There was a lot of heat on the Iowa football program following last weekend's loss to Minnesota. The Hawkeyes answered those questions in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Iowa thumped Wisconsin 30-0 in front of a sold-out Kinnick Stadium to improve to 6-2. It was the second-straight shutout victory over the Badgers, coming on the heels of a 37-0 win last season in Madison. And the play on the field backed up the dominance on the scoreboard.
The offense showed up, led by a stellar game from Hank Brown. They put pressure on Wisconsin all game long, sustaining long drives that ended in points. The defense was nothing short of spectacular. They overwhelmed the Badgers' offense and forced starting quarterback Colton Joseph to the bench.
It was a much-needed
bounce-back performance from Kirk Ferentz's squad. Here are the biggest takeaways from Iowa's shutout victory over Wisconsin.
Hank Brown silenced the doubters
Hank Brown took a lot of heat last week after really struggling in Minneapolis. He silenced those doubters with an outstanding performance in this game. The fourth-year signal caller completed 20 of 24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He was in complete control of this game from the jump, slinging the rock to open receivers and playing with boatloads of confidence.
Most importantly, he played a clean game. Iowa only turned the ball over once after a disastrous showing last weekend. I'm not sure what the long-term future holds for Brown in Iowa City. But he made one thing clear on Saturday: he gives the Hawkeyes the best chance to win right now. He deserves his flowers for this performance.
Iowa finally got all the playmakers involved
Iowa's playmakers have taken turns with big games this season. On Saturday, they all got in on the fun. Tony Diaz finished with four receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. He looked like the receiver who tore up fall camp and the first few weeks of the season. DJ Vonnahme had five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also added a rushing touchdown on a slick jet sweep.
Finally, Reece Vander Zee had five receptions for 51 yards. His stat line included a few big grabs on third down to move the sticks. It was good to see all three guys turn in strong performances on Saturday. Iowa will hope for more of this going forward.
The run game showed life, but is still a work in progress
Iowa's run game has been a problem this season. While it wasn't perfect on Saturday, there were signs of life. The Hawkeyes finished with 140 rushing yards in this game, but only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. Xavier Williams led the way with 20 carries for 78 yards. He did put the ball on the ground twice, which will need to be cleaned up. L.J. Phillips Jr. added nine carries for 27 yards.
Iowa nickeled and dimed Wisconsin on the ground all game long. There weren't many big carries, but the run game usually kept the offense in rhythm. With Kamari Moulton out for the season, it's going to be tough to find a consistent ground game. This was a step in the right direction.
This defense is elite
There were questions about Iowa's defense entering this season. They had a lot of production to replace from last year. Phil Parker is proving why people should place their trust in his system. This unit was excellent against the Badgers. They held Wisconsin to only 235 yards of total offense. Wisconsin was just 4-of-13 on third downs and averaged just 2.2 yards per carry. Iowa also forced three turnovers.
This was the third shutout of the season for the Hawkeye defense. They've only given up more than 20 points in a game twice. One of those games had a garbage-time touchdown from Washington to get them over 20 points. What they lack in individual superstar talent, they make up for with stellar team play. This group is getting better as they gel together. That's dangerous for the rest of the Big Ten.
These Hawks have guts
Iowa played its worst game of the season last weekend. All week long, they had to listen to the outside noise expressing doubts and concerns about how good they actually were. With their backs against the wall and a top-25 opponent coming into town, the Hawkeyes rose to the occasion. They played their best game of the season to right the ship and get back on track.
This is the type of bounce-back performance that Ferentz teams have mastered over the years. It seems like Iowa plays its best football when everyone doubts them. That was most certainly the case on Saturday. These Hawks have a lot of guts. What a performance.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways as Iowa football crushes Wisconsin to keep Heartland Trophy
