Game Report: Iowa Hawkeyes 41, Western Michigan Broncos 10

IOWA CITY — A look at 25th-ranked Iowa’s 41-10 win Saturday afternoon over Western Michigan at Kinnick Stadium.

Turning point

Odd that it would come on a defensive play and special teams play, right?

Iowa had a tenuous 14-10 lead at halftime and was still nursing that four-point margin into the third quarter after a pair of fruitless offensive possessions, one for each team. Hawkeyes linebacker Nick Jackson sacked quarterback Treyson Bourguet on first down on WMU’s second possession, forcing a fumble that went out of bounds for a 13-yard loss.

Western Michigan ended up having to punt from its 15. Iowa’s Anterio Thompson penetrated the middle of the Broncos line on that attempted Carson Voss punt, blocking it cleanly, the football bouncing out of the end zone for a safety.

Iowa returned the ensuing free kick kickoff near midfield and drove 53 yards for a touchdown: a Kamari Moulton 3-yard run. All of a sudden, it’s a 24-10 Hawkeyes lead with 4:02 left in the third quarter.

Iowa went on from there.

By the numbers

19 — Rushing yards for Iowa’s Leshon Williams this season coming into this game.

127 — Rushing yards for Iowa’s Leshon Williams in the first half.

28 — Jersey number of Iowa’s Kamari Moulton. You’ll probably begin to recognize it judging by the true freshman running back’s first collegiate playing time.

40 — Minutes the game was delayed in the second quarter because of lighting observed in the Iowa City area.

201 — Career victories for Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz.

Notebook

* Six minutes into the game, the Iowa student section began the “Fire Brian” chants.

* Iowa’s streak of penalty free football came to an end late in the fourth quarter when center Logan Jones was called for illegal touching of a pass from quarterback Cade McNamara, in which McNamara’s arm was hit by a Western Michigan defender as he let go of the ball. The Hawkeyes had zero penalties last week in a win at Iowa State. Contrarily, Western Michigan was flagged eight times for 64 yards.

* Iowa was really good offensively early in its first two games but not so much Saturday. The Hawkeyes scored 14 points on a pair of touchdowns on their first two drives against Utah State. Last week at Iowa State, Iowa scored 10 points on its first two possessions. Iowa’s first possession Saturday ended with Western Michigan defensive back Damari Roberson intercepting a McNamara pass. Iowa got to the WMU 33 on its second possession, but McNamara was sacked for a 15-yard loss on third down, and the Hawkeyes ended up having to punt.

* Bourguet made his first collegiate start at quarterback for Western Michigan. The redshirt freshman from Tucson, Ariz., threw a pair of incompletions on his team’s first offensive possession. On its second, which began at its 4-yard line, he ran 29 yards on a read-option play, then threw a perfect pass down the left sideline to Anthony Sambucci for a 64-yard touchdown on an out-and-up pattern. Previous starting QB Jack Salopek also played in the game.

* Moulton is from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Cardinal Gibbons High School. He got one carry for 2 yards on Iowa’s first second-half possession, then was the bellcow on its second, picking up five carries for 35 yards and his first career TD. He added another touchdown run late in the third quarter.

* Another true freshman, Terrell Washington Jr., played for the first time. The running back from Wylie, Texas, got six carries for 31 yards. Former Cedar Rapids Kennedy prep Max White, a walk-on, also got his first college carries in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 2-yard run in the final minute.

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* Jermari Harris started at cornerback for Iowa, his first playing time in over a season. The junior from Chicago missed all last season with an injury and was suspended for the first two games this season because of his involvement in the state DCI’s investigation into gambling by student-athletes at Iowa and Iowa State.

Injury report

Starting running back Kaleb Johnson missed Saturday’s game with an ankle injury. Going into Saturday, he led Iowa in rushing attempts (34) and yards (91).

Jaziun Patterson got the start in his place, though he played sparingly after the first couple of series.

Others listed as “Out” on the pregame injury report were wide receivers Jacob Bostick and Reese Osgood, offensive lineman Asher Fahey and defensive lineman Chris Reames. Linebacker Jaxon Rexroth, a former Cedar Rapids Xavier prep, was listed as “questionable.”

Starting tight end Luke Lachey injured a right foot or ankle late in the first quarter and did not play again. The injury looked serious, as Lachey had to be helped off the field and went back to the locker room on crutches. He came out for the second half with a walking boot.

Next game

The Big Ten Conference opener for the Hawkeyes at Penn State. It’s a 6:30 p.m. kickoff this coming Saturday on CBS. The seventh-ranked Nittany Lions went to 3-0 Saturday with a 30-13 win at Illinois.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com