Grades: Iowa
QUARTERBACKS: It wasn’t always pretty, but when it mattered most, Sean Clifford made some big plays with his feet. That was especially true on the final scoring drive, as his 11-yard rush on 3rd and 10 to kept the drive going. He started out shaky, no doubt, but went on to complete 7 of 9 attempts in the second half. For his first start against a Top 25 team on the road, Clifford passed the test.
GRADE: B-
RUNNING BACKS: Noah Cain, Noah Cain, Noah Cain. The freshman finished with 102 yards rushing, 62 of which came when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter. Journey Brown and Devyn Ford also averaged over 4 yards per carry. Cain gets an A+ and the rest of the group gets a B or B-.
GRADE: A-
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: KJ Hamler was held to just 61 yards, while Jahan Dotson and Justin Shorter combined for just three receptions. Pat Freiermuth also had a quiet night (2 receptions, 25 yards) but he should've had a touchdown in the third quarter. There were a few more drops tonight and we didn’t see many chunk plays. With that said, gives Iowa’s secondary some credit. They’re one of the best in the nation.
GRADE: C+
OFFENSIVE LINE: Clifford was sacked twice on the opening series, but A.J. Epenesa and Iowa’s defense only got to him one more time the rest of the game. The Hawkeyes had just three other tackles for loss the rest of the game. Most importantly, when the game was on the line, they paved the way for Cain to consistently pick up yards. They need to clean up some of the penalties, but overall, they held their own against one of the nation’s best defensive fronts.
GRADE: B
DEFENSIVE LINE: Cain will get most of the publicity, but Robert Windsor was arguably the player of the game, finishing with six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Stats don’t even tell the story, as Windsor’s consistent pressure commanded Iowa’s attention all night, freeing up his teammates to make plays. PJ Mustipher also had a big game, totaling seven tackles, one tackle for loss and a huge forced fumble that led to a score.
GRADE: A
LINEBACKERS: It was a fairly quiet night for the linebackers, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Cam Brown and Micah Parsons both had four tackles each and did a solid job limiting chunk plays. They did a great job filling their gaps in the rushing game, as Iowa averaged just 2.3 yards per carry.
GRADE: B
DEFENSIVE BACKS: The Hawkeyes had a bit more success throwing the ball than this unit probably preferred, but give them credit for their open-field tackling tonight. You can point to a few tackles that ultimately ended up killing drives. Of course, Jaquan Brisker’s interception late in the game was massive.
GRADE: B+
SPECIAL TEAMS: Blake Gillikin has been up and down this season, but he was crucial against Iowa. Of his seven punts, five of them pinned the Hawkeyes within their own 20-yard line. Jake Pinegar also hit his lone field goal attempt.
GRADE: A
COACHES: Ricky Rahne clearly wanted Clifford to gain confidence early, but it backfired in the first half. However, he got it right in the second half, pounding the rock in the rushing game. Brent Pry continues to call great games on defense.
GRADE: B