Iowa’s supremacy! Takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ 8-2 victory over Rutgers Nov 11, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Widely received by the Iowa Hawkeyes During the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium, Kaleb Brown (3) reacts after a score while Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive lineman Aaron Lewis (71) looks on. Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports is required credit.
Oh, how wonderful it is to be 8-2!
The Iowa Hawkeyes put on a display today against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, winning 22-0 inside Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes stifled Rutgers on defense and had their finest offensive performance of the season against a defense that had been stout all season. The Iowa Hawkeyes surpassed 400 yards of offense while restricting Rutgers to 127 yards.
Brian Ferentz called it an excellent game. Deacon Hill performed admirably. The defense maintained its dominance. And Iowa’s dominance spread throughout the remainder of the conference. This was an all-around performance by the Hawkeyes, and if it is a harbinger of things to come, now is the time for things to start coming together for this squad.
As Iowa improves to 8-2 and holds a two-handed grip on the Big Ten Championship, here are the key lessons from their win over Rutgers.
Tonight’s game was well-called by Brian Ferentz. Recognize, accept, and value it.
Despite the commotion and turmoil of the last month, he stood up tonight and provided his best performance of the season. He remained with the running game that was working and allowed Deacon Hill to make simple throws.
Brian Ferentz enlisted his best players, devised shooting plays, and had this offense moving the ball better than it had for the majority of the season. He deserves credit for this game, and he deserves it even more tonight.
Brian Ferentz passed the ball to one of his most talented players, Kaleb Brown, who demonstrated today how special and productive he can be when used correctly. His contribution was vital to the offense’s success and provided a much-needed twist.
Brown had three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown, as well as two 20-yard runs. The yardage output was not massive, but the impact was evident. He was effective, and he raises the bar for defenders to meet.
This machine is very amazing. They stood up and demonstrated once more. Their domination runs like a clock and never fails to appear. They only gave up 127 yards to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights today.
Rutgers had 93 yards passing at 5.2 yards per pass, while Quinn Schulte had an interception. On the ground, Iowa held the Big Ten’s leading rusher and the entire offense to 34 yards on 23 carries, an average of 1.5 yards per carry.
Deacon Hill had one terrible interception at the conclusion of the first half, but he otherwise had his best game for the Hawkeyes. He completed the most passes he has all season and was Iowa’s first 200-yard passer.
Hill doesn’t have to be a stud or a slinger. He must control the game and complete the simple passes. He did all of that tonight, and it was essential in his team’s victory. With Iowa’s defense, a stat line of 20-31 for 223 yards and a score will always suffice.
Iowa was victorious. Minnesota was defeated. Nebraska was defeated. Wisconsin was defeated.
Two weeks in a row of things going perfectly as planned for the Hawkeyes has resulted in them already clinching a share of the Big Ten West. This is a huge step forward in Iowa’s march to Indianapolis, and it once again confirms that this season is entirely in their hands.
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