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Recap: Iowa shuts out Illinois State as offense takes step forward

Recap: Iowa shuts out Illinois State as offense takes step forward
AUTO GROUP. SATURDAY WAS A DAY OF FIRSTS FOR IOWA. NO KIRK FERENTZ ON THE SIDELINES SERVING A ONE GAME SUSPENSION. THAT’S A FIRST. THE DEBUT OF TIM LESTER AS THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR WOULD THAT MAKE ANY SORT OF DIFFERENCE FOR THE IOWA OFFENSE? THAT’S THE QUESTION. IOWA FANS HAVE WANTED ANSWERED ALL OFFSEASON. IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE GAME, THEY DIDN’T GET THE ANSWER. THEY LIKED BECAUSE IT WAS HORRENDOUS. FIRST POINTS OF THE GAME. COME ON, A 41 YARD FIELD GOAL FROM DREW STEPHENS. THAT WAS WITH 5.5 MINUTES TO PLAY IN THE FIRST QUARTER. ALL RIGHT, SO IT’S THREE NOTHING. THEY ALMOST GOT A TOUCHDOWN ON SPECIAL TEAMS. MEET KADEN WETJEN WHO’S TAKEN OVER THE PUNT RETURN DUTIES FOR COOPER DEJEAN. IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS FILLING IN NICELY, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A FLAG ON THE PLAY, IT’S CALLED BACK. TOUCHDOWN DOES NOT STAND THE DEFENSE FOR THOSE WONDERING STILL THE IOWA DEFENSE. AARON GRAVES ON THE SACK HERE. HE HAD TWO IN THE FIRST HALF. FIRST HALF TWO TURNOVERS FOR IOWA AS WELL. BUT THEY COULD ONLY MUSTER UP SIX POINTS ON TWO FIELD GOALS. BOO. BIRDS RAINED DOWN. LOOKED LIKE THE SAME OLD THING 147 YARDS IN THE FIRST HALF. SECOND HALF THEY FLIP THE SWITCH. CADE MCNAMARA, ROLLING RIGHT, FINDS REECE VANDERZEE, THE TRUE FRESHMAN. HE WAS FANTASTIC ON THE AFTERNOON. PERHAPS THE STORY OF THE DAY FROM THAT OFFENSE. IT’S 13 NOTHING NEXT DRIVE MCNAMARA TO JACOB GILL THE NORTHWESTERN TRANSFER AND HERE WE GO. IT’S 20 TO NOTHING. AND WHEN YOU’RE PLAYING ILLINOIS STATE WITH THIS DEFENSE THAT’S PRETTY MUCH GOING TO DO IT. BUT THEY’RE GOING TO KEEP ADDING ON. REECE VANDERZEE AGAIN THIS BALL JUST THROWN OFF HIS BACK FOOT MCNAMARA AND VANDERZEE COMES DOWN WITH IT. SO IT’S 27 TO NOTHING. AND LET’S HAVE SOME MORE FUN SHALL WE. THERE GOES CALEB JOHNSON 64 YARDS TO THE HOUSE. IOWA’S OFFENSE FLIPPED THE SCRIPT IN THE SECOND HALF, 492 TOTAL YARDS OF OFFENSE. THE MOST THEY HAVE HAD IN A GAME IN FIVE YEARS. FOLKS, 40 TO NOTHING IS THE FINAL. ALL SMILES. SHANNON EARHART CONTINUES OUR COVERAGE FROM IOWA CITY. THIS IS WHAT THE HAWKEYES WERE EXPECTING. THE DEFENSE TO ANCHOR AND THE OFFENSE TO IMPROVE WITH LEGITIMATE GAME REPS. QUARTERBACK CADE MCNAMARA REMINDED MEDIA POSTGAME THAT THIS IS A BRAND NEW OFFENSE. SO JUST LIKE US, THEY ARE SEEING PLAYS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. WHEN STUFF WASN’T GOING OUR WAY AT THE BEGINNING, WE WERE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, REALLY OUR TEMPO WASN’T VERY GOOD, BUT I WASN’T EXPECTING TO RUN AS MUCH AS I DID TODAY. IOWA WENT INTO HALFTIME WITH 147 TOTAL YARDS. THAT’S JUST FOR YARDS PER PLAY. AND ZERO TOUCHDOWNS. THAT WASN’T OUR BEST TODAY. I THINK YOU KNOW, WE DON’T WANT TO START A GAME LIKE THAT AFTER THE FIRST HALF. COACH WALLACE WAS JUST TELLING US WE JUST GOT TO KEEP POUNDING THE ROCK. I MEAN, LIKE, THEY’RE GOING TO FOLD AT SOME POINT. WE JUST GOT TO KEEP STICKING WITH IT AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT OFFENSE CAME OUT OF THE IOWA LOCKER ROOM. DEFINITELY MAKES OUR JOB EASIER. GETTING LESS SNAPS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT I THINK IT’S JUST MORE FUN GAME. THERE’S A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM, A LOT OF ENERGY. IT’S ALL ABOUT COMING OUT TOGETHER, FIRING OFF THE BALL, PLAYING FAST, BEING PHYSICAL. SO YEAH, JUST REALLY BEING TOGETHER WAS A BIG MESSAGE. IOWA ALSO PLAYED WITHOUT THEIR HEAD COACH, BUT ASSISTANT COACH SETH WALLACE DID NOT LEAVE THEM STRANDED ONCE THE OFFENSE STARTED GAINING SOME MOMENTUM. I COULD TELL, LIKE HOW MUCH MORE FIRED UP HE WAS, BECAUSE THEN WE’RE HUDDLING UP ON THE SIDELINE AND THEN I’M TRYING TO CALL THE PLAY, AND THEN I GOT COACH WALLACE SAYING, LET’S GO. AND LIKE GETTING THE GUYS AND LIKE, WE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP GOING AND LIKE WHATEVER KIND OF MOTIVATION HE WAS GIVING ME AND AND TO THE ENTIRE OFFENSE LIKE AS I’M TRYING TO CALL THE PLAY ON THE SIDELINE. SO I THOUGHT IT WAS THAT PART WAS FUN. COACH FERENTZ WILL BE BACK ON THE SIDELINES NEXT SATURDAY FOR THE CY-HAWK GAME. I’M SHAN
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Recap: Iowa shuts out Illinois State as offense takes step forward
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 1-0 to start the 2024 season.Iowa took down Illinois State on Saturday to open the year. A slow offensive start proved to be nothing more than a slight hiccup, and the Hawkeyes' defense looked dominant as always.Iowa vs. Illinois State: Score updates, stats, highlights and moreHere's how Iowa's win unfolded.Final: Iowa 40, Illinois State 0A dominant second half sealed the game for Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 1-0 after holding Illinois State scoreless.Cade McNamara finished 21-for-31 through the air for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including 13-for-14 in the second half. Kaleb Johnson added 119 yards and two scores on the ground.Brendan Sullivan in at QB for IowaNorthwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan is making his Iowa debut to help run out the clock.Iowa extends lead to 40 with another Kaleb Johnson runIowa might call off the dogs soon.The Hawkeyes are now up 40-0 after an 18-yard run from Kaleb Johnson down the right sideline. 5:48 remains before the Hawkeyes officially go 1-0.Iowa scoring drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 3:11Kaleb Johnson breaks long touchdown runKaleb Johnson only has nine touches today, but he's made the most of them.Johnston broke a run up the middle all the way for a touchdown, running 64 yards to extend the lead to 33. He has 91 yards on 8 carries today.Iowa scoring drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:04.Reece Vander Zee scores again to extend Iowa's leadCollege football world, meet Reece Vander Zee.The Hawkeyes extend their lead to 26 with a 19-yard score from McNamara to Vander Zee. The true freshman receiver caught the ball in a crowd right at the goal line and stumbled in for a touchdown, his second of the game.Vander Zee has four catches for 61 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his debut. He's the first freshman receiver at Iowa to record two touchdowns in the same game since Ihmir Smith-Marsette in 2017, according to Iowa.Iowa scoring drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:39End of third quarter: Iowa 19, Illinois State 0Cade McNamara ended the third quarter with a highlight-worthy play, evading a sack and throwing a perfect pass to Zach Ortwerth downfield for a 31-yard gain.Iowa dominated the third quarter and has a chance to extend the lead again to start the fourth. It's 19-0 with Iowa in possession in the ISU red zone.Jacob Gill scores to extend Iowa's leadThe Air Raid Iowa Hawkeyes?Maybe not quite, but Iowa's offense has opened up the passing game considerably in the second half and seen great results. This time, Cade McNamara found Jacob Gill 31 yards down the field for a touchdown to extend the lead to 19.McNamara is 7-for-7 for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns since halftime.Iowa scoring drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:27Hawkeye defense forces puntIowa is settling in now, leading by a dozen points and getting a quick stop on defense.Iowa will begin the next drive at its own 34 with 10:13 to go in the third quarter. The Hawkeyes saw success through the air last drive, going 4-for-4 with 53 yards.Reece Vander Zee scores first Hawkeye touchdownTrue freshman Reece Vander Zee is making a big impact early.Iowa had by far its best drive of the day, moving the ball downfield and finishing with a 7-yard touchdown pass from McNamara to Vander Zee. Vander Zee has three catches for 42 yards and a score in his first collegiate game.Iowa leads 12-0 after the 2-point conversion failed.Iowa scoring drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:28Halftime: Iowa 6, Illinois State 0Illinois State was content to go to half after the field goal.Iowa leads 6-0, but the Hawkeyes have plenty to work on. Iowa has just 147 yards of total offense and Cade McNamara's 47% completion percentage shows the struggles in the pass game.Kamari Moulton has 59 rushing yards on 16 attempts (3.7 yards per carry). Aaron Graves has been credited with three sacks already.Iowa will receive the kick after halftime.Iowa settles for another field goal before halfIowa had its best drive of the game but still couldn't punch it in.Drew Stevens saved the day, however. Stevens made a 28-yarder to make it 6-0 with 1:00 to go before halftime.Iowa scoring drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 2:48Iowa strip-sack overturned by defensive holdingSelf-inflicted errors have hurt Iowa several times now.This time, a sack and fumble recovered by Iowa was overturned by defensive holding in the secondary.Iowa's defense still did its job, though. Illinois State was forced to punt again. Iowa takes over at its own 41 with 3:48 to go before half after a 23-yard return by Kaden Wetjen.Iowa sends it back to Illinois StateIowa punted it back to ISU and nearly got a gift. Illinois State's punt returner Braden Contreras muffed the punt but fell on the ball in a crowd of Hawkeyes at the ISU 14-yard line.Illinois State starts its next possession deep in its own territory, still trailing 3-0 with 6:32 to go before halftime.Iowa defense does its job again The Illinois State offense can't figure out the Hawkeye defense.Another punt gives Iowa the ball back at its own 34. Aaron Graves picked up his second sack of the game on the previous drive.Iowa stuffed on third and fourth down for turnover on downsThe Iowa offense isn't inspiring confidence early.After the Hawkeyes finally connected on a downfield pass — an 18-yard strike from McNamara to freshman Reece Vander Zee, his first career catch — a pair of untimely penalties stung. Iowa was stuffed on a third-and-3 run play, making it fourth-and-2 from the Illinois State 42-yard line.Iowa chose to go for it and Kamari Moulton was stuffed again. ISU takes over at its own 41.End of first quarter: Iowa 3, Illinois State 0A quiet first quarter ends at 3-0. Now, it's time for the best tradition in college football: The Wave.Iowa goes five-wide, earns first first down How about the new wrinkle from the Hawkeye offense?It wasn't much, but Iowa showed a new look by spreading out five players wide with just QB Cade McNamara in the backfield on third and short. McNamara found Luke Lachey in space for the first down, Iowa's first of the season.The drive didn't go far. McNamara took a big hit on third down a few plays later and his pass sailed nowhere. Illinois State gets the ball back after another Dakin punt.Iowa still leads, 3-0, with 2:10 to go in the first quarter.Kaden Wetjen punt return touchdown called back on penaltyBrutal news for Iowa. Kaden Wetjen caught a punt at his own 35 and took it to the house, but a block in the back will negate the touchdown and send Iowa back to its own 31-yard line.Iowa hits field goal to get on the boardAnother frustrating drive for the Hawkeye offense resulted in zero first downs, but the great field position was enough to get points on the board. Drew Stevens knocked in a 41-yard kick to give Iowa a 3-0 lead with 5:35 to go in the first quarter.Iowa scoring drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:31Sebastian Castro forces fumble, TJ Hall recoversThe Iowa defense is saving the day again.Sebastian Castro stripped the ball and TJ Hall dove on it at the ISU 29. Iowa is in great field position to get its first points of the year.Former Valley QB Jake Rubley checks in for Illinois StateAfter two drives, Illinois State is going to a two-QB system. Jake Rubley, who played his final year of high school football at West Des Moines Valley, is in for Illinois State.Iowa punts it againTwo Hawkeye drives, two punts.Iowa threw it short of the sticks on third down and had to punt again despite the completion. A penalty on Iowa during the punt will add five yards to Illinois State's field position, starting the Redbirds at the 17.ISU has outgained Iowa 34-9 in total yardage through two drives for each team.Jermari Harris intercepts passA pair of first downs for Illinois State got the Redbirds across midfield, but Jermari Harris shut down the drive there.Harris jumped a route toward the sideline and made a great catch along the turf to give possession back to the Hawkeyes. Iowa takes over at its own 45-yard line. The game remains scoreless with 9:47 to go in the first quarter.Iowa punts it right backA pair of short runs led to third and medium, and Cade McNamara couldn't connect with Luke Lachey on third down. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester's first drive ends with a three-and-out.Illinois State takes the ball at its own 26 after a Rhys Dakin punt.New year, same defenseIowa's defense picked up right where it left off last season, allowing just one yard on the first possession and forcing a punt.Iowa takes over for its first offensive series at its own 35.Iowa wins coin toss, defers to second halfIowa will receive the second-half kickoff. Illinois State takes the ball first.vlog sports team makes picks for Iowa vs. Illinois StateBelow, from our weekly Big College Kickoff show, our sports crew made their picks for Iowa's season opener.Iowa takes the fieldIt's just about time.The Hawkeyes are on the field and ready to get the season underway.Kirk Ferentz, receivers coach Jon Budmayr suspended for Illinois State gameHawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz is suspended for the season opener. In a news conference last week, Ferentz said he made the decision about the self-imposed suspension in conjunction with Athletic Director Beth Goetz, and apologized.Ferentz called the violation "improper contact" with a player before they entered the transfer portal, but didn't identify the player involved. Wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr is also suspended.Iowa vs. Illinois State: How to watch, stream and listenWhen: 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa CityTV: Big Ten NetworkLivestream: Fox Sports Live (requires cable subscription)Online radio: Hawkeye Radio NetworkIowa City weather forecastOur heat wave will be over by Saturday's game. Expect Sunny skies and a high of 84 degrees in Iowa City.vlog's latest weather forecast.Iowa vs. Illinois State betting line: Spread, total and moreIowa is a 22.5-point favorite Saturday vs. Illinois State, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The total is set at 40.5 points.The Redbirds are +1400 on the moneyline, meaning a $10 bet would net $140 if they pull off the upset.Seth Wallace: What to know about the Iowa assistant head coach leading the teamSeth Wallace, assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, was named assistant head coach in January and will fill Ferentz’s role for the game against the Redbirds.Wallace in the last eight years has coached five All-America linebackers, including unanimous consensus selections Josey Jewell (2017) and Jack Campbell (2022). An Iowa linebacker has led the Big Ten in total tackles each of the past three seasons. Wallace has coached eight players who have gone on to play in the NFL.Iowa vs. Illinois State ticketsTickets are still available for the Hawkeyes' season opener.As of Thursday, two tickets together for the Illinois State game were listed at $46 apiece on SeatGeek, which is the official marketplace for Iowa tickets.You can see more information about tickets here.Iowa Hawkeyes Kid Captain The Iowa football team and University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital are once again partnering for the annual Kid Captains program.Kid Captains are pediatric patients from the Midwest who are chosen through a nomination process to join the Hawkeye football team for a game, get a tour of Kinnick Stadium and spend time with the players.Week 1's Kid Captain is Carter Schmidt, 7, of Coralville.Iowa Hawkeyes football scheduleAll three of Iowa's non-conference games will be played at home in 2024. Then, the Hawkeyes get into Big Ten play with road trips to Minnesota and Ohio State. They also have matchups against new Big Ten member schools Washington, Oct. 12 in Iowa City, and at UCLA Nov. 9.You can see Iowa's full 2024 football schedule here.Iowa ranked in preseason pollsThe Hawkeyes start the year ranked No. 25 in two major polls: the AP poll and the coaches' poll.Iowa also has a pair of preseason All-Americans on the defensive side. Jay Higgins is a first-team preseason AP All-American and Sebastian Castro garnered second-team recognition.Watch college football on vlogCollege football season is here and vlog has 16 straight Saturdays of games between Aug. 31's kickoff and Dec. 14's Army-Navy game, including the Cy-Hawk rivalry on Sept. 7 and the Big Ten Championship on Dec. 7.Our weekly college football coverage includes a new pregame show, "Big College Kickoff" — 10:30 a.m. Saturdays between Aug. 31-Dec. 7. The half-hour program will feature local stories from sports anchor Jeff Dubrof, as well as sports director Scott Reister and sports reporter Shannon Ehrhardt, behind-the-scenes insight and fun looks at fan culture, focusing on NCAA Division I teams in Iowa.You can learn more about the new show here.This year, you'll be able to catch the Cy-Hawk rivalry game on vlog. We'll have a full day of coverage Saturday, Sept. 7, starting with "Big College Kickoff" at 10:30 a.m. followed by our local pregame special at 1:30 p.m. and CBS' State Farm College Football Today at 2. Cy-Hawk kickoff is at 2:30 from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, followed by CBS' College Football Postgame Show at 6 and our local postgame show at 6:30.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are 1-0 to start the 2024 season.

Iowa took down Illinois State on Saturday to open the year. A slow offensive start proved to be nothing more than a slight hiccup, and the Hawkeyes' defense looked dominant as always.

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Iowa vs. Illinois State: Score updates, stats, highlights and more

Here's how Iowa's win unfolded.

Final: Iowa 40, Illinois State 0

A dominant second half sealed the game for Iowa. The Hawkeyes are 1-0 after holding Illinois State scoreless.

Cade McNamara finished 21-for-31 through the air for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including 13-for-14 in the second half. Kaleb Johnson added 119 yards and two scores on the ground.

Brendan Sullivan in at QB for Iowa

Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan is making his Iowa debut to help run out the clock.

Iowa extends lead to 40 with another Kaleb Johnson run

Iowa might call off the dogs soon.

The Hawkeyes are now up 40-0 after an 18-yard run from Kaleb Johnson down the right sideline. 5:48 remains before the Hawkeyes officially go 1-0.

Iowa scoring drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 3:11

Kaleb Johnson breaks long touchdown run

Kaleb Johnson only has nine touches today, but he's made the most of them.

Johnston broke a run up the middle all the way for a touchdown, running 64 yards to extend the lead to 33. He has 91 yards on 8 carries today.

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Iowa scoring drive: 4 plays, 77 yards, 2:04.

Reece Vander Zee scores again to extend Iowa's lead

College football world, meet Reece Vander Zee.

The Hawkeyes extend their lead to 26 with a 19-yard score from McNamara to Vander Zee. The true freshman receiver caught the ball in a crowd right at the goal line and stumbled in for a touchdown, his second of the game.

Vander Zee has four catches for 61 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his debut. He's the first freshman receiver at Iowa to record two touchdowns in the same game since Ihmir Smith-Marsette in 2017, according to Iowa.

Iowa scoring drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:39

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End of third quarter: Iowa 19, Illinois State 0

Cade McNamara ended the third quarter with a highlight-worthy play, evading a sack and throwing a perfect pass to Zach Ortwerth downfield for a 31-yard gain.

Iowa dominated the third quarter and has a chance to extend the lead again to start the fourth. It's 19-0 with Iowa in possession in the ISU red zone.

Jacob Gill scores to extend Iowa's lead

The Air Raid Iowa Hawkeyes?

Maybe not quite, but Iowa's offense has opened up the passing game considerably in the second half and seen great results. This time, Cade McNamara found Jacob Gill 31 yards down the field for a touchdown to extend the lead to 19.

McNamara is 7-for-7 for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns since halftime.

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Iowa scoring drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:27

Hawkeye defense forces punt

Iowa is settling in now, leading by a dozen points and getting a quick stop on defense.

Iowa will begin the next drive at its own 34 with 10:13 to go in the third quarter. The Hawkeyes saw success through the air last drive, going 4-for-4 with 53 yards.

Reece Vander Zee scores first Hawkeye touchdown

True freshman Reece Vander Zee is making a big impact early.

Iowa had by far its best drive of the day, moving the ball downfield and finishing with a 7-yard touchdown pass from McNamara to Vander Zee. Vander Zee has three catches for 42 yards and a score in his first collegiate game.

Iowa leads 12-0 after the 2-point conversion failed.

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Iowa scoring drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:28

Halftime: Iowa 6, Illinois State 0

Illinois State was content to go to half after the field goal.

Iowa leads 6-0, but the Hawkeyes have plenty to work on. Iowa has just 147 yards of total offense and Cade McNamara's 47% completion percentage shows the struggles in the pass game.

Kamari Moulton has 59 rushing yards on 16 attempts (3.7 yards per carry). Aaron Graves has been credited with three sacks already.

Iowa will receive the kick after halftime.

Iowa settles for another field goal before half

Iowa had its best drive of the game but still couldn't punch it in.

Drew Stevens saved the day, however. Stevens made a 28-yarder to make it 6-0 with 1:00 to go before halftime.

Iowa scoring drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 2:48

Iowa strip-sack overturned by defensive holding

Self-inflicted errors have hurt Iowa several times now.

This time, a sack and fumble recovered by Iowa was overturned by defensive holding in the secondary.

Iowa's defense still did its job, though. Illinois State was forced to punt again. Iowa takes over at its own 41 with 3:48 to go before half after a 23-yard return by Kaden Wetjen.

Iowa sends it back to Illinois State

Iowa punted it back to ISU and nearly got a gift. Illinois State's punt returner Braden Contreras muffed the punt but fell on the ball in a crowd of Hawkeyes at the ISU 14-yard line.

Illinois State starts its next possession deep in its own territory, still trailing 3-0 with 6:32 to go before halftime.

Iowa defense does its job again

The Illinois State offense can't figure out the Hawkeye defense.

Another punt gives Iowa the ball back at its own 34. Aaron Graves picked up his second sack of the game on the previous drive.

Iowa stuffed on third and fourth down for turnover on downs

The Iowa offense isn't inspiring confidence early.

After the Hawkeyes finally connected on a downfield pass — an 18-yard strike from McNamara to freshman Reece Vander Zee, his first career catch — a pair of untimely penalties stung. Iowa was stuffed on a third-and-3 run play, making it fourth-and-2 from the Illinois State 42-yard line.

Iowa chose to go for it and Kamari Moulton was stuffed again. ISU takes over at its own 41.

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End of first quarter: Iowa 3, Illinois State 0

A quiet first quarter ends at 3-0. Now, it's time for the best tradition in college football: The Wave.

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Iowa goes five-wide, earns first first down

How about the new wrinkle from the Hawkeye offense?

It wasn't much, but Iowa showed a new look by spreading out five players wide with just QB Cade McNamara in the backfield on third and short. McNamara found Luke Lachey in space for the first down, Iowa's first of the season.

The drive didn't go far. McNamara took a big hit on third down a few plays later and his pass sailed nowhere. Illinois State gets the ball back after another Dakin punt.

Iowa still leads, 3-0, with 2:10 to go in the first quarter.

Kaden Wetjen punt return touchdown called back on penalty

Brutal news for Iowa. Kaden Wetjen caught a punt at his own 35 and took it to the house, but a block in the back will negate the touchdown and send Iowa back to its own 31-yard line.

Iowa hits field goal to get on the board

Another frustrating drive for the Hawkeye offense resulted in zero first downs, but the great field position was enough to get points on the board. Drew Stevens knocked in a 41-yard kick to give Iowa a 3-0 lead with 5:35 to go in the first quarter.

Iowa scoring drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:31

Sebastian Castro forces fumble, TJ Hall recovers

The Iowa defense is saving the day again.

Sebastian Castro stripped the ball and TJ Hall dove on it at the ISU 29. Iowa is in great field position to get its first points of the year.

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Former Valley QB Jake Rubley checks in for Illinois State

After two drives, Illinois State is going to a two-QB system. Jake Rubley, who played his final year of high school football at West Des Moines Valley, is in for Illinois State.

Iowa punts it again

Two Hawkeye drives, two punts.

Iowa threw it short of the sticks on third down and had to punt again despite the completion. A penalty on Iowa during the punt will add five yards to Illinois State's field position, starting the Redbirds at the 17.

ISU has outgained Iowa 34-9 in total yardage through two drives for each team.

Jermari Harris intercepts pass

A pair of first downs for Illinois State got the Redbirds across midfield, but Jermari Harris shut down the drive there.

Harris jumped a route toward the sideline and made a great catch along the turf to give possession back to the Hawkeyes. Iowa takes over at its own 45-yard line. The game remains scoreless with 9:47 to go in the first quarter.

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Iowa punts it right back

A pair of short runs led to third and medium, and Cade McNamara couldn't connect with Luke Lachey on third down. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester's first drive ends with a three-and-out.

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Illinois State takes the ball at its own 26 after a Rhys Dakin punt.

New year, same defense

Iowa's defense picked up right where it left off last season, allowing just one yard on the first possession and forcing a punt.

Iowa takes over for its first offensive series at its own 35.

Iowa wins coin toss, defers to second half

Iowa will receive the second-half kickoff. Illinois State takes the ball first.

vlog sports team makes picks for Iowa vs. Illinois State

Below, from our weekly Big College Kickoff show, our sports crew made their picks for Iowa's season opener.

Iowa takes the field

It's just about time.

The Hawkeyes are on the field and ready to get the season underway.

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Kirk Ferentz, receivers coach Jon Budmayr suspended for Illinois State game

Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz is suspended for the season opener. In a news conference last week, Ferentz said he made the decision about the self-imposed suspension in conjunction with Athletic Director Beth Goetz, and apologized.

Ferentz called the violation "improper contact" with a player before they entered the transfer portal, but didn't identify the player involved. Wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr is also suspended.

Iowa vs. Illinois State: How to watch, stream and listen

When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31

Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City

TV: Big Ten Network

Livestream: (requires cable subscription)

Online radio:

Iowa City weather forecast

Our heat wave will be over by Saturday's game. Expect Sunny skies and a high of 84 degrees in Iowa City.

vlog's latest weather forecast.

Iowa vs. Illinois State betting line: Spread, total and more

Iowa is a 22.5-point favorite Saturday vs. Illinois State, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The total is set at 40.5 points.

The Redbirds are +1400 on the moneyline, meaning a $10 bet would net $140 if they pull off the upset.

Seth Wallace: What to know about the Iowa assistant head coach leading the team

Seth Wallace, assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, was named assistant head coach in January and will fill Ferentz’s role for the game against the Redbirds.

Wallace in the last eight years has coached five All-America linebackers, including unanimous consensus selections Josey Jewell (2017) and Jack Campbell (2022). An Iowa linebacker has led the Big Ten in total tackles each of the past three seasons. Wallace has coached eight players who have gone on to play in the NFL.

Iowa vs. Illinois State tickets

Tickets are still available for the Hawkeyes' season opener.

As of Thursday, two tickets together for the Illinois State game were listed at $46 apiece on SeatGeek, which is the official marketplace for Iowa tickets.

You can .

Iowa Hawkeyes Kid Captain

The Iowa football team and University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital are once again partnering for the annual Kid Captains program.

Kid Captains are pediatric patients from the Midwest who are chosen through a nomination process to join the Hawkeye football team for a game, get a tour of Kinnick Stadium and spend time with the players.

Week 1's Kid Captain is Carter Schmidt, 7, of Coralville.

Iowa Hawkeyes football schedule

All three of Iowa's non-conference games will be played at home in 2024. Then, the Hawkeyes get into Big Ten play with road trips to Minnesota and Ohio State. They also have matchups against new Big Ten member schools Washington, Oct. 12 in Iowa City, and at UCLA Nov. 9.

You can see Iowa's full 2024 football schedule here.

Iowa ranked in preseason polls

The Hawkeyes start the year ranked No. 25 in two major polls: the AP poll and the coaches' poll.

Iowa also has a pair of preseason All-Americans on the defensive side. Jay Higgins is a first-team preseason AP All-American and Sebastian Castro garnered second-team recognition.

Watch college football on vlog

College football season is here and vlog has 16 straight Saturdays of games between Aug. 31's kickoff and Dec. 14's Army-Navy game, including the Cy-Hawk rivalry on Sept. 7 and the Big Ten Championship on Dec. 7.

Our weekly college football coverage includes a new pregame show, "Big College Kickoff" — 10:30 a.m. Saturdays between Aug. 31-Dec. 7. The half-hour program will feature local stories from sports anchor Jeff Dubrof, as well as sports director Scott Reister and sports reporter Shannon Ehrhardt, behind-the-scenes insight and fun looks at fan culture, focusing on NCAA Division I teams in Iowa.

You can learn more about the new show here.

This year, you'll be able to catch the Cy-Hawk rivalry game on vlog. We'll have a full day of coverage Saturday, Sept. 7, starting with "Big College Kickoff" at 10:30 a.m. followed by our local pregame special at 1:30 p.m. and CBS' State Farm College Football Today at 2. Cy-Hawk kickoff is at 2:30 from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, followed by CBS' College Football Postgame Show at 6 and our local postgame show at 6:30.