CBS Sports tabs Iowa football as one of their biggest “winners” after Week 1

It may have taken the Iowa Hawkeyes a half to wake up and get things going, but once they had the offense rolling, there were no signs of slowing it down.

Iowa put up 34 second-half points on the way to a 40-0 win over the Illinois State Redbirds that saw an offense come to life in the second half on the ground and through the air.

Their showing has them among some of the biggest ‘winners’ in all of college football this week according to CBS Sports.

he first half looked like the same old disaster of the previous years. But when the second half rolled around, Iowa football showed serious promise. In a 40-0 win over Illinois State , the Hawkeyes reached 30 points in a half for the first time since 2021. They threw for three touchdowns in a game for the first time since 2021. They posted their biggest shutout win since 2018 and posted their best yardage since 2019.

But perhaps most special, the youth stood out. Freshman Reece Vander Zee became the first Iowa receiver to record two touchdowns since 2022 — not in a game, but in an entire season. Freshman back Kamari Moulton was second on the team with 65 yards rushing. Combine those with tight end Luke Lachey and a rebounding Cade McNamara and the offense might have some intrigue.

It was against FCS Illinois State, but the Hawkeyes haven’t dominated lesser talent by any means. Granted, it was against FCS power South Dakota State, but Iowa scored just seven points against its last FCS opponent. The score combined with the youth leaves serious reasons for optimism. – Shehan Jeyarajah, CBS Sports

The youth movement was uncommon for Iowa. The Hawkeyes are a team that routinely relies on upperclassmen to get the job done. They still have upperclassmen leading the way in McNamara, Lachey, and leading rusher Kaleb Johnson.

But, they also have some young, blossoming stars that could ascend their way up the depth charts and prove to be a bevy of talent for Iowa to dive into early in their careers.

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