Game Report: Iowa 62, North Texas 16

OPENING SALVO

Confidence is overflowing for Iowa's offense, and it's not just because of Saturday's 62-point output.

Quarterback C.J. Beathard completed his first 15 attempts for a career-high 278 yards. Running back Jordan Canzeri tied a team record with four touchdown rushes. Wide receiver Tevaun Smith surpassed the 100-yard barrier. And the team averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

'I think that's the kind of football team we've always wanted to be here at Iowa,' Iowa center Austin Blythe said. 'Confident on offense, moving the ball, scoring points and putting our defense in a good position to play well.'

Beathard, who finished 18 of 21 and had two touchdowns, didn't know about his streak until after his day was over.

'I think it probably would have been bad if someone would have come up to me at halftime (and said) you haven't thrown an incompletion,' Beathard said. 'I probably would have been mad at them. You don't just say that.'

Iowa's balance shows a team approach can work. Their cohesiveness is obvious, and the team is reveling in the early-season success.

'When it comes to chemistry, the best team I've been a part of since I've been here,' Smith said. 'If we can continue to do that, things are going to be special.'

Total yards

 

For a more detailed breakdown of this game, click here.

BY THE NUMBERS

4-0 — Start by Iowa, its best since 2009

4 — Rushing TDs by Iowa RB Jordan Canzeri, tying the school record

15 — Consecutive completions for Iowa QB C.J. Beathard to start the game

59 — Games without a missed Iowa extra point before Saturday

115 — Yards receiving by Iowa WR Tevaun Smith, yards rushing by Canzeri

REPORT CARD

B — Football game or Beerfest next weekend? That's entirely up to you.

— Marc Morehouse

A-minus — North Texas returns here in 2017. Why?

— Mike Hlas

B-plus — North Texas' $900,000 check provides quite a salve after that blistering defeat.

— Scott Dochterman

GAME BALL

Iowa RB Jordan Canzeri. The senior from Troy, N.Y. tied the school record with four rushing touchdowns with runs of 16, 10, 3 and 1 yards. He finished with 115 yards on 22 carries.

MORE: Anyway you look at it, a four-finger day for Canzeri

'I think Jordan's always been that kind of running back,' Iowa center Austin Blythe said. 'It's just a difference of him being healthy this year. He plays through a lot of bumps and bruises. He's just running hard.'

HAPPY RETURNS

Iowa tight end Jake Duzey returned to action for the first time since tearing a patella tendon late in spring practice that required surgery. Duzey played in a handful of plays Saturday but did not catch a pass.

'It was pretty cool running out there with the guys and just being out there was a good feeling,' Duzey said.

Duzey led all Big Ten tight ends with 36 receptions and he has 58 in his college career. He said his knee is 'pretty close to 100 percent.'

'(Coach Kirk Ferentz) just came up to me (Friday) and asked how it would feel if I got in there for a couple of plays,' Duzey said. 'I said, 'Yeah, of course.''

Defensive end Drew Ott started for Iowa and recorded a sack and forced fumble. Ott suffered a gruesome dislocated left elbow against Iowa State two weeks ago. There was no thought of sitting out to rest for Wisconsin.

'I kind of struggled (Saturday), so it was nice to be able to break one through,' Ott said. 'I was pretty rusty coming back so it's nice.

'I want to play, and the coaches let me play. I really haven't played that much this season, so I need to work on my cardio.'

SEMI-HAPPY RETURN

North Texas Coach Dan McCarney and his quarterback, Andrew McNulty, are Iowa City natives who spent a significant part of their lives at Kinnick Stadium. McCarney played at Iowa from 1971-75 and then coached under Hayden Fry for several years. McNulty quarterbacked Iowa City High to the Class 4A state title game as a senior.

'I was here 36 years in town, 19 at Iowa. I counted it up and this is the 18th time I've coached against Iowa since I've left Iowa City,' said McCarney, who was an assistant at Wisconsin before taking over at Iowa State in 1995. 'A lot of great memories, a lot of hard ones like (Saturday).'

McNulty completed 14 of 36 passes for 137 yards. He was sacked three times and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

'Obviously when I stepped on the field, a lot of emotions and things like that,' McNulty said. 'I said what I was going to do before, take a moment, take it all in and then move on and worry about the game. That's what I did. Unfortunately it wasn't enough.'

CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS

Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina staged a pregame rally just north of Kinnick Stadium. Dozens of Iowa fans met with her for photos and quick conversation, ranging from sharp political topics to beverage choices.

Fiorina avoided wearing Iowa's colors but met with potential voters in front of a Hawkeye RV. She said she was offered a beer, but 'I turned it down.'

'It was very tempting, I must tell you,' she added.

Among the people attending the rally include Iowa color radio analyst Ed Podolak and Board of Regents chairman Bruce Rastetter.

HISTORY MADE

No longer can people refer to officiating crews by gender. The eight-person contingent included center judge Amanda Sauer, who is believed to be the first female official for an Iowa football game. Sauer previously had worked in Conference USA and other college leagues before coming to the Big Ten this year. She worked as a center judge for the Illinois-Western Illinois game two weeks ago.

ON (TO) WISCONSIN

Iowa (4-0) travels to Wisconsin (2-1 entering Saturday's game with Hawaii) next Saturday in the Big Ten opener. This is Iowa's first trip to Camp Randall Stadium since 2009, and the longtime rivals' last three meetings all came at Kinnick Stadium. The Badgers won all three of those games, including last year's 26-24 slugfest.

'We're going to have to be ready,' Smith said. 'We know Wisconsin is going to come with it, so we're going to have to come with it, too. It's definitely given us a chip on our shoulder knowing we have to beat them next week. So it's going to be an exciting week for us during practice.'

'Just get ready for the run,' Iowa CB Desmond King said. 'We know they're a good running team, a good power team and they're going to force our DBs to make tackles and we have to be ready for it. We had Pittsburgh last week, and we think it's going to be the same challenge."

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com