Brandon Snyder wasn’t expected to be back on the field until 2018. Yet there he was, streaking down the sideline after intercepting a pass from Illinois quarterback Jeff George, Jr., not stopping until he hit pay dirt.

What a moment. Just six months earlier Snyder had been ruled out indefinitely with an ACL injury, a tough blow for Iowa’s secondary. And in just his first game back, the underappreciated safety made arguably the biggest play in the Hawkeyes’ 45-16 win over Illinois.

As Snyder was sprinting down that sideline, about to give Iowa a 24-13 lead in the second half, it was hard not to wonder what could’ve been had he been available for games against Penn State and Michigan State. Does Trace Mcsorley find Juwan Johnson on that slant route? Do the Hawkeyes make just enough plays against the Spartans squeak out a road win?

Those questions will never be answered.

But one thing that was learned from Iowa’s first B1G win of the season on Saturday. With Snyder back in the lineup, the Hawkeyes’ defense isn’t just good, it’s dangerous.

Heading into this weekend’s game against Illinois, Iowa’s defense was already one of the best in the B1G. It didn’t appear that way as the Hawkeyes ranked seventh in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 19.2 points per game on the year. Eliminate the 41 surrendered in the Iowa State game, and Iowa was giving up 13.8 points per contest.

As Iowa proved even in the losses, that total is good enough to compete in the conference on a weekly basis. But Snyder’s return gives the Hawkeyes a playmaker in the secondary. The immediate impact he had against the Illini is a perfect example of why this defense can be so dangerous.

Snyder intercepted three passes and forced three fumbles a season ago, and was a proven difference-maker on a defense that included Greg Mabin and Desmond King. Though Iowa was keeping defenses out of the end zone in the first five games of the season, it struggled at getting takeaways, nabbing just seven for the season.

Iowa forced four turnovers against Illinois on Saturday.

Not all of that can be credited to Snyder’s return. The Illini have struggled offensively all season. Turning them over isn’t a groundbreaking accomplishment. But Snyder did show that he can make teams pay for their mistakes. That’s exactly what Iowa needs moving forward.

The Hawkeyes seem to have it all now on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe they surrender too much yardage on a weekly basis, but the bend-don’t-break mentality has been pretty successful early in the season. That, alone, will win a lot of football games.

Adding a playmaker like Snyder back into the lineup allows Iowa to compete with Ohio State and Wisconsin, and might even be able to keep this team in contention for a division crown — though that’s a pretty tall ask with two losses already on the record.

Regardless of what it means for Iowa in the long run, the Hawkeyes defense is substantially better with Snyder back on the field. That was apparent when he was sprinting down the sideline scoring a game-changing touchdown in the third quarter.

That won’t be the only momentum-shifting play Snyder makes this season.