Iowa’s offensive performance in the first game answered a few of the questions surrounding it coming into the season — but one remains.

The receivers and tight ends were largely irrelevant outside of blocking — even though the Hawks’ plan may not have intended them to be involved much besides that anyway.
“We’re not trying to force anything down the field or to a certain player,” senior receiver Jacob Hillyer said.
So, for the second game, quarterback C.J. Beathard’s passing targets stand as the premier question mark on offense.
The team’s conservative, run-heavy approach was more than enough to get by Illinois State on Sept. 5, and it could be the same approach head coach Kirk Ferentz wants to use throughout the season.
It was epitomized in Iowa’s 79- and 99-yard drives to start the game, something that can take its toll on defenses and eat a lot of clock.
Of all the uncertainties surrounding Iowa’s offense entering the season, most seemed to be answered fairly well against Illinois State.
Junior LeShun Daniels Jr. made his first start as Iowa’s feature back by rushing for 123 yards — doing so behind an offensive line replacing two NFL draftees at the tackle spots.
Beathard threw 1 touchdown and scored twice on the ground, while not fumbling or being intercepted.
The passing game remained low-key; the Hawks amassed more than 200 yards on the ground and refrained from taking shots down the field.
Backup running back Jordan Canzeri led the Hawks with 90 of the team’s 221 receiving yards on his 4 receptions — 51 of which came on a screen pass that caught the Redbirds wildly off guard.
Outside of senior Tevaun Smith, the team has no proven difference makers at receiver. Junior Matt Vandeberg had a team-high 6 catches and 1 touchdown on Sept. 5, and Hillyer added 2 for 38 yards.
All three had at least 1 reception for more than 15 yards but nothing more than 20.
“We’re not concerned; we knew what we had to do to win the game on [Sept. 5], and that was run the ball and getting the ball to the backs,” Beathard said. “We didn’t have to throw the ball downfield to get that win last week. It just depends on how the game unfolds, and that’s how we’ll execute our plays.”
At tight end, Iowa recorded just 1 reception last week, by redshirt freshman Jameer Outsey in cleanup duty. In the absence of the recovering Jake Duzey, starter Henry Krieger-Coble and backup George Kittle combined for zero catches.
“We want our tight ends to be involved, and I think over the course of the year, you’ll see that they are involved,” Ferentz said. “But a lot of that is dictated by the people we’re playing.”
One might say it’s problematic that they couldn’t muster more production against a low-profile opponent, but the fact is they didn’t really try. Beathard threw just 24 passes in the game — a mark that Davis and Ferentz may feel is ideal going forward.
As long as they can lean on Daniels and Canzeri, they simply may not see the point in taking chances downfield. But Power-5 teams also figure to be stouter up front than Illinois State.
So if and when that duo is rendered ineffective, can the receiving corps step up to bring balance and keep defenses honest?
It may not be known until a particular defense forces Ferentz’ hand.