Iowa started its 2026 campaign in style on Saturday afternoon.
In front of a sold-out Kinnick Stadium, the Hawkeyes completely dominated Northern Illinois on their way to a 40-0 victory. Kirk Ferentz's team took care of business in all three phases of the game to help Iowa open the season with a win. Despite the caliber of the opponent, there was still a lot to like and learn from this game.
The Hawkeyes may have found a winner in the highly contested starting quarterback battle. Phil Parker's defense showed out. And Iowa's return game seems to be in a really good spot. Here's the complete list of takeaways from Iowa's stomping of the Huskies on Saturday.
All eyes were on the Iowa quarterbacks on Saturday. And both guys showed off some good stuff. Hank Brown went 12-of-20 for 129 yards and a touchdown. He didn't play a snap in the second half. The 6-foot-4 signal caller had zip on his passes and made great reads. He has a great arm, which led to a few overthrows and missed opportunities. Outside of those, this was an excellent season debut for Brown.
Jeremy Hecklinski finished the game going 7-of-16 for 76 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He displayed a good rapport with the tight ends and Reece Vander Zee. Like Brown, he missed a few golden opportunities. He also threw a pick in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal. It was far from perfect, but Hecklinski still showed some promise.
#saturday #brown #hecklinski
In front of a sold-out Kinnick Stadium, the Hawkeyes completely dominated Northern Illinois on their way to a 40-0 victory. Kirk Ferentz's team took care of business in all three phases of the game to help Iowa open the season with a win. Despite the caliber of the opponent, there was still a lot to like and learn from this game.
The Hawkeyes may have found a winner in the highly contested starting quarterback battle. Phil Parker's defense showed out. And Iowa's return game seems to be in a really good spot. Here's the complete list of takeaways from Iowa's stomping of the Huskies on Saturday.
All eyes were on the Iowa quarterbacks on Saturday. And both guys showed off some good stuff. Hank Brown went 12-of-20 for 129 yards and a touchdown. He didn't play a snap in the second half. The 6-foot-4 signal caller had zip on his passes and made great reads. He has a great arm, which led to a few overthrows and missed opportunities. Outside of those, this was an excellent season debut for Brown.
Jeremy Hecklinski finished the game going 7-of-16 for 76 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He displayed a good rapport with the tight ends and Reece Vander Zee. Like Brown, he missed a few golden opportunities. He also threw a pick in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal. It was far from perfect, but Hecklinski still showed some promise.
#saturday #brown #hecklinski
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