IOWA CITY — The No. 25 Iowa football team is set to kick off its 2024 season as it hosts Illinois State in an 11 a.m. season opener inside Kinnick Stadium.
While the Hawkeyes boast a familiar look on defense and special teams, although in addition to rookie Australian punter Rhys Dakin, the offense looks a bit different this time around as Iowa looks to improve upon a rough offensive outing last season.
While Cade McNamara seems to have won the quarterback battle for now, telling the media he’s confident this is the healthiest he’s been, there are some newer faces around him. One such name is redshirt freshman running back Kamari Moulton, who is now listed as the primary running back over Leshon Williams and Kaleb Johnson.
With receivers Seth Anderson out and Kaleb Brown suspended for one game after an OWI over the summer, a newer receiving core in Jacob Gill, Jarriett Buie, and Kaden Wetjen will take a larger proportion of targets today.
Last but not least, head coach Kirk Ferentz will have to watch the game from home as he is serving a one-game self-reported suspension due to a recruiting violation. Linebackers coach Seth Wallace will serve as acting head coach for the game.
COIN TOSS: Iowa won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Hawkeyes will kick and defend the north end zone.
QUARTER ONE
12:45 — Iowa 0, Illinois State 0 — Three Illinois State plays go nowhere, the Hawkeye defense awake and active, leading to a poor Redbird punt that put the Iowa offense at the 35. Moulton took a pair of runs up four yards, but McNamara failed to connect with tight end Luke Lachey on a pass too far outside. So it’s a three-and-out to start, Dakin’s punt underwhelming as it lands at the 20.
9:47 — Iowa 0, Illinois State 0 — The Redbird offense was stuffed twice this drive, once by defensive lineman Aaron Graves for a sack on Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse. But a third down connection to ex-Rolling Meadows Mustang and current Redbird receiver Daniel Sobkowicz kept the drive alive — until Hawkeye defensive back Jermari Harris made a fantastic read to pick off a short Rittenhouse pass and give the offense the ball at ISU’s 45.
5:35 — Iowa 3, Illinois State 0 — On third-and-nine, McNamara hit tight end Addison Ostrenga for four yards and a second three-and-out. Dakin’s punt was fair caught at the 11, and we went back to ISU’s offense to try to get some points on the board here. A forced fumble by defensive back Sebastian Castro this time put Iowa again in scoring position.
This offense needs to capitalize on what its stellar defense gives it, and this try started with a shot to Lachey in the end zone that was too low to be caught. On third-and-10, a short pass to running back Leshon Williams was complete but not enough. So kicker Drew Stevens put one through for a 3-0 lead.
END — Iowa 3, Illinois State 0 — Two swarming stops on ISU attempted passes made for a loud third down, in which linebacker Kyler Fisher got in on the action for a crafty pass break-up. And although returner Kaden Wetjen looked like Cooper DeJean as he brought the punt back for six, a block in the back erased that and brought McNamara and Co. back on at the 31.
Moulton took a rush up the middle and pounded a 6-foot-3, 205-pound ISU defensive back in Mark Cannon Jr. So the Hawkeyes earned their first first down of the game on a cross route over the middle that connected to Lachey. Receiver Reece Vander Zee was wide open over the middle on a McNamara roll-out, and McNamara threw the ball behind him to bring out fourth down and yet another Iowa punt.
The Redbirds went three-and-out, and a punt put Iowa back on at its own 29.
QUARTER TWO
11:59 — Iowa 3, Illinois State 0 — McNamara took an 18-yard throw over the top to Vander Zee, connecting with him right at his helmet for a nice gain that set Moulton up for a nice run to the outside. But the latter was negated by an offensive holding penalty before a false start that then made it first-and-19. The Hawkeyes will need to clean up these costly penalties to be efficient and move the ball this year.
Moulton has punched gaps well thus far, though, as he moves this offense ahead with his nine attempts for 37 yards. So despite the big yardage deficit to the first down, the Hawkeyes opted to go for it on fourth-and-two. There, a quick rush up the middle by Moulton was short, leading to a turnover on downs.
6:32 — Iowa 3, Illinois State 0 — Graves just snagged his second sack of the game for a five-yard loss as Rittenhouse tried to maneuver a closing pocket, and tight defensive back play from Iowa forced the seventh punt of the game, which Wetjen brought up to the 24. Gill was railed right after a reception but secured the first down, and a roll-out throw to Lachey connected to bring second-and-three that ultimately went nowhere. So Dakin’s punt set ISU up on its own 15, which was muffed but ultimately recovered.
2:00 — Iowa 3, Illinois State 0 — Defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett dragged Rittenhouse down in the pocket, popping the ball loose, which Graves landed on to gain possession. But a holding penalty on star linebacker Jay Higgins gave the Redbirds the ball back and pushed them up toward midfield. Still, the Iowa defense remained alert and forced the punt, which Wetjen fought through to push back up to Iowa’s own 41. Wetjen has massive potential on this special teams unit this season.
McNamara scrambled beautifully out of the pocket for a quick and massive gain up into ISU territory, showing signs of solid leg strength and health, but that too was brought back on an illegal motion penalty by Lachey. Lachey made up for it two plays later with a strong reception over the middle for a first down back into Redbird territory as we head into the two-minute warning.
HALFTIME — Iowa 6, Illinois State 0 — Gill was wide open on a pass that instead went to Moulton on the short right side, who biffed and dropped it, but McNamara found Gill the next play for a secure catch over the middle and a first down — the Northwestern transfer has very firm ball control here. McNamara then scrambled into the ISU red zone, but the Hawkeyes couldn’t find another first down with ease and had to resort to a field goal.
QUARTER THREE
11:32 — Iowa 12, Illinois State 0 — An Illinois State unsportsmanlike conduct on the kickoff bumped Iowa up toward midfield before McNamara connected with Ostrenga for a 10-yard gain and then Vander Zee for 17 more yards, encroaching on ISU’s red zone territory. McNamara remained patient in the pocket on third-and-three to hit Lachey before he rolled out and hit Vander Zee again, this time around the waist level for a quick six points on a three-minute drive and the first touchdown of this season. The two-point conversion failed, so the ball goes back to ISU.
7:46 — Iowa 19, Illinois State 0 — Fisher made a play on preventing the first down amid a short Redbird pass to the left side of the field, forcing another flimsy punt that landed the Hawkeyes at their own 34. Defensive pass interference gave Iowa room to have running back Kaleb Johnson hit the hole hard for 12 before he caught a screen for an eight-yard gain. On third-and-three, McNamara found Lachey in motion for eight more.
And the offense is finally here.
McNamara again stayed patient in the pocket, scanning the field for a dot to Gill — who pushed through two Redbird defensive backs to chase the ball down and haul it in for six more. Stevens’ field goal was good, and the Hawkeyes lead by 19 now.
2:41 — Iowa 19, Illinois State 0 — Hawkeye defensive lineman Yahya Black got in on the mix for a four-yard tackle for loss, bringing a pass attempt on second-and-14 that was batted away in the backfield by Higgins. Back on came the ISU punting unit, a frequent sight today. On third-and-one, Moulton picked up two yards for a fresh set of downs that went nowhere, although Dakin launched a punt inside ISU’s own 20.
END — Iowa 19, Illinois State 0 — Redbird receiver Xavier Loyd rose up to snag a 37-yard shot right over second-year defensive back John Nestor, who is now getting some reps as he sits behind Harris and TJ Hall on the depth chart. Still, that drive stalled, and Ostrenga picked up an 11-yard gain as he told an attempted Redbird tackler to sit down with the lowering of his shoulder.
QUARTER FOUR
14:54 — Iowa 26, Illinois State 0 — Kinnick erupted as McNamara weaved out of a sure tackle in the pocket, scrambled left, and threw the ball cross-body on a gorgeous lead to tight end Zach Ortwerth for a 31-yard pickup. The very next play, the 6-foot-4 Vander Zee rose up and said something like “Give me that!” as McNamara launched a prayer. That’s six more for a 26-0 lead.
11:09 — Iowa 33, Illinois State 0 — Williams bobbled a short catch while running over the middle, resulting in a fumble that Ostrenga recovered to maintain the first down. Johnson then exploded through the middle, and not a single Redbird could touch him as he waltzed into the end zone for yet another six. That’s now 33-0 for a Hawkeye offense that looks brand new compared to a few months — or minutes — ago.
5:48 — Iowa 40, Illinois State 0 — Defensive lineman Brian Allen picked up his own first sack of the season, and a silly fake punt from the Redbirds flopped. So the Hawkeye offense will take another run at a score, still with McNamara in the game, this time deep in ISU territory.
A reverse to Gill got six yards back after an ineligible receiver downfield penalty, and McNamara then hit Vander Zee on a five-and-out route to inch toward the end zone. So Johnson leaked out to the right on a handoff to up this one to 40-0 and let this head out and into Iowa State next weekend.
FINAL: Iowa 40, Illinois State 0
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