IOWA CITY — True freshman Drew Stevens didn’t sweat trying the longest subject aim of his Iowa profession.
“I didn’t have time to consider it,” Stevens stated. “You get the decision, you go in and also you kick it.”
Stevens did simply that on 4 events Saturday, hitting every together with a career-long 54-yard subject aim in the course of the Hawkeyes’ 33-13 victory over Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium.
The 54-yard kick got here with 1 minute, 20 seconds remaining within the third quarter and prolonged Iowa’s result in 23-7.
He stated the kick was proper on the restrict he had instructed coaches he felt good about following warm-ups.
Stevens stated he felt prepared as he arrange for a kick that matched the seventh-longest subject aim in Hawkeye historical past and was the longest for an Iowa kicker since Marshall Koehn hit from 57 in a 2015 sport.
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“It’s fairly comfy figuring out (snapper) Luke Elkin and (holder) Tory Taylor are each fairly robotic with the snap and maintain and getting it down,” Stevens stated. “On the finish of the day, if I do mess up as a result of I’m human, I do know the protection has my again.”
The sector aim was three yards longer than the earlier profession finest for Stevens and was the tenth he hit in 11 tries since transferring into the lineup.
He stated he has felt good all season and credit competitors with making ready him.
“I’m doing in addition to I’m doing proper now due to Aaron (Blom) and due to how good he’s,” Stevens stated. “It has pushed me attempt to be higher and to be the most effective participant I will be.”
Shuffled 5: Iowa began its third mixture of offensive linemen in 4 video games Saturday.
Connor Colby shifted from proper deal with to left guard with Jack Plumb making his first begin of the season at proper deal with. Colby began at a guard place 11 occasions earlier than opening at proper deal with in Iowa’s first seven video games this fall.
Colby realized of the transfer in a textual content message from coaches on the bus experience residence from the airport in Cedar Rapids to campus following the Hawkeyes’ loss at Ohio State on Oct. 22.
“First time out it was somewhat little bit of an adjustment simply getting comfy within the left-handed stance,” Colby stated. “I’ve by no means performed on the left aspect earlier than, so it was completely different.”
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz stated whereas Colby had been making progress in apply at deal with, he felt that wasn’t carrying over to video games and opted to shift him again to a guard function he dealt with nicely a yr in the past as a freshman.
The opposite three spots remained unchanged, with Mason Richman opening at left deal with, Logan Jones at heart and Beau Stephens at proper guard.
Developing brief: About the one factor that didn’t work Saturday for Iowa was when it trotted punter Tory Taylor into the sport.
Taylor shanked a 12-yard punt on his solely try of the day.
“I do know they warmed up at halftime once more, but it surely’s been a uncommon time when he hasn’t had a lot exercise for us so possibly that threw him off,” Ferentz stated. “If it did, I hope we make {that a} sample.”
Massive deal: Northwestern’s first landing was the primary scored by the Wildcats’ Duke Olges.
A 6-foot-4, 260-pound junior from New Trier, Unwell., Olges is a transformed defensive lineman and his catch of a 1-yard go from Brendan Sullivan on a fourth-down play was not solely the primary landing reception of his profession, it was the primary catch of his faculty profession.
Supplied a scholarship by Iowa out of New Trier Excessive College, Olges studied Shodakan Karate for 12 years and is a fifth-degree black belt.
Purdue time set: The beginning time for Iowa’s subsequent sport was introduced Saturday night time.
The Hawkeyes will play at Purdue at 11 a.m. subsequent Saturday. The sport will likely be televised by FS1.
Profession first: One week after gathering his first profession receptions, receiver Diante Vines made his first profession begin for the Hawkeyes.
And, he delivered. Vines caught a pair passes for 22 yards, one among eight Hawkeyes to catch a go within the sport.
The redshirt sophomore who missed his first season at Iowa due to an Achilles harm positioned himself for extra alternatives throughout spring practices. A damaged wrist suffered throughout fall camp stored Vines off the sector till Iowa’s sport at Ohio State on Oct. 22.
Hawkeyes land recruit: Iowa added a junior faculty defensive deal with to its 2023 recruiting class early Saturday morning.
Anterio Thompson, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound lineman from Iowa Western celebrated his twentieth birthday by asserting shortly after midnight that he’ll signal with the Hawkeyes.
“I’m staying residence! Dedicated,” Thompson wrote on social media asserting his resolution.
Thompson was supplied a scholarship by Iowa on Monday and chosen the Hawkeyes over Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, North Carolina State and Washington State amongst a group of 17 provides from Division I packages.
A Dubuque native who performed at Hempstead Excessive College, Thompson redshirted as a freshman at Iowa Western in 2021 and can arrive at Iowa in January with three years of eligibility remaining. He at present has 17 tackles, together with 5.5 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks by means of seven video games with the Reivers.
Thompson is the seventeenth participant to announce intentions to register December as a part of Iowa’s 2023 recruiting class.
