Iowa football shows resilience, experiences redemption in win over Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — A door in the depths of Camp Randall Stadium — the one setting apart the visiting-team locker room from the visiting-team interview room — could not hide the joy Iowa football players were experiencing.

“Jump Around,” the song that rocked the stadium to the point of the press box shaking about an hour earlier, was blasting through the speakers in the Iowa locker room.

“In the locker room, it was great to see a bunch of guys feeling really good about themselves,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “That’s what happens when you have to fight for something, and they certainly did that."

Iowa had many reasons for happiness.

The Hawkeyes kept the Heartland Trophy. They moved into the driver’s seat of the Big Ten West (with a favorable remainder of the schedule left). They won despite being double-digit underdogs at one point in the week. They won at Camp Randall for the first time since Barack Obama was president.

Two of Iowa’s last three losses at Camp Randall were by 20-plus points. This time, Iowa was the one hoisting the Heartland Trophy with a 15-6 win over Wisconsin.

Many of the Iowa players on the 2023 team were not on the team yet (or at least not major contributors) when the Hawkeyes suffered a humbling 27-7 loss to Wisconsin in 2021.

“Nick (Jackson) doesn’t really understand how big this is,” linebacker Jay Higgins said of the Virginia transfer and his close friend.

But Higgins personally “remembers that feeling” in the locker room two years ago is “really happy for the guys” like Joe Evans.

“A sixth-year guy who comes back for moments like these,” Higgins said.

Saturday’s moment was perhaps sweetest for quarterback Deacon Hill, who entered the transfer portal from Wisconsin almost exactly a year ago.

“There was some tears of joy,” Hill said. “I’m not going to hide it. There was a thousand cameras, so someone got a photo of me crying.”

After the win, he hugged Jon Budmayr, Iowa’s senior special assistant to the head coach and a former Wisconsin quarterback and coach. Budmayr made quick time getting from the press box to field level.

“We did it,” Hill remembers Budmayr telling him during the embrace.

It made for “probably one of my favorite memories of all time,” Hill said.

“This place means a lot to him,” Hill said. “This place still means a lot to me. I have a lot of fun, great memories here with my teammates.”

While Hill’s stat line against Wisconsin will not put him on major award watch lists — 6-for-14 for 37 yards — he played and won in a game against his former team.

Hill “couldn’t picture himself here” when he was in the transfer portal a year ago.

"Really in the portal, didn’t think I’d be playing FBS football again,“ Hill said. ”Fortunately, I am. My gratitude for the coaches here is unmatched.“

As much as this win against his former team meant for Hill, simply the chance “to be a part of a team again” might give him even more joy.

“That’s the biggest thing,” Hill said. “I love my team right now, and I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.”

The win required some resilience from Hill and his teammates.

Tight end Erick All, the team’s leading receiver so far this season, exited the game with an injury and did not return. The win also marked the sixth time in Iowa’s seven games in which the opponent outgained the Hawkeyes.

“I know we couldn’t have done three weeks ago what we did today,” Ferentz said. “I know that. … Credit to our guys. They grew.”

As the House of Pain hit song begins — “Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin, I came to win” — Iowa came to Camp Randall and won.

“We’re trying to win the game by any means,” Higgins said. “We don’t care what it looks like as long as we have the win at the end of the day.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com