Reece Vander Zee isn't letting the offense off the hook after some week-one missteps

In a rare display of offensive firepower, the Hawkeyes easily handled the Northern Illinois Huskies in week one.

Iowa came out hot and remained hot all game, getting contributions from everywhere. The offense was the most surprising aspect of the 40-0 win, and even with a two-quarterback system, it hummed along all game. The offense dropped 507 total yards on the NIU defense, the most the offense has put up in a game since 2019, but a veteran wide receiver knows they can do even better.

Reece Vander Zee isn't letting the offense skip over multiple goal line miscues

Now a veteran on the Iowa offense, Rock Rapids native Reece Vander Zee knows what it takes for the unit to succeed. Vander Zee is one of the leaders of a very talented wide receiver group, and despite putting up 40 points and tallying a combined 218 receiving yards in the win over NIU, Vander Zee is keeping the offense honest.

Vander Zee acknowledged that the offense played well in week one, but he also said the unit has "a lot" to improve on. He pointed to missed shots, including miscues in the red zone and near the goal line, and wants them to focus on that moving forward. He also said he knows it is difficult to execute in the red zone and everyone is aware of that, and they need to get better at it. The offense is in uncharted waters with all the weapons they have in the passing game, and Vander Zee doesn't want them to become too comfortable with the success they had against NIU.

NIU isn't one of the best defenses they will face this season, and Vander Zee wants to make sure they don't become complacent and fall into bad habits. A combined 218 receiving yards is the most Iowa has had in a while, and while it is a positive sign, the unit must build on it. Teams know that Iowa loves to run the ball, and when they stack the box, the offense must have a reliable passing attack to keep defenses honest. Iowa's offense has struggled to effectively use the pass in previous years, but they have the luxury of multiple weapons on the outside this season.

The success of the passing game hinges on who the starting quarterback is and on establishing the running game, but the Hawkeyes aren't short of weapons at wide receiver or tight end. If they want to keep teams honest, they have to hit on more of the downfield shots they take, and clean up some of the red zone errors. If they do that, we could easily see the most well-balanced offense that Iowa has had in years. Vander Zee is simply holding himself and his teammates to a higher standard because he knows how talented they are, and he doesn't want them to waste it.

Iowa can't afford multiple red zone miscues against Iowa State

With hated rival Iowa State coming to Kinnick Stadium in week two, Vander Zee has a legitimate point about Iowa's red zone miscues. It's scary to think that the Iowa offense could have put up even more points against NIU if they had hit on some of those chances, and they definitely can't afford to let those chances slip away against the Cyclones. Iowa State's defense looked ok in week one, albeit against a much weaker opponent, and they will be fired up in the rivalry game on Saturday. If Iowa fails to capitalize, Iowa State will find ways to hang around, which is something no one wants.

No magic formula exists for handling red zone pressure, but Tim Lester and the Iowa offense know what they need to fix and will attempt to do so before a pivotal matchup against Iowa State. No one is expecting the offense to hit on every big shot and every red zone opportunity they have, but a slight improvement will go a long way. Iowa has the players to be extremely effective on offense, and any improvements they can make will help in the long run.

Hopefully, for Vander Zee and the rest of the receiving corps, they iron out some of the issues that popped up in week one, and they have another dynamic performance against the Cyclones in week two.

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