Iowa football vs. Indiana: Box score, highlights, more from Hawkeyes’ 34-6 win

What was expected to be one of the best games of Week 1, a Top 25 matchup between Big Ten foes, was instead a rout. The 18th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes blasted the No. 17 Indiana Hoosiers 34-6 Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

You can mostly thank Riley Moss.

Moss returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the first half as the Hawkeyes raced to a 31-3 lead. Tyler Goodson opened the scoring with a 56-yard touchdown run and quarterback Spencer Petras added a 9-yard TD run.

» Box score: No. 18 Iowa 34, No. 17 Indiana 6

» Game story: Riley Moss makes case as top receiver with pair of pick-6s as Iowa coasts by Indiana

» Hlas column: Hawkeyes re-emerge to the world with a bang against Indiana

» Game report: Turning point, key numbers, notes, injuries and more from Iowa’s win over Indiana

» Analysis: Iowa defense not all about spark, but the spark was something special

4th Quarter updates

Final: Iowa 34, Indiana 6

A 1-0 start for Iowa, both overall and in the Big Ten. There wasn’t much noteworthy in the second half, and there didn’t need to be.

Iowa kept Indiana out of the end zone for all 60 minutes, plus scored two defensive touchdowns.

“We’ve still got a lot to work on,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz told BTN after the game. “The pick-6s, you can’t predict that, but a real credit to our back-end guys for being so opportunistic and aggressive.”

The Hawkeyes outgained the Hoosiers 303-233, including 158-77 on the ground.

Tyler Goodson was just 1 yard short of 100 rushing on 19 attempts. Spencer Petras was up and down, completing 13 of 27 passes for 145 yards, but with no turnovers. Tight end Sam LaPorta caught five passes for 83 yards.

Indiana star QB Michael Penix Jr. struggled, going 14 for 29 for 156 yards and three picks. Ty Fryfogle caught five passes for 84 yards. Stephen Carr led the Hoosiers in rushing with 57 yards on 19 carries.

“It’s all good,” Ferentz said. “We certinaly weren’t couting on those pick-6s but we’ll take them.”

Iowa 34, Indiana 6 | 9:52 4th

Caleb Shudak kicked his second field goal of the game, this one from 35 yards.

It was an uneven 11-play, 40-yard drive for the Hawkeyes.

3rd Quarter updates

Iowa 31, Indiana 6 | 8:21 3rd

Indiana converted a fourth-and-4 near midfield with a 33-yard Michael Penix Jr. pass to Ty Fryfogle, but had to settle for a field goal after Fryfogle was tripped up.

Lukas Van Ness sacked Penix on third-and-8 from the 12 and, after a delay of game penalty, Charles Campbell connected from 41 yards out.

2nd Quarter updates

Halftime: Iowa 31, Indiana 3

A cursory look at the statistics doesn’t show much of a difference between Iowa and Indiana. But the unofficial big-plays category belonged to the Hawkeyes.

Riley Moss might be the biggest reason for that. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the first half. Iowa scored 17 points off turnovers in all, adding a field goal after a Dane Belton kick to end the half.

The Hawkeyes had 191 total yards of offense in the opening half to Indiana’s 145, but turned it over just once — and Moss’ second pick-6 came after that Tyler Goodson fumble.

Spencer Petras completed 9 of 18 passes for 98 yards and added a 9-yard TD run. Sam LaPorta was his favorite target, catching four passes for 66 yards. Goodson scored the opening TD on a 56-yard run and ran 10 more times for only 23 yards.

Penix was 8-for-20 passing for 95 yards in the first half. USC transfer Stephen Carr ran for 46 yards on 13 attempts.

Iowa 31, Indiana 3 | 0:00 2nd

Caleb Shudak connected on a 41-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Iowa’s fifth score of the half was made possible when, two plays after Riley Moss’ pick-6, Dane Belton gave the Hawkeyes the ball back with their third interception of the day.

Iowa drove to the Indiana 14 in the final seconds of the half, but Ole Miss transfer Ryder Anderson sacked Spencer Petras for a loss of 9 on third down.

Iowa 28, Indiana 3 | 1:41 2nd

Riley Moss.

Two interceptions, two touchdowns for the Iowa cornerback in the opening half of the season. This one was a 52-yard return, and it came just one play after Indiana recovered a Tyler Goodson fumble.

The Hawkeyes keep making the big plays and are turning this into a rout.

Iowa 21, Indiana 3 | 11:54 2nd

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras showed his wheels, taking a draw 9 yards up the middle and diving into the end zone.

That completed an eight-play, 48-yard drive in 3:48.

Iowa went for it on fourth-and-2 and converted thanks to Charlie Jones fighting for the first-down marker after catching a short pass from Spencer Petras.

1st Quarter updates

End 1st: Iowa 14, Indiana 3

A fast start for the Hawkeyes with the offense and defense scoring in the first 2:15 of the game, then an otherwise solid quarter.

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras displayed improved accuracy, but was just 3 of 6 for 38 yards, thanks to a couple drops.

Tyler Goodson rushed five times for 60 yards, with 56 coming on the opening touchdown of the game.

Iowa’s defense has been impressive against an explosive IU offense. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. started just 3 of 8 for 55 yards, with an interception returned by Riley Moss for a touchdown. USC transfer Stephen Carr rushed nine times for 25 yards.

Iowa 14, Indiana 3 | 4:28 1st

Indiana put together a nine-play, 49-yard drive to get on the board.

But the Hoosiers couldn’t find the end zone, settling for a 36-yard field goal from Charles Campbell.

Iowa nearly prevented the Hoosiers from even three points, with Michael Penix Jr.’s third-down pass going through the hands of Iowa safety Jack Koerner.

Iowa 14, Indiana 0 | 12:45 1st

It’s a dream start in Iowa City.

Michael Penix Jr.’s third-and-6 pass bounced off the hands of DJ Matthews, right to Iowa cornerback Riley Moss.

Moss sprinted 30 yards down the sideline and into the end zone to give the Hawkeyes a two-score lead.

Iowa 7, Indiana 0 | 13:35 1st

Iowa kicked off the 2021 season with an explosive play, as Tyler Goodson found a wide-open lane around the right edge for a 56-yard touchdown run.

That’s the longest run of Goodson’s career and it came on the fourth play of the season.

Iowa injury report

As was reported back on media day, Iowa starting offensive lineman Kyler Schott will miss this game with a foot injury. He suffered the injury jumping off a hay bale while working at home.

Justin Britt will start at right guard.

Iowa radio sideline reporter Rob Brooks did not report any other injuries pregame.

Pregame storylines: Iowa vs. Indiana

The college football offseason always feels long. From bowl season in December and January to the first weekend in September, hope and hype build.

After a shortened season with few fans, this offseason felt even longer. But we made it. Iowa football is back, with a packed Kinnick. Mike Hlas wrote about the return of that atmosphere this week.

“Football definitely was played at Kinnick last year, but there was no marching band, no spirit squad. There was no wall of sound that you actually can feel.

“The noise is back Saturday. On Duke Slater Field in Nile Kinnick Stadium, a real football experience will be held for the first time since November 2019.”

Read more: Hey Iowa fans, the Hawkeyes missed you

What will that actual football experience look like? The Gazette’s Leah Vann took an in-depth look.

“The defensive battle between No. 17 Indiana and No. 18 Iowa on Saturday will be like a side-by-side picture in a gossip magazine asking: who wore it best?

“At first glance, they have a lot in common: both play a 4-2-5 defense (four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs). But one thing Indiana does more often than Iowa is blitz. If effective, it leads to questionable and troublesome decisions by the opposing offense.”

Read more: Hawkeyes face Big Ten’s most menacing turnover defense, flashy offense

Be sure to also check out the predictions from The Gazette’s Pick-Ems crew and some Fun Facts about the Hawkeyes and Hoosiers.

How to watch Iowa vs. Indiana

Time: 2:30 p.m. CT

TV: BTN

Live stream: FoxSports.com

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Listen online: TuneIn

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com