Iowa and South Dakota State will meet to begin the 2022 football season on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Kinnick Stadium.  The Hawkeyes and Jackrabbits have never played before.

Iowa finished the 2021 season at 10-4 after a Big Ten West title and South Dakota State was 11-4 a year ago.

Each team played against and beat Colorado State last season. The Hawkeyes defeated the Rams, 24-14, and the Jackrabbits bested them, 42-23.

Jackrabbit quarterback Mark Gronowski will make his return to the field on Saturday after missing the 2021 season with a knee injury.

In 2020, his freshman season, Gronowski racked up a long list of honors including, FCS Freshman of the Year, FCS Freshman All-America Team, and Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year, among others.

Iowa enters Saturday’s contest with a thin wide receiver room. Senior Nico Ragaini and sophomore Keagan Johnson are both out with injuries. Sophomore Arland Bruce and redshirt freshman Brody Brecht, who has never played a college snap, are the only available scholarship wideouts.

Walk-ons Jack Johnson and Alec Wick are expected to see significant action as Wick is slated to start opposite Bruce.  Sam LaPorta, Iowa’s star tight end, played wide receiver in high school and will likely be asked to do the same today.

Iowa is also dealing with injuries at running back, as Gavin Williams is in street clothes ahead of kickoff. LeShon Williams will likely shoulder the brunt of the carries this afternoon and freshman Kaleb Johnson will serve as his backup.

It looks like Iowa’s starting running back, Gavin Williams, won’t be available for today’s game. Leshon Williams (unrelated) will probably be the Hawkeyes’ No. 1 option. True freshman Kaleb Johnson, a 3-star recruit per 24/7 sports, will likely be Hawkeyes’ No. 2 option.

— Austin Hanson (@ahanson_41) September 3, 2022

COIN TOSS: Iowa wins the toss and will receive in the south end zone.

13:15 | 1Q After one first down on their opening drive, the Hawkeyes punt it back to the Jackrabbits.

12:07 | 1Q South Dakota State punts after back-to-back false starts to open its drive.

9:31 | 1Q Following a shanked punt, Iowa took over around the South Dakota State 30. The Hawkeyes failed to pick up a first down and then Aaron Blom missed his first field goal attempt as a Hawkeye, a 41-yard try.

6:39 | 1Q The Jackrabbits moved the ball to midfield and then the drive stalled and SDSU punted it into the end zone.

4:16 | 1Q Iowa got one first down before having to punt. Tory Taylor’s 55-yard punt backs up the Jackrabbits at their own 5-yard-line. Spencer Petras is 2-6 for nine yards.

2:24 |1Q SDSU punts again and Iowa regains possession at the SDSU 33-yard-line.

1:11 | 1Q Iowa gets on the board with a 46-yard field goal by Aaron Blom. The scoring drive was five yards long. 3-0, IOWA

END | 1Q Iowa leads, 3-0.

14:57 |2Q South Dakota State punts it back to Iowa. Combined, the Jackrabbit and Hawkeyes have punted seven times today. The Hawkeyes’ offense takes over on its own 43-yard line.

12:34 | 2Q Iowa moved the ball to the SDSU 37 and punted on 4th-and-3. SDSU will start on its own 2-yard-line. All of Taylor’s three punts have been downed inside the SDSU 10.

8:21 | 2Q SDSU got one first down on its drive but punted it back to Iowa with the punter standing in his own end zone. Iowa will start at the SDSU 49-yard-line. Nine total punts this afternoon.

6:29 | 2Q Iowa moved nine yards on this drive. Nine yards backward. SDSU will start from its 18 after another impressive Taylor boot.

3:06 | 2Q Spencer Petras is picked off by SDSU’s Caleb Francl. The Jackrabbits will take over on the Iowa 38-yard-line. Petras’s first half stats: 6-15, 41 yards, 1 INT.

0:15 | 2After another Iowa 3-andQ South Dakota State gets on the board with a 44-yard field goal. 3-3.

END | 2Q We’re knotted at three apiece.

15:00 | 3Q SDSU will start with the ball.

9:59 | 3Q SDSU punts for the seventh time today and Iowa will begin its first drive of the second half at its own 27-yard-line.

8:30 | 3Q Iowa punts again. SDSU will take over from its 20.

4:10 | 3Q We missed the Iowa possession but the Hawkeyes completed a long pass and then punted again. Taylor’s boot was downed at the 1-yard-line. Taylor has been the most exciting Hawkeye today.

4:03 | 3Q Jack Cambell tackles the SDSU running back in the end zone for a safety. 5-3, Iowa

0:27 |3Q After Iowa moved the ball to the red zone for the first time of the day, running back LeShon Williams fumbled at the SDSU 7-yard-line and the Jackrabbits recovered.

13:22 | 4Q SDSU moved the ball near the Iowa 40 but then punted again. Iowa will take over at its own 30-yard-line.

12:38 4Q | Iowa punted again.

10:20 4Q The Jackrabbits went 3-and-out and Iowa will take over at midfield.

7:50 4Q | Tory Taylor punts into the end zone for his first touchback of the year. Iowa moved six yards on that drive.

4:47 4Q | After another Iowa 3-and-out, Tory Taylor pins the Jackrabitts at their 8-yard-line.

3:58 4Q | Another Iowa safety. Joe Evans takes down SDSU QB Mark Gronowski in the end zone to make it 7-3. 7-3, IOWA.

FINAL | IOWA 7, NDSU 3.