There was a somber mood in Iowa City following a loss to rival Iowa State in Ames for the second consecutive season.
The offense and special teams units struggled as the Hawkeyes could only muster 13 points and failed to retake the Cy-Hawk trophy.
Following the Iowa State loss, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz made it a point to call out his special teams unit by stating that they did not help, and they usually do not win with poor special teams play.
Iowa senior receiver and return specialist Kaden Wetjen was doubly ineffective in the Cy-Hawk game, racking up penalties on kick returns and falling down during a Mark Gronowski interception.
After the loss, Wetjen was adamant that the Hawkeyes would bounce back because the team wanted to get back to the standards they set at the beginning of the season.
Iowa did just that as they cruised to a 47-7 victory over UMass, putting together a complete game in all three phases.
Wetjen was also at the center of the success of the Iowa offense and special teams.
Wetjen ties the record for the longest punt return for a touchdown in school history (95 yards).@WetjenKaden x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/O5BCJAdBlk
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) September 14, 2025
Wetjen returned a punt for a 95-yard touchdown after several stellar moves allowed him to get out in space and outrun the UMass coverage team into the end zone.
Not only did Wetjen return a punt for a touchdown, but he tallied 184 return yards and a 20-yard rushing touchdown on offense.
Wetjen, the reigning Jet Award winner, is poised to capture the award again this season if he continues at this pace.
Wetjen's performance for the special teams and offense were a welcome sight for Hawkeye fans who have been waiting for both units to wake up through the first two games of the season.