In Iowa’s 24-3 win over Wyoming on Sept. 2, the inexperience didn’t really matter, because the experience picked up any slack.

While much of the offense and secondary had not started many games, if any, the front seven of the defense held its own, pressuring Wyoming star quarterback Josh Allen enough to not even allow the Cowboys to enter the red zone.

“I think the strength of our defense is up front right now, the front seven,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “They certainly did a really good job and helped us through some of the tough spots.”

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The linebackers had a phenomenal game, while Josey Jewell epitomized what a coach wants from a player in the first game of the season.

The senior from Decorah racked up 14 tackles, including 2 sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss en route to earning Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

In addition to Jewell’s performance, Ben Niemann had 13 tackles, and Bo Bower tallied 11.

The experience of that position group showed, but the experience in the secondary wasn’t there.

Other than Miles Taylor, the rest of the defensive backs had just one combined start.

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Still, the secondary held its own, keeping Allen to just 174 yards through the air, while cornerback Joshua Jackson and defensive lineman Brady Reiff notched interceptions.

“He was definitely a good quarterback,” Jackson said. “He has a strong arm and made a lot of great plays today, so it was fun playing against him. We just all stuck together.”

Just as it was in the secondary, the offense had with little experience going into the game.

A new quarterback and a gaggle of new wide receivers highlighted the inexperience, but they found ways to get the job done.