Iowa took care of business in Seattle last weekend, and the final score doesn't reflect how lopsided the game was.
The Hawkeyes started slowly, notching only two field goals in their first three drives before Kamari Moulton's massive 56-yard touchdown run capped a solid first quarter. Iowa led 13-0 after the first quarter before an offensive explosion in the second quarter put the game out of reach. Iowa's defense smothered Washington's offense and knocked starting quarterback Demond Williams out of the game late in the second quarter. The defense allowed 317 total yards, including -3 rushing yards in the win, but one of the biggest stories was Jeremy Hecklinski.
Jeremy Hecklinski earned a high grade for his performance
Hecklinski earned his first career start as starter Hank Brown nursed a shoulder injury, and he made the most of his opportunity. He started slowly, especially after multiple drops, but a 30-yard completion to Reece Vander Zee got him going. After starting 2/7, Hecklinski completed his final 12 passes and ran the offense like a well-oiled machine. Iowa's offense struggled in the two games before its road game against Washington, and although Iowa was without its starting quarterback, the offense looked surprisingly better.
Aided by a stellar rushing attack, Iowa's offense tallied 465 total yards against the overmatched Huskies defense after putting up 523 combined yards against Michigan and Ohio State. The numbers are deceiving because Washington's defense is so bad, but the offense looked a lot smoother with Hecklinski under center. That doesn't mean Brown is a bad quarterback, but the offense found another gear with Hecklinski, and the playbook definitely expanded. We didn't see many quarterback rollouts or deep shots with Brown at the helm, and that changed with Hecklinski.
Iowa had multiple receivers wide open against a porous Washington defense, and Hecklinski found them. He became the fourth quarterback under Kirk Ferentz to throw three touchdown passes in his debut, the first since Nate Stanley in 2017, and he showed why he could have won the starting quarterback job. He was poised, confident, and accurate against the Huskies, and while 202 total passing yards won't blow anyone away, they don't tell you the whole story. Hecklinski oozes confidence and has the swagger you want at quarterback. You could also tell that he had his teammates' full support.
Iowa has the luxury of having two quarterbacks who can run the offense, something most programs don't have. Hecklinski definitely opened some eyes against Washington, with some pushing to start him going forward. Ferentz and the coaching staff definitely have something to think about over the bye week, and Hecklinski's performance last weekend earned the Georgia gunslinger a high grade.
Final Grade: A
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