkeyes managed just 3 touchdowns from WRs all season long in 2023, so that group is in better hands in 2024.

The tight end position is still going to be a major factor (Luke Lachey’s 6 catches led the team on Saturday), but the receivers finally have a chance to elevate the offense further this fall.

Aaron Graves dominant defensive effort

The fact Iowa shut out Illinois State is not entirely surprising. But the performance by Aaron Graves was impressive, regardless of who the opponent is.

The star defensive lineman opened the season with 3 sacks to headline a unit that was able to keep Illinois State off the scoreboard and in check all game long. As a team, the Hawkeyes produced 4 total sacks, 7 tackles for loss, an interception and a pair of fumble recoveries.