The Iowa rushing attack had been uncharacteristically poor for the past three two, but that changed against Washington.
The offensive line struggled to open holes, and the rushing attack failed to produce at the level everyone expects. Iowa managed just 97 rushing yards against Michigan and Ohio State, and although both programs are very stout defensively, that is inexcusable. That all changed against Washington thanks to a career day from Kamari Moulton. The offense went to Moulton early and often, and he knew early that he would have a big day.
Moulton knew from early on that he was going to have a big day
Moulton has led Iowa's backfield all season, except in the UNI game, when a shoulder injury sidelined him. The squad didn't need him against Northern Iowa, but definitely did against Washington, and he delivered. Moulton finished with a career-best 208 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries as the offense gashed the Huskies' defense on the ground. Although the running game hasn't always been easy to get going, Moulton was confident he would have a big day.
Moulton said he could tell he'd perform well after his first few runs, especially after he broke two big runs of 11 and 19 yards. His biggest and best run of the night came at the end of the first quarter when it looked like he was bottled up, but he slipped away, breaking multiple tackles on his way into the end zone. His 56-yard run looked very Kaleb Johnson-like, and he admitted postgame that he studied KJ's highlights from the 2024 game against Washington.
If he performs like that, he might have to watch KJ highlights before every game of the season, and hopefully, for the offense, it's a sign of bigger things to come.
Iowa needs to replicate its success in the running game for continued success
Everyone knows Iowa is a run-first offense, and we have seen what happens when they can't establish it this season. Iowa squeaked by Iowa State and Michigan with low rushing totals, but wasn't as lucky against Ohio State. In Iowa's three big wins this season, it rushed for 289 yards in week one, 422 in week three, and 263 in week six, something they must do more regularly. The running game has been strangely inconsistent all season, and they have to fix that down the stretch.
The offensive line returned only two starters, All-American right guard Kade Pieper and left tackle Trevor Lauck, and it hasn't gone as smoothly as everyone thought through the first six weeks. Leighton Jones, Cael Winter, and Jack Dotzler have taken on the difficult task of replacing Logan Jones, Gennings Dunker, and Beau Stephens, and at times they haven't been good. The trio of new starters has been in the system for multiple seasons, but none of them have extensive starting experience. We have seen the good against Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, and Washington, and the bad against Ohio State, and the offensive line has to be more consistent.
Starting quarterback Hank Brown has also struggled with inconsistency in the passing attack, which is putting even more pressure on the offensive line and the running game. If the offense can iron out a few of those inconsistencies, we will start to see the dominant Iowa rushing attack we all know and love.
Add us as a preferred source on Google