By admin 
Iowa got exactly what it needed on Friday night, a win and a week off. The No. 20 Hawkeyes beat Washington 41-24 behind a career-high 208 rushing yards from Kamari Moulton, per ESPN’s game summary, and they now sit at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten.
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The score is done. The more interesting part is what Iowa does with the next two weeks.
Hank Brown has two weeks to heal during Iowa’s Oct. 17 bye
The quarterback picture is the biggest open question. Roundtable reported that starter Hank Brown has a mild sprain, the kind of injury that can take one to two weeks to heal. CBS Sports confirmed that Jeremy Hecklinski would start at Washington.
The bye falls on Oct. 17, according to WHO 13’s schedule, so Iowa can rest Brown without losing a game.
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My guess is that the decision will come down to health, not a competition. Brown and Hecklinski also shared snaps in the season opener, so Ferentz knows what both can do.
Moulton’s 208-yard night raises the bar for the run game
Before Friday, Iowa’s rushing offense was a concern. Roundtable noted the Hawkeyes managed 39 yards against Ohio State and had averaged just 63 rushing yards a game in three Power Four contests.
Against Washington, Moulton alone ran for more than three times that average. The defense also held the Huskies to minus-3 rushing yards, per ESPN.
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The question now is whether Friday was a one-off or a template. Washington has had trouble stopping the run and starting its own, so the Hawkeyes will find tougher tests. Still, the offensive line has something to build on.
Six games remain, and Iowa could be favored in all of them
After the bye, the schedule gets friendlier. The Hawkeyes visit Minnesota on Oct. 24, host Wisconsin for Homecoming on Oct. 31, then play at Northwestern, home against Purdue, at Illinois and home against Nebraska, according to the same WHO 13 schedule.
SI’s preseason look argued that this second half could see Iowa favored in all six games.
That’s a preseason projection, and Illinois, in particular, has improved under Bret Bielema. Still, a perfect finish would put Iowa at 11-1.
The Minnesota trip is the first real check
The Oct. 24 game at Minnesota will be the first look at Iowa after the break. The Floyd of Rosedale trophy is on the line, and a team coming off a bye has to avoid a slow start.
If Brown is back, Iowa will have to decide whether to use him right away. If he isn’t, Hecklinski gets a second straight start in a rivalry setting.
What the next two weeks mean for Iowa’s season
Teams with stable quarterback play and a ground game usually finish better than their preseason ranking suggests. Iowa now has evidence of both. The hard part is proving it against opponents who know what to expect.
If the Hawkeyes arrive in Minneapolis healthy and settled, the second half could be a quiet charge up the Big Ten standings. If they’re still guessing at quarterback, a stretch that looked easy on paper may feel much longer.
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 7:33 AM.