Huskies trampled by Hawkeyes in UW’s second Big Ten road loss

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Kinnick Stadium rises above the wooded bluffs of the Iowa River like a sacred temple to Big Ten football. The brick walls capped with black and yellow flags are the second-highest point on the horizon, only overshadowed by the round tower of Stead Family Children’s Hospital across the street.

It’s a place where fans drink beer in the bed of moving pickup trucks on their way to the stadium. Where “My Maria” by Brooks & Dunn echoes around the parking-lot tailgates. Where the Iowa faithful sit a few feet away from the gridiron, making the field feel claustrophobic. Where fans show up to pack the stadium 15 minutes before the national anthem instead of filing in during kickoff.

So it’s only fitting that it’s here, in front of 69,250 fans at Kinnick Stadium, where Washington was truly baptized into the Big Ten.

“It is a different conference,” coach Jedd Fisch said. “And the Big Ten is built a certain way.”

For almost 3½ hours on a sunny Saturday afternoon, Washington was bulldozed by Iowa during a 40-16 loss at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. It was the Huskies’ biggest margin of defeat since the 2021 Apple Cup when Washington lost 40-13 against Washington State.

Washington, which had 393 total yards of offense and 65 more yards than Iowa, has outgained its opponents in every game this season. Yet the Huskies (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) again failed to turn those yards into points.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to score touchdowns,” said junior running back Jonah Coleman, who had nine carries for 80 yards. “That’s what it is. Get points on the board.”

Of course, this isn’t Washington’s first Big Ten game. UW beat Northwestern and No. 24 Michigan at Husky Stadium, and lost to Rutgers on the road.

But the Hawkeyes (4-2, 2-1) played the physical, gritty brand of football the Big Ten is notorious for better than any of the Huskies’ previous conference opponents. Iowa dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage throughout the game. Its defensive line generated four sacks – including a strip-sack fumble by junior defensive lineman Aaron Graves – and seven quarterback hits.

The line consistently flushed UW’s fifth-year quarterback Will Rogers, who threw for 195 yards and a touchdown on 22-for-34 passing, from the pocket and prevented him from looking downfield.

It was the first time Rogers was held to less than 200 passing yards this season. He also threw his second interception of the season when he was picked off by sixth-year cornerback Jermari Harris on the first drive of the second half.

“I’ve got to do a better job coaching him and explaining that to him,” Fisch said, “and not putting him in that position.”

Washington’s offensive line wasn’t helped by an early injury sustained by starting left tackle Maximus McCree during the Huskies’ first drive of the game. Fisch announced the former junior college All-American, who did not return, dislocated his thumb. McCree was replaced by redshirt sophomore Soane Faasolo. Fisch said there’s no timeline for McCree’s recovery but also noted Faasolo wasn’t solely responsible for UW’s problems protecting the quarterback.

The Huskies’ defensive line didn’t fare much better. Iowa rushed for 220 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per rush. The Hawkeyes leaned heavily on junior running back Kaleb Johnson, the Big Ten’s leading rusher, who had 166 yards on 21 carries, including a 53-yard rush before halftime to set up a crucial 46-yard field goal.

“Their offensive line played really well,” UW linebacker Carson Bruener, who registered a team-best eight tackles, said. “They climbed fast to the second level, making it hard for us linebackers to read it. They were doing a really good job of reaching, sealing off gaps.”

Johnson, who entered Saturday only trailing Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in rushing yards nationally, also scored two rushing touchdowns and hauled in an 18-yard receiving touchdown from Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara with 1:28 remaining in the first half.

It was McNamara’s first passing touchdown since Iowa’s season-opening game on Aug. 31. He hadn’t thrown a touchdown against a conference opponent since Dec. 4, 2021, when he was playing for Michigan against Iowa in the Big Ten championship game. McNamara added a second touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter when he connected on a 33-yard strike to freshman receiver Dayton Howard to make it 37-10.

Iowa also outclassed Washington on special teams. UW junior kicker Grady Gross had another field goal blocked and surrendered a 37-yard punt return. The Hawkeyes were perfect on their four field-goal attempts – junior kicker Drew Stevens converted from 37, 46, 25 and 51 yards – and got a 61-yard punt that set up Rogers’ strip-sack fumble and a Stevens’ field goal.

“We did not play well today,” Fisch said. “We’ve got to be better coaching, playing, execution – too many missed opportunities in this game.”