The Iowa Hawkeyes are set to host the Northern Iowa Panthers Saturday. With their conference opener in Michigan Stadium set for the following week and a home game against Ohio State to follow, this week is a critical tune-up for the Hawkeyes ahead of the toughest stretch they’ll face this year. Here’s what the Hawkeyes need to show against UNI to make fans confident heading into Big Ten play:
1. Show confidence in Hank Brown
Iowa kept the leash tight on starting quarterback Hank Brown against Iowa State. Brown went 21/30 on his passing attempts, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. He had only one pass of over 20 yards against the Cyclones, a 56-yard strike to wide receiver Tony Diaz during Iowa’s lone touchdown drive in the second quarter. Great defenses like Michigan’s will punish Iowa if the Hawkeyes can’t threaten the second level. Brown has to be willing to push the ball downfield and the coaching staff has to enable him to do so if Iowa hopes to compete against the top teams in the league. Kirk Ferentz indicated in his weekly press conference that Jeremy Hecklinski was still in the mix at quarterback. He said that the coaching staff was “confident that we’re going to play well with either one of them in there” and “playing it week by week,” everything here stands with Hecklinski in the game. Defenses have to respect the deep ball.
2. Get the tight ends involved
Per Ferentz’s weekly press conference, John Mackey Award watch list member DJ Vonnahme is unavailable this week due to an injury. That said, he and the rest of the tight end room have been extremely quiet to start the year. While Vonnahme won’t be present, getting the tight ends involved this week should strengthen his role in the offense moving forward, and the Hawkeyes will need him against Big Ten competition.
3. Establish the run early
Iowa’s run game started slow against Iowa State. It got better as the game went on, but a faster start may have prevented the Hawkeyes from falling behind in the first place. With running back Kamari Moulton day-to-day following an injury sustained in the CyHawk game, the offensive line will have a chance to flex its muscle and show it can create gaps for backs without Moulton’s dynamism.
4. Win the special teams game
It’s no mystery that Iowa prides itself on its special teams. It’s normally not a concern for the Hawkeyes, but it’s an area where Northern Iowa is uniquely talented. The Panthers blocked 6 punts last year, and they haven’t allowed a punt return of over 4 yards through two games in 2026. It’s a unique opportunity to truly test steel against steel in an FCS game and will provide the Hawkeyes with a real measuring stick headed into week four.
5. Control the run game
Cam Buffington, an in-state linebacker who played eight-man football in high school, was flying around the field against Iowa State, seemingly involved in every tackle against the run. The Hawkeyes need more players to step up around him. Iowa’s defensive line struggled to gain ground against the Iowa State offensive line, generating only 0.5 tackles for loss (the remaining 2.5 came from linebacker Jaden Montgomery and defensive back Jacob Wallace). That allowed Cyclone running back Aiden Flora to average 4.5 yards per carry on his way to 89 rushing yards. If the Hawkeyes can get a little more production out of the line, they have potential to be one of the best run defenses in the country, but if it’s just Montgomery and Buffington, teams will be able to make progress at the point of attack before those linebackers reach the play.
The Hawkeyes and the Panthers are set to kick off at 3 p.m. CST in Kinnick Stadium. The game will be televised on FS1.