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

IOWA CITY — Virtually no passing game, virtually no problem for Iowa football. At least for now.

A quarterback completing only 29 percent of their passes would spell trouble for many college football teams. The same goes for an offense that scored only 10 points out of three drives starting in the opposing team’s territory.

But many teams do not have a defense as effective as Iowa’s was again on Saturday as the Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) pulled away with a not-so-picturesque 20-14 win over Purdue (2-4, 1-2) at Kinnick Stadium.

The Boilermakers had an opportunity to tie or take the lead in the final two minutes after an unimposing three-play, 7-yard drive by Iowa’s offense.

But Iowa’s defense didn’t budge. With one sack and three incompletions, Purdue’s comeback bid ended 39 seconds after it began.

A pass rush that had struggled to generate substantial pressure before Saturday — the Hawkeyes had three sacks through the first five games — sacked Purdue quarterback Hudson Card six times.

Iowa star defensive back Cooper DeJean hauled in a first-quarter interception and returned it 41 yards to the Purdue 5-yard line. That led to a 27-yard Drew Stevens field goal.

Offensively, running back Kaleb Johnson and tight end Erick All were among the few bright spots for the Hawkeyes.

Johnson sped his way to a 67-yard touchdown in the first quarter as he took advantage of a massive hole created by the offensive line. He later made a 33-yard carry look easy in the second quarter.

The sophomore running back, who missed the last three games with an injury, finished with 134 yards while averaging 7.9 yards per carry.

All, meanwhile, had 97 yards on five catches, including a fourth-quarter touchdown that finally distanced the Hawkeyes from Purdue.

Hill, making his first collegiate start after Cade McNamara’s season-ending injury last week, struggled mightily. Even with his improved second half, his 6-of-21 line was far from an acceptable level at most Power Five programs.

— John Steppe