Iowa Football: Takeaways from 35-21 win over Illinois

The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated Illinois by a final score of 35-21. Here are the biggest takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ comeback victory.

It wasn’t a pretty start for the Iowa football team, but Kirk Ferentz’s squad never gave in despite falling to a 14-0 deficit with 13:30 remaining in the second quarter. The Hawkeyes rattled off 35 unanswered points from that point on, rallying to win 35-21.

After starting 0-2, the 19th ranked Hawkeyes now sit with a record of 5-2 after winning five straight games. Iowa has outscored opponents 186-56 over their last five games. Iowa got their seventh win in a row over the Illini, meaning head coach Kirk Ferentz now has a 12-3 record against Illinois.

With that out of the way, takeaways and observations are outlined below:

• Iowa came out with a vengeance in the second half. This was a case of getting punched in the mouth early. The Hawkeyes didn’t flinch, which led to 35 unanswered points and a 14-point victory.
• Give credit to Iowa’s starting quarterback. After a disastrous start to the game, which began with four straight punts on offense, Petras was able to turn it all around in the second half. The sophomore quarterback threw for 220 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on 18-of-28 passing. It was Petras’ first multi-touchdown game of his career. His touchdown pass to tight end Shaun Beyer late in the fourth quarter was an NFL throw.
• Iowa’s running game got back on track after averaging just 2.8 yards per carry last week against Nebraska. Iowa running backs produced 204 yards on 38 carries for an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
• The Hawkeyes have a championship-caliber defense. I truly believe this defense could go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country. The defense finished Saturday with their 21st straight game allowing 24 points or less, by far the longest streak in college football.
• Man, the Hawkeyes have a really, really talented receiving corps. Ihmir Smith-Marsette was open on a handful of throws that Petras never progressed to. He still managed to score two touchdowns, one on a four-yard reception that gave the Hawkeyes the lead, and the other on an end-around run that put Iowa up 35-14. He’s a dynamic player with the ball in his hands.
• Daviyon Nixon. Learn his name if you haven’t already. I’ve talked about it before, but if you don’t know by now, Nixon is well on his way to becoming a top-50 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He produced at least two tackles for losses on Saturday after entering the day with 11.5 tackles for a loss.
• Special teams played a big role in this game. Keith Duncan converted both of his field goal attempts. Tory Taylor was a weapon for field positioning, punting five times for a 42-yard average. He landed two punts inside the 20. Punt returner Charlie Jones was excellent, as well. Jones has such an innate feel for spacing and his vision for running lanes is uncanny.

Up next: the Hawkeyes host No. 16 Wisconsin on Saturday, Dec. 12, at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff time and TV info has not yet been announced.