Takeaways From The Iowa Hawkeyes’ Dominant 34-7 Win Over Albany

The Hawkeye defense gave up its only score of the game in the second quarter. Albany hit on pass plays of 19 and 27 yards to set up a nine-yard strike from Jack Shields to LaSalle Rose Jr. for the touchdown. That would be the Great Danes’ only drive longer than 30 yards all day. Albany punted on eight of its nine other drives. The Danes’ final drive went five plays before the end of regulation. Iowa’s defense allowed only 177 total yards, and just 43 on the ground. While they did not force any turnovers, the Hawks did register two sacks on Shields.

Iowa’s offense got rolling midway through the second quarter, led by Xavier Williams. Williams ripped off runs of 27 and 42 yards en route to 122 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries. The Hawkeyes totaled 310 yards on the ground and looked unstoppable at times. Starting quarterback Mark Gronowski completed eight of 15 passes for just 44 yards and a touchdown, but he also ran for 39 yards and a touchdown. The South Dakota State transfer left the game with leg cramps midway through the second half. Stevens added a 55-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter, electrifying the Kinnick faithful. Iowa scored on five of its final seven possessions.

End Of My Iowa Hawkeyes Season Opener Rant

The Hawkeyes were a 39.5-point favorite in this game, so no one was shocked by the blowout. There were a few things that stood out in the game, though. Despite graduating star running back Kaleb Johnson, Iowa should have a dominating ground game this season. As a team, the Hawkeyes averaged 5.8 yards per carry. Hopefully, the injury to Moulton is not serious, as he was set to be a big part of the Iowa attack. Williams looked spectacular when he was in the game, and Jaziun Patterson and Terrell Washington Jr. also ran the ball well.

Gronowski will be a big part of the Iowa run game. He rushed for 37 touchdowns during his time at South Dakota State, and his size and running style are reminiscent of Tim Tebow. He is not afraid to take a hit, and that may be a problem against bigger, stronger competition. The real question, though, will be what Gronowski can contribute with his arm. Completing just eight passes for 44 yards and one touchdown against a subpar Albany team was not an impressive debut. It remains to be seen if his passing numbers will take a hit with his move up in competition from an FCS school to FBS action. For now, I will chalk it up to first-game jitters and limited throwing opportunities.

The defense looked good against the run, allowing just 43 yards on 21 carries. They did, however, give up a few big plays in the passing game. Iowa will have to tighten up its pass defense in the coming weeks when it starts facing FCS competition. Overall, though, the Hawkeye defense played very well, giving up just seven points. Iowa’s defense has always been a bend-but-don’t-break style. It always looks strong versus these smaller schools, but it often doesn’t hold up against the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. Saturday’s game is too small a sample size to judge this season on.

Iowa’s special teams were excellent on Saturday. Stevens hit all four of his extra points and both his field goals, including that 55-yarder. The Hawkeyes got punt returns of 17 and 46 yards, while their punter, Rhys Dakin, averaged 50 yards on his two punts. Expect special teams to be a strength for the team all season.

The Hawkeyes will face a big non-conference challenge next Saturday when they square off with cross-state rivals the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames. Iowa State is 2-0 and entered the weekend ranked 22nd in the nation. The Cyclones are coming off a 24-21 road win over 17th-ranked Kansas State and a 55-7 demolition of South Dakota at home. The Cy-Hawk Classic is always a litmus test for Iowa’s season. Iowa’s defense will have its hands full against ISU’s Rocco Becht. Becht threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns against K-State and added another touchdown on the ground. He had 282 yards and 3 TDs through the air against South Dakota. If the Hawks can slow him down, they have a good chance of pulling the upset.

I think the 2025 Hawkeyes will only go as far as Gronowski takes them. If he can put up numbers similar to what he did at SDSU, Iowa’s offense will be tough to stop. The team has a variety of tailbacks that can break off big runs. It will all come down to whether the Hawks can move the ball through the air to keep that eighth man out of the box. Their defense will keep them in games, but it probably won’t win too many for them.