Two dominant first half drives defined Iowa's 31-14 victory against Illinois State on Saturday afternoon at Kinnick Stadium.
The Hawkeyes opened the game with an impressive 13-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that ate 7:31 off the clock, capped by quarterback C.J. Beathard's 6-yard QB keeper. But it was Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz's decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Illinois State 14 that truly showed the confidence he has in the team's offense this season. Iowa converted, and two plays later, it was in the end zone.
Iowa began the next offensive possession backed up its own 1-yard line but marched 99 yards in 12 plays to take a 14-0 lead on Jordan Canzeri's 5-yard touchdown run. It represented the Hawkeyes' first 99-yard touchdown drive since a 2002 game against Miami (Ohio).
There were some concerns Illinois State and quarterback Tre Roberson could give Iowa problems and perhaps spoil the Hawkeyes' home opener with an upset. The Redbirds reached the FCS national championship game a year ago and opened this season ranked No. 2 in the FCS top 25 but couldn't muster much offense against Iowa until scoring two touchdowns late in the game. By the end, the Redbirds turned to backup Jake Kolbe with Roberson out due to cramping.
What the win means for Iowa: Some breathing room for Ferentz and his team. Ferentz is locked into a contract through the 2020 season, but a season-opening loss against an FCS team would have been a bad look, particularly with a tough road game against rival Iowa State in Week 2. Iowa barely survived Northern Iowa in the opener last season and lost to Northern Illinois to open 2013, so Hawkeyes fans should feel good about the team's progression against a very good Illinois State team.
What the loss means for Illinois State: In the grand scheme of things, losing a road game to a Big Ten team doesn't mean a whole lot for the Redbirds. Illinois State will be better for having played Iowa, and perhaps it will help to close the gap against fellow Missouri Valley Conference foe North Dakota State, which beat the Redbirds in last year's national title game.
Player of the game: Beathard and running back LeShun Daniels Jr. share this honor for their respective performances. Beathard finished the game 15 of 24 for 211 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also ran for two scores and actually outrushed Roberson, 26 yards to minus-12 yards. Daniels didn't reach the end zone but was an absolute workhorse, carrying 26 times for 123 yards.
Uh, what? Iowa led 14-0 in the first half when the Hawkeyes opted for some trickery with their field goal team. Rather than attempt a 47-yard field goal, kicker Marshall Koehn took the snap on fourth-and-10 and ran around the left side. He gained eight yards before he was stopped short of the first down. The best part? Things already were going so well that Iowa fans gave the Hawkeyes a standing ovation despite the failed fake field goal attempt.