Iowa football vs. Rutgers: Live score updates, highlights, analysis

IOWA CITY — Rutgers prides itself as the birthplace of college football because of playing in the first intercollegiate game in 1869 against Princeton.

The 2023 Iowa-Rutgers game initially had some shades of 1869 with three low-scoring quarters, but the 22nd-ranked Hawkeyes (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) distanced themselves with a fourth-quarter scoring barrage and a comfortable 22-0 win Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

Sixteen of the Hawkeyes’ 22 points came in the fourth quarter.

The late scoring outburst began with a 4-yard Jaziun Patterson touchdown to expand Iowa’s lead to 12-0. (The two-point conversion was no good.)

Then Drew Stevens’ 24-yard field goal pushed the lead to 15-0, and wide receiver Kaleb Brown’s first career touchdown made it 22-0.

Cedar Rapids native and Iowa safety Quinn Schulte’s interception, returned all the way to the Rutgers 9-yard line, set up the final touchdown drive.

Stevens, who was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award earlier this week, was 3-of-4 on field goals Saturday. His only miss was from 47 yards.

Iowa’s defense frequently put the offense in excellent position to succeed during the uncharacteristically high-scoring fourth quarter. All three scoring drives in the quarter followed either a Rutgers three-and-out or turnover.

Rutgers had only 127 total yards while averaging 3.1 yards per play. Not only were the Scarlet Knights scoreless, but they also never advanced past the Iowa 42-yard line.

Iowa held running back Kyle Monangai, the Big Ten’s leading rusher, to 39 rushing yards at a clip of 3 yards per carry.

Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt went 7-of-18 for 93 yards.

The defense also benefited from six Rutgers false start penalties, including three in the first quarter.

Iowa’s 402 total yards were a breath of fresh air considering the Hawkeyes’ past offensive woes. They entered play ranking dead-last in the FBS by a sizable margin with 225 yards per game.

Iowa’s rushing attack picked up 179 yards while averaging 3.9 yards per carry.

Bright spots included Leshon Williams’ 24-yard carry on the second play of the game and Brown’s 13-yard rush during the high-scoring fourth quarter. Kaleb Johnson also had a 27-yard gain in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Deacon Hill went 20-of-31 for 223 yards — a career-high. He had one touchdown and one interception in the win.

Iowa’s win, coupled with Nebraska’s loss to Maryland, puts the Hawkeyes in an excellent position to potentially clinch the Big Ten West title as early as next week.

— John Steppe