No. 6 Ohio State (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) came into Kinnick Stadium and handed No. 14 Iowa (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) its first loss of the season.
The Buckeyes topped the Hawkeyes, 31-14. Along the way, Iowa looked like it had sustained some potentially concerning injuries to some key cogs.
That included starting quarterback Hank Brown, who took a shot as he delivered a pass that was intercepted toward the end of the third quarter. Brown didn't return after the play, and was taken into the locker room for further examination. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound signal-caller was seen grabbing his shoulder / collarbone area on the sideline before heading into the locker room.
Defensive backs Zach Lutmer and Deshaun Lee each sustained injuries in the loss, though Lee did
return to play.
Afterwards, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz provided an update on the trio.
"Well, I don't think it's anything too major. We'll know more probably about Hank. It's a mild sprain. So, we'll know more, probably tomorrow, and then as the week goes on. The other guys, it was more cramping. At least that was my understanding. For one player, it involved IV. They should be able to bounce back from that. I don't think that's going to keep anybody out. But, we'll know more here in a couple days," Ferentz said.
“I don’t think anything too major” on Hank Brown and “cramping” for Zach Lutmer and Deshaun Lee, per Kirk Ferentz.
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) October 3, 2026
It sounds like encouraging news across the board. Cramps shouldn't be a concern, even on a short week for both Lutmer and Lee.
Ferentz seemed upbeat on Brown's status moving forward. Iowa saw Jeremy Hecklinski enter the game after Brown's injury and direct a touchdown drive.
Hecklinski was 5 of 5 passing for 67 yards as Iowa marched 75 yards on an 8-play scoring drive with Hecklinski under center.
Iowa returns to action with a Friday date at Washington. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football shares encouraging postgame injury updates
