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Iowa football began the season with a win in Week 1, starting the 2023 campaign with renewed energy and expectations for the season ahead.
At the end of the day, there are certainly some areas to clean up after a 24-14 win against Utah State. The Hawkeyes began the game with a 14-0 blitz in the first quarter before riding some doldrums before another touchdown in the fourth quarter.
When it was all said and done, the Aggies applied as much pressure in the game as possible but never appeared as a serious challenger. However, the story would be different once the Hawkeyes get into the B1G slate.
Player of the Week: TE Luke Lachey
A handful of players could fill the slot here, but we’ll go with Lachey for a team-high performance with 7 catches for 73 yards. No other Hawkeye had more than 3 catches in the opener, and that was fellow TE Erick All.
Lachey also provided a pair of impressive grabs to convert on a key drive for the Hawkeyes. Iowa will need to get more out of the wide receiver room moving forward and during the conference schedule, but that won’t change Iowa’s usage of its TEs.
Newcomer of the Week: QB Cade McNamara
You knew McNamara was going to appear on this list somewhere. While he could have fit into the Player of the Game segment, we’ll go with the newcomer for the time being.
McNamara finished the game 17-for-30 passing with 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both of those touchdowns came in the first quarter, a true rarity for a Kirk Ferentz-led program.
While McNamara’s health prevented him from utilizing his dual-threat ability in the opener, he’s a serviceable passer and should get better in Iowa’s offense moving forward.
Biggest surprise: LB Jay Higgins
Okay, maybe its not fair to call Higgins a true surprise. After all, he’s a veteran linebacker in the LB factory that is Iowa City.
Still, Higgins had just 39 total tackles (20 solo) a season ago, and he exploded onto the scene in Week 1. Higgins finished the game against Utah State with 16 total tackles and 12 solo stops to lead both teams in those categories. He also added a pass breakup and should be a stout piece in the middle of the defense.
Biggest concern: McNamara’s leg
The expectation heading into Week 1 was that McNamara would play after dealing with a reported quad injury sustained in training camp. The good news is McNamara did start, but it was evident quickly that the QB was not 100%.
At one point in the game, McNamara was hit by the Utah State pass rush and was visibly banged up. He could be seen hobbling and trying to stretch things out after that incident but was able to keep playing.
The problem moving forward is McNamara is at his best when using his mobility inside and outside the pocket. Yes, he can make throws from within the pocket, but the other issue is Iowa’s offensive line performance from the season opener.
With limited mobility, McNamara will need to be more pinpoint against Power 5 competition beginning in Week 2. And Iowa’s offensive line can help sort things out with improved protection, which brings us to…
Developing trend: O-line’s need to step up
While the quarterback play at Iowa received a lot of attention a season ago, the ineffectiveness of the run game compounded problems. It’s an issue that can be traced back to the offensive line unit, and the group did not perform well in Week 1.
As a team, the Hawkeyes were limited to 88 rushing yards while Kaleb Johnson averaged 3.3 yards per carry for the game. Cade McNamara was sacked once but hit multiple times throughout the game, and the Aggies finished with 9 TFLs in the game.
Yes, it was the “first game of the season” and all of that, but the competition is not going to get easier as the Hawkeyes move forward.
Key stat: 2.4 yards per carry
An improved QB does not mean much if Iowa cannot find ways to run the ball effectively. Kaleb Johnson led Iowa with 19 carries for 63 yards, but 21 yards came on a single carry. Without the big gainer, Johnson had 18 carries for 42 yards.
Leshon Williams did not fare much better ias the second option, finishing with 6 carries for 16 yards. In fact, wide receiver Kaden Wetjen was the most effective in terms of yards per carry with 3 carries for 22 yards.
That is not going to cut it.
First impression about Week 2 at Iowa State
The competition does step up for the Hawkeyes in Week 2 with a trip to Ames for the Cy-Hawk rivalry against Iowa State. How tough that matchup will be remains to be seen.
Iowa State dominated Northern Iowa 30-9 in Week 1, but there were some reasons to be concerned for the Cyclones. The team finished with 250 yards of offense, getting outgained and finishing with less time of possession than UNI. Iowa State was also 2-for-11 on 3rd downs.
The Hawkeyes will need to account for Jeremiah Cooper, a player who had 2 interceptions and a pick-6 for Iowa State. However, Iowa’s defensive front will have a chance to get after QB Rocco Becht in the matchup.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.