The Iowa football team earned its first victory of the season on Sept. 5, downing Illinois State, 31-14, in Kinnick Stadium.
With that in mind, here are five things we learned from watching the Hawks down the Redbirds.
By Ryan Rodriguez
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Show me your O-face
Without a doubt, one of the biggest questions going into this season for Iowa was its offensive line, a unit that featured three sophomores and just a pair of seniors, guard Jordan Walsh and center Austin Blythe.
However, the victory over the Redbirds was a different story for the men in the trenches.
The Hawks’ offensive line was pretty much dominant all day, protecting quarterback C.J. Beathard and not giving up a single sack.
Granted, the Illinois State defense isn’t exactly that of the Seahawks, but it’s a good sign, nevertheless.
It takes two
For a team that had been stressing explosiveness on offense for most of camp, the Hawks certainly delivered during the first game.
One of the biggest cogs in the offensive success was the backfield duo of Jordan Canzeri and LeShun Daniels. The duo was relentless in their efforts, combining for 242 yards of total offense and a touchdown.
The duo also blocked exceptionally well on a number of plays, including Bethard’s 6-yard scamper for the game’s opening score.
If the two continue to contribute as they did against the Redbirds, Iowa’s offense could be formidable.
Beathard looks comfortable
Would C.J. Beathard take the bull by the horns and lead Iowa to a victory, or would the redshirt junior need a few games before getting comfortable behind center as a full-time starter?
Now that the game has passed, the question has been laid to rest. Beathard looked both calm and collected for Iowa, connecting on 15 of his 24 passes for more than 200 yards and a TD.
He also added a pair of rushing touchdowns.
It seems that all the talk about Beathard being the catalyst for a new up-tempo offense, at least for now, holds true.
Mabin stands out:
Junior defensive back Greg Mabin stood out during Saturday’s contest, stirring the drink on an Iowa defense that allowed just 231 yards of total offense.
The Florida native made several individual standout plays and finished tied for second for the team lead in tackles with 3. Only outside linebacker Cole Fisher finished with more solo stops.
Mabin came to Iowa as a receiver and was converted to a defensive back in 2013. His emergence as an aggressive but sound defensive back would do wonders to solidify Iowa’s already respectable backfield.
Field goal fake out
One of the loudest cheers all game for the home crowd came in the second quarter after Iowa unsuccessfully attempted a fake field goal.
Failed trick plays don’t typically elicit strong emotional responses from fans, but for a fan base deprived of creativity on offense the last few seasons, the Hawkeye faithful were enamored by the decision to try something new, even if it failed.
Is this a symptom of Iowa’s desire to take more chances on offense, something they’ve talked about all summer?
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