Iowa vs. Troy Game Report: Numbers and notes from the Hawkeyes’ 38-21 win

IOWA CITY — A look at the Iowa Hawkeyes’ 38-21 win over the Troy Trojans on Saturday afternoon at Kinnick Stadium.

Turning point: Jermari Harris’ pick-6 extends Iowa’s lead

Iowa went on an eight-play, 70-yard drive to take a 17-14 lead in the third quarter. Quarterback Brendan Sullivan’s 2-yard shovel pass to tight end Addison Ostrenga was the touchdown.

An empty offensive possession by each team followed.

Troy took over at its own 10 with 2:42 left in the third quarter. Trojans quarterback Matthew Caldwell dropped back and threw an ill-advised pass toward the right sideline that was underthrown and picked off by Iowa cornerback Jermari Harris.

He maneuvered his way 28 yards for a touchdown and a 24-14 Iowa lead. Yes, Troy countered with a touchdown on the ensuing possession, but a two-score spread proved to be too much.

Touchdown runs by Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson followed for the final score.

You also could be black and white here and say Iowa’s ability to own the line of scrimmage in the second half and wear down Troy’s defense was a major turning point. Iowa rushed for 284 yards, 173 by running back Kaleb Johnson.

Iowa vs. Troy by the numbers

3 — Consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing games for Johnson

7 — Runs of 26 yards or more this season by Johnson

12 — Seniors on the Troy roster. That’s the fewest of any team in the FBS

77 — Yardage of punt return for a touchdown toward the end of the first half by Troy’s Devonte Ross

462 — Iowa’s offensive yards

479 — Rushing yards this season in three games by Johnson

Iowa vs. Troy notebook

• This was the first time Iowa and Troy played. Troy State won a NAIA national championship and two NCAA Division II championships before moving up to the FCS level in 1991. The school went full-fledged Division I in 2001.

Troy State became Troy University in August 2005. Iowa has played two other members of the current Sun Belt Conference in Arkansas State (a 24-21 win in 2009) and Louisiana-Monroe (a 41-17 win in 2011).

• Terrell Washington Jr. got his first career start for Iowa, at wide receiver. Washington Jr. is a redshirt freshman from Wylie, Texas, who came to Iowa as a running back. He caught one pass in the game for 5 yards.

• Could Ross be a national player of the week candidate?

The Troy junior wide receiver from Cartersville, Ga., had all three of his team’s touchdowns, all on chunk plays. He scored on a 63-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Caldwell early in the second quarter.

Late in the first half, he fielded a punt, sprinted left and down the sideline for a 77-yard touchdown. That was Troy’s first TD on a punt return since 2018, against Nebraska.

Then late in the third quarter, he again got deep on Iowa’s secondary and hauled in a 62-yard TD from quarterback Tucker Kilcrease.

Iowa football injury report

Wide receiver Seth Anderson and linebackers Jayden Montgomery and Kelby Telander were declared “out” on Iowa’s pregame availability list. Telander is done for the season. Neither Anderson nor Montgomery have played this season.

Iowa’s next game

It’s the Big Ten Conference opener for Iowa, and it’s on the road. The Hawkeyes play at Minnesota in a 6:30 game next Saturday night at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The game will be televised by NBC. Minnesota improved to 2-1 overall with a 27-0 home win Saturday over Nevada.

Comments: jeff.johnson@thegazette.com