The Rutgers offense hasn’t had any luck playing inside Kinnick Stadium. 

When the Scarlet Knights came to Iowa City for the first time in 2019, the Hawkeyes cruised to a 30-0 victory and only yielded 125 yards. 

On Saturday, Iowa earned its first shutout of the season, defeating Rutgers, 22-0, and only giving up 127 yards — the lowest number of yards the Hawkeye defense has allowed against a Big Ten opponent since that 2019 matchup.

Members of the Hawkeye defense were all smiles after holding Big Ten rushing leader Kyle Monangai to 39 yards and dual-threat QB Gavin Wimsatt to -2 yards on the ground. Iowa has given up one touchdown in its last four games.

“All you can do is show up and try to do your best, give it an honest day’s effort and have a good attitude, and then you never quit. You never quit. That’s what the guys are doing,” head coach Kirk  Ferentz said.

With the victory, Iowa moved to 8-2 and clinched a share of the Big Ten West title, which the Hawkeyes can clinch outright next week with a victory over Illinois. The Hawkeyes last made the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis in 2021 and fell to Michigan, 42-3.

“​​We’ve done a great job of just staying together, and that’s what you’re gonna get out of an Iowa team,” linebacker Jay Higgins said. “I mean, as players, it’s our job to follow our leader, and with coach Ferentz being the leader that he is, I don’t think there’s any surprise when it comes to us being as close as we are.”

Higgins and fellow linebacker Nick Jackson credited their success against the run game to the defensive line. Jackson said his teammates up front did a good job controlling the line of scrimmage, which made it easier for him and others in the backfield to make plays. 

According to Chad Leistikow, the Hawkeyes are allowing 3.998 yards per play for the year, which is a fraction behind the pace of last year’s defense (3.986), which had the lowest total by any FBS team since Florida State in 2012.

Higgins also credited the team’s success to the loud Hawkeye faithful, who helped the defense force six false start penalties.

“It helps us playing in Kinnick,” Higgins said. “I mean, obviously the fan support and then especially when it comes to the third and short situations where the third-and-2 changes to a third-and-7, I mean that completely changes the play calls, that completely changes the chances of them converting.”

Overall, Jackson and Higgins agreed this was the defense’s best performance of the season, but their favorite play of the day happened in the final minutes. 

Trailing, 15-0, Wimsatt threw a pass deep down the middle, and fifth-year strong safety Quinn Schulte jumped, intercepted the ball with ease, and returned it for 39 yards into Hawkeye territory. It was his first pick of the season and third of his career. It was also the Hawkeyes’ first turnover in 12 quarters.

The turnover led to WR Kaleb Brown’s first touchdown of the season. The Ohio State transfer   earned his first catch last week against Northwestern.

Higgins said he told Schulte he should’ve celebrated longer after his pick but joked the fifth-year was too worried about running back to the sideline.

“I tried to block my butt off for that. I ran as fast as I could, and I didn’t hit anybody. So hopefully next time I can make a block for him and he can get in the end zone,” Jackson said of Schulte’s interception with a grin.

Hailing from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Schulte joined the program as a walk-on. After working his way up the depth chart under defensive coordinator Phil Parker, he has started at the free safety position the last two seasons. Higgins said you have to be a “tough guy” to make it through five years with Parker. 

Last year, Schulte took over for Jack Koerner, who also came to Iowa City as a walk-on and ended up signing an NFL free-agent contract with the New Orleans Saints following his Iowa career. Now, Koerner works as a graduate assistant coach for the Hawkeye secondary. 

Jackson and Higgins both said Schulte is one of their best friends and a crucial leader and communicator on defense. Jackson added that the free safety sends film clips to his teammates throughout the week and will always “know the play better than you know the play.”

“What I tease Phil Parker about is you can’t play free safety at Iowa unless you’re a walk-on. That’s just how it is, and Quinn is in that boat,” Ferentz said. “You just hear his teammates talk about him studying film, all the things he does. It’s pretty impressive, and that’s the reason why he plays so well.”

For Higgins, Schulte is a player he wishes was more respected by the media. 

“You won’t miss a Cooper DeJean story, but it’s those fifth-year guys that the media kind of forgets about,” Higgins said of Schulte. “He’s a two-year starter. He shows up to work every day and does his job. Guys like that — that’s who I appreciate.”