Iowa came out firing on all cylinders and never took its foot off the gas in a commanding 40-0 victory over Northern Illinois in week one.
Let's not forget: NIU beat Notre Dame in their opening game in 2025, and while it isn't the same team, they are not a team to be taken lightly. The Hawkeyes came out focused and on a mission to start the season on a high note, and they did that and more. Heading into hate week against Iowa State, that was a massive momentum builder. After rewatching last weekend's dominant performance, we have four key takeaways from a solid first game at Kinnick Stadium.
No. 1: The defense hasn't lost a step
We spoke at length about all the talent the Iowa defense lost after last season, but if week one is any indication, they haven't taken a step back. Phil Parker is one of, if not the best, defensive coordinators in all of college football, and he showed that again last Saturday. Even with some new faces in expanded roles and some early injuries to deal with, the defense was stifling all afternoon. NIU didn't even notch a first down until the second half, and did most of their limited offensive damage against backups and third-stringers.
The Huskies all but abandoned the running game early because of the push the new front four were getting, and regardless of who they threw in at quarterback, they had limited success. Both NIU quarterbacks combined for only 113 passing yards and one interception, and were harassed all game long. NIU didn't do much better in the running game, finishing with a combined seven rushing yards.
The defense clamped down on third down and disrupted the offense's timing all game, and it showed. Now, with Iowa State coming to town, the defense must replicate that performance this weekend.
No. 2: Kamari Moulton is ready for a breakout campaign
Kamari Moulton has always been a solid contributor, and he showcased his abilities last season as the lead running back. If it weren't for an injury that sidelined him for a few games, he would've crossed the 1,000-yard plateau and could have easily led the Big Ten in rushing. Now, fully healthy, Moulton showed why he is going to be a key part of the offense this season. While much of the praise goes to the offensive line for creating massive holes for Moulton to run through, he was explosive on the outside and hard to bring down between the tackles.
Even if Moulton was benched after the first quarter, he still would've had a solid stat line, proving just how dominant he was all game. He finished with a team-leading 183 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 11 carries, torching the NIU defense all game. Moulton was injured last season during game one and forced to miss the Iowa State game, bit with him back and performing at the highest level of his career, the Cyclones are going to have a big problem with Moulton this weekend.
No. 3: Tony Diaz is the WR the Iowa offense has been desperately waiting for
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley transfer Tony Diaz received a lot of hype in the offseason, and he lived up to that hype in game one. Diaz turned down multiple SEC powerhouses, including Alabama, to join the Hawkeyes during the transfer portal window last winter, and he made a massive impact in his first game in Iowa City. He was open nearly every time he ran a route and showed off his versatility all game. He finished as the team leader in receptions (7), targets (13), and receiving yards (84), showcasing how important he is to the offense.
For the first time in a very long time, the Iowa offense had a vertical passing attack, something it has severely lacked. Tight end DJ Vonnahme led the offense in receiving yards (434) and receiving touchdowns (3) last season, but that will likely change this season. Iowa has always used its tight ends frequently in the passing game, but adding Diaz to the receiving corps gives it a downfield threat that will open up the playbook and the opposing defense. In the past, teams could load the box and be successful against the run-heavy Iowa offense, but they can't do that anymore.
The real test will be this coming weekend against Iowa State, but Diaz's solid first game is extremely encouraging for the offense.
No. 4: Hank Brown had a solid starting debut
While the quarterback decision wasn't made against a much weaker NIU team, Brown was one of the biggest winners last weekend. Excluding a few poorly thrown balls off his back foot, Brown was solid all game and slightly outplayed Jeremy Hecklinski. Brown had an early command of the offense, including a solid touchdown pass to Tony Diaz, and looked like the better quarterback during stretches of the game. Hecklinski is by no means eliminated from contention and had some unfortunate luck with untimely false starts and drops, but Brown definitely looked a little better.
Kirk Ferentz waited until Saturday morning to name Brown the starting quarterback for week one, and Brown made the most of his reps. Ferentz stayed true to his word, giving each quarterback a few series before switching them in the first half, but we didn't see Brown at all in the second half. While that isn't overly significant, it proves he made a solid first impression. It will be interesting to see how Ferentz splits the reps this weekend against ISU, but all signs point to a similar strategy.
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