The Hawkeyes are flying high after bringing the Heartland Trophy back to Iowa City.
Iowa went into Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, and dominated the Wisconsin Badgers from start to finish, adding another Big Ten win to its tally.
The Hawkeyes (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) put together a complete performance in all facets of the game during the dominating 37-0 win.
The defense returned to form, forcing three Badgers' turnovers, as the Hawkeyes put the game out of reach by halftime.
The offense was also able to take those turnovers and turn them into points.
Starting quarterback Mark Gronowski was a game-time decision before the contest against Wisconsin, but ended up starting the game and playing a majority of it.
After the game, Gronowski reported that he was not limited in the game, and felt good throughout.
The more interesting story from the game was the backup quarterback. Heading into Saturday's game, both Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski were listed as the backup with an "or" designation on the week seven depth chart.
With the game well out of reach, Gronowski was pulled from the game late in the fourth quarter, and Hecklinski, not Brown, went into the game.
Brown struggled in relief against Indiana, completing only five of 13 passes, and tossed a costly interception late in the 20-15 loss.
After Saturday's game, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz stated that his decision to play Hecklinski over Brown was not about Brown's poor performance, but it was more about Hecklinski's solid play.
Kirk Ferentz on Jeremy Hecklinski moving into the second-string QB spot:
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) October 12, 2025
“The way he’s practiced. … It’s really close. Hank has done a really good job. … It’s going to be ongoing — the competition. We like how those guys operate.”
Ferentz was adamant that Hecklinski has performed so well in practice that he was elevated to the backup quarterback this week.
Ferentz initially said before the bye week that Brown had the leg up on the backup job because he has been on campus longer, but this week, they placed the "or" designation for the No. 2 quarterback role.
He also noted that both players have performed well, and the competition will be ongoing through the rest of the season.
It is unclear whether Hecklinski will be the primary backup for the rest of the season, but going into the game in mop-up duty proves that the coaching staff has trust in him if he is called upon going forward.