To say the Iowa rushing attack lived up to its reputation during Week One against Albany would be an understatement.
The Hawkeyes rushed for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 53 attempts as a team, and wore down Albany on the ground.
An unlikely hero for the Hawkeyes was freshman running back Xavier Williams after he torched the Great Danes' defense for 122 rushing yards and a touchdown in his first game in the Iowa backfield.
Williams was the beneficiary of stellar play from the offensive line, as well as the unfortunate injury to starting running back Kamari Moulton during Iowa's first offensive series.
Ahead of a pivotal Week Two game against rival Iowa State, Williams will be the feature back with Moulton on the sidelines, and he spoke to the media during open media availability this week.
During his media availability, which was posted by "The Hawkeye Report," Williams discussed his performance last week and the preparation for this week.
Williams started by saying they had "a lot of great" blocking up front by the offensive line, and he was able to do a lot of good things. He also had a lot of family and friends reach out after the game.
Williams also stated he does not have much experience with the Iowa and Iowa State rivalry, but everyone has been taking it "super seriously," and he will too.
When pressed about preparation for the game this weekend, Williams stated that it is "business as normal," but he plans to watch more tape to prepare for Iowa State's "unique defense."
Iowa does not face many 3-3-5 defense, so this week presents a different challenge for the offensive line and running backs.
The rivalry game between Iowa and Iowa State is always close, but if the Hawkeyes can win in the trenches and establish their running game early, they have a good chance of leaving Ames with a win.