Yes, the Iowa Hawkeyes got the win in Week 1 with a 34-7 victory over the UAlbany Great Danes, but it’s time to peel back the onion and look at what went into the score with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It was a game that Iowa was expected to win handily, as the final score suggests, but doesn’t tell the full story, as the Hawkeyes trailed 7-3 at one point, which caused some blood pressures to rise. Within the 60 minutes, the Hawkeyes saw swings of positives to build upon and negatives to learn from.

As Iowa moves to 1-0 on the year, let’s dig into the report card from the Week 1 showing.

Offense

Offense Grade: C+

The offense is really a tale of two different aspects. Let’s start with the bad. The passing game was abysmal, to be blunt. It was nonexistent and posed no threat. Mark Gronowski was 8/15 for 44 yards. The silver lining, if any, is that he found the endzone with a fourth-and-goal completion to Kaden Wetjen and did not have any turnovers.

On the ground, Iowa was dominant. The Hawkeyes ran the ball 53 times for 310 yards. Xavier Williams led the way, going for 122 yards on just 11 carries with a score. TJ Washington Jr added 69 yards, while Jaziun Patterson poured in 47 yards. Kamari Moulton did exit the game early and is something to monitor the rest of the week.

Defense

Defense Grade: A-

Aside from allowing UAlbany to put together one strong drive, the Iowa defense was its usual suffocating self. On the day, they held the Great Danes to 177 yards of total offense and just two yards per rush. This unit is still settling in, but this builds confidence.

What is most impressive is how the unit performed out of the halftime break. In the second half, Iowa allowed just 30 total yards of offense to UAlbany. They emphatically slammed the door shut on any upset bid.

Special Teams

Special Teams Grade: A+

This was the star unit of the night. LeVar Woods’ group showed up in midseason form and played a huge part in this game. Rhys Dakin averaged 50 yards on his two punts, with a long of 53 yards. He is a true weapon for Iowa in the field position game.

Drew Stevens was perfect on the day with four extra points and two field goals. His 55-yard field goal hit the net behind the goal posts and could have hit from 70. He is going to change games for Iowa this year with the power he has.