Rushing offense A+
It’s hard to put this performance into words, but this might have been Iowa’s best rushing performance in years. Kaleb Johnson once again stole the show with three touchdowns and 206 yards on 21 carries. The junior struggled to gain traction in the first half, but was incredible in the second half, with all three of his touchdowns coming in the frame. Johnson entered the contest as the nation’s leading rusher, and he showed that he might be the best running back in the country on a primetime stage.
Though Johnson dominated this unit’s performance, I can’t write this section without mentioning the play of second-year back Jaziun Patterson. Patterson rushed for only 66 yards on 18 carries, but his ferocious running style pairs him up well with the agile and speedy Johnson.
Passing offense: C-
There’s not a lot to work with here, but I have to rank this unit low due to a quiet showing from starting quarterback Cade McNamara. McNamara completed 11 of his 19 passes for only 62 yards, a far cry from his outing against Troy where he went 19 of 23 for 176 yards. But, you have to give some credit to McNamara for making smart decisions with the football and not committing any turnovers, something he has done for two straight games now.
McNamara will need to put up some bigger numbers if Iowa wants to make a run to the College Football Playoff, but Johnson’s explosiveness in the running game could help this passing game gain some traction.
Passing defense: B-
Though the Hawkeyes allowed only 14 points on Saturday, its secondary looked shaky at times, especially in the first half. Minnesota started slowly on offense, but quarterback Max Brosmer quickly found his groove, tossing two touchdowns on consecutive possessions near the end of the first half to give the Gophers the halftime edge. The Iowa secondary seemed lost at times during this sequence, often giving up big chunk plays and missing easy tackles, uncharacteristic for the Hawkeyes.
But this unit clamped down in the second half, as Minnesota mustered only 44 passing yards in the second half. Not only were the Iowa defensive backs making plays in the field, but linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson even stepped up in coverage, with Jackson knocking down two passes and Higgins collecting an interception in the first half.
Rushing defense: A-
The Golden Gophers have always been known as a run-first team under head coach PJ Fleck, but the Hawkeye defense stopped them in their tracks on Saturday. Minnesota was held to only 79 rushing yards on the day despite entering the contest averaging 130 yards per game.
Darius Taylor is the Gophers’ leading rusher, and he was held to only 34 yards on 10 carries. Higgins led Iowa with nine tackles, while fellow linebacker Jackson and cornerback Deshaun Lee followed close behind with eight. This unit will be tested against a top-five Ohio State squad in two weeks, but they will have a bye week to prepare for them.
Special Teams: A+
This seems like a guaranteed grade as long as LeVar Woods remains the special teams coordinator, but this unit did everything possible to help secure the Hawkeye victory. Freshman punter Rhys Dakin was phenomenal, averaging 49.6 yards per punt on five tries. Dakin had a rough game last weekend against Troy, but he made up for it with his performance against the Gophers. Keep in mind that he’s only a freshman who has the enormous task of filling Tory Taylor’s shoes.
“I went up to LeVar and asked, ‘Has he done anything wrong tonight?’” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said of Dakin after the game. “This is his first road game, his first conference game, his fourth game in American football. He was just unfazed.”
Kicker Drew Stevens was also excellent on the evening, nailing all four of his extra point attempts and a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter, his longest of the season. Stevens struggled to end his sophomore campaign, but he has converted on all five of his field goal attempts in 2024, something that is always crucial to have in your back pocket.
Coaching: B+
I sound like a broken record here, but the Iowa coaching staff continues to make befuddling decisions in the first half, but you have to give them credit for adjusting in the second half each week. That was the case against Minnesota, as the Hawkeyes looked disjointed on both sides of the ball, especially on offense. Iowa couldn’t really establish much of a running game, and its wide receivers dropped several key passes that could have continued a few drives.
The Hawkeyes had the ball at the Gopher 46-yard line with one second to play in the first half but opted to hand the ball off to Johnson instead of trying a hail mary to the end zone. But, I have to give major credit to defensive coordinator Phil Parker for his critical adjustments in the second half. His unit wasn’t playing well towards the end of the first half, but his scheme after the break completely confused Minnesota and helped lead Iowa to the victory.