COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Iowa football team aims for its second conference win of the season in an uphill battle against No. 3 Ohio State. Both squads are undefeated in Big Ten play and boast a top-five rush defense, which may prove handy as each features talent in the backfield. Third-year Hawkeye Kaleb Johnson is the nation’s second-leading rusher with 685 yards while his Buckeye counterparts Quidshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson are each averaging more than eight yards per carry this season.
The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes are each allowing less than 70 rushing yards per game this season.
At the wide receiver position, Iowa will be without former Buckeye Kaleb Brown due to injury while Hawkeye Seth Anderson will make his season debut after missing the previous four games because of injury. Meanwhile, Ohio State has a plethora of talent at the wide receiver spot, highlighted by first-year Jeremiah Smith and senior Emeka Egbuka. The pair each average more than 17 yards per catch and have combined for 726 receiving yards this season. The Buckeyes’ third-leading receiver, sophomore Carnell Tate, is questionable for Saturday’s contest.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Central Time and will be broadcast on CBS.
COIN TOSS: Ohio State wins the toss and opts to defer. Iowa will receive the opening kickoff. The Buckeyes’ offering flies through the end zone for a touchback.
1Q 11:17 Iowa 0, Ohio State 0: After finding wide receiver Reece Vander Zee for an 11-yard gain on third down, Cade McNamara and the Hawkeye offense gain only one more yard. On 3rd-and-9, McNamara has time to throw and rolls out, but his pass to an open Kaden Wetjen falls short. Punter Rhys Dakin boots a 47-yarder to the OSU 12-yard line.
1Q 3:41 Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: The Buckeyes rely on Henderson early, opting to give the running back the ball three of the first four plays, including a 12-yard rush up the middle on 3rd-and-1. The Buckeyes again convert on third down with an 8-yard toss to wideout Bryson Rodgers. Ohio State would tack on three more first downs before quarterback Will Howard found Egubka at the goal line for a 14-yard score.
2Q 12:52 Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: The Hawkeyes twice convert on third down, each on a pass to wideout Jacob Gill. Johnson is stopped short of first down and Iowa kicker Drew Stevens misses his first field goal of the year — a 51-yarder that sailed wide left.
2Q 8:47 Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: After stuffing Howard on fourth down, the Hawkeyes take over near midfield. McNamara throws a nice ball to wideout Jarriet Buie, but the receiver is tackled by Buckeye corner Denzel Burke short of the sticks. The Hawkeyes appear to convert on a fake punt, but head coach Kirk Ferentz called a timeout before the snap and the gain is nullified. Dakin’s boot flies out of bounds at the OSU 28-yard-line.
2Q 6:31 Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: Ohio State’s first play of the drive is a 21-yard run from Jenkins. Hawkeye linebacker Jay Higgins misses a tackle in space but makes up for his mistake on the very next play, punching the ball loose from Jeremiah Smith and recovering the ball at Iowa’s 28-yard line.
2Q 4:18 Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: McNamara delivers a 14-yard strike to Vander Zee on third down, but the Hawkeyes gain only four more yards afterward. Iowa tries a flea-flicker to Gill down the left sideline, but the pass from McNamara falls incomplete. Dakin’s 49-yard punt bounces into the end zone for a touchback.
2Q 1:50 Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris nearly had his third interception of the year on third down, but the ball sails out of reach. Ohio State punts to pin Iowa inside the 10.
2Q 1:13 Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: The Hawkeyes gain 2 yards in three plays and opt to punt. Dakin’s punt travels 45 yards to beyond midfield.
HALFTIME: Ohio State 7, Iowa 0: Hawkeye safety Sebastian Castro snags his first interception of the season with a minute to go in the half but with multiple timeouts remaining, the Hawkeyes can’t find success. McNamara’s short pass to Vander Zee falls incomplete and the quarterback is then sacked for a loss of five.
Despite winning the turnover battle and having more time of possession, the Hawkeyes have only 90 total yards, 18 of them on the ground, good enough for 1.3 yards per rush.
3Q 9:28 Ohio State 14, Iowa 0: The Buckeyes find the end zone in just nine plays on what will for sure be featured on Smith’s highlight reel. The first-year sensation hauled in a 53-yard grab before making a one-handed snag over Iowa cornerback Deshuan Lee for a four-yard score.
3Q 7:58 Ohio State 21, Iowa 0: McNamara is sacked on the first play of the drive by Buckeye Jack Sawyer. OSU lineman Cody Simon recovers the pigskin to set up the Buckeyes in the red zone. Four plays later, Howard. dashed into the red zone for a score. The touchdown is Howard’s fourth on the ground this season, and the first rushing score the Hawkeyes have allowed all season.
3Q 7:58 Ohio State 21, Iowa 0: The Hawkeyes have their biggest play of the day in a 28-yard run from Johnson. But the next two plays are the exact opposite. A stuffed run for a loss of a yard, then a brutal interception returned for 45 yards by Buckeye Davison Igbinoson. The ball was tipped near the line of scrimmage, but Igbinoson was all alone on the play, having forced the Hawkeye receiver out of bounds by the time the ball arrived.
3Q 0:13 Ohio State 28, Iowa 0: Ohio State is called for a holding, surprisingly the first penalty of the game. But that doesn’t stop the Buckeyes’ progress. Howard finds Egbuka on a perfect strike for a 15-yard score. The star senior wideout was covered by Iowa linebacker Kyler Fisher on the play, a mismatch that will prove unfortunate for almost any college linebacker.
4Q: 12:45 Ohio State 35, Iowa 0: The Buckeyes pile on with another score following a turnover. McNamara is strip-sacked for the second time today. A few plays later, Howard threads the needle, finding Egbuka for the receiver’s third score of the day.
4Q: 8:17 Ohio State 35, Iowa 7: With backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan in at quarterback, the Hawkeyes score against a ranked foe for the first time since October 2022, coincidentally at the same stadium. Sullivan made a 30-yard scamper up the sideline on the second play of the drive before Johnson delivered a 28-yard scoring dash.
This is a developing story. Check back for live updates and follow @dipregame on X for more.