What? Hawkeyes ahead of offensive juggernauts to the east, west, southwest and southeast?

Guess who’s ahead of Ohio State, Oregon, Oklahoma and Georgia in total offense.

Here’s a hint: It was 133rd out of 133 teams last season and averaged 261.9 fewer yards per game than Georgia, 272.4 fewer than Oklahoma, and 296.8 fewer than Oregon.

Here’s another: It’s Iowa.

It’s also after one game. However, the Week 1 stats sure top those the Hawkeyes’ had in their last two openers. They had 284 yards against Utah State last year, and a measly 166 in their 7-3 lid-lifter against South Dakota State in 2022.

Iowa, by the way, had been the last team to defeat South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits’ 44-20 loss at Oklahoma State Saturday ended their 29-game winning streak.

Week 1 statistical rankings don’t mean any more than Week 1 bowl projections. But enjoy it now, Hawkeyes. You average 497 yards per game to Oregon’s 487, Georgia’s 447, Ohio State’s 404 and Oklahoma’s 378.

Iowa, with its 40-0 win over Illinois State, was one of 60 FBS teams that played FCS opponents That’s right, 60.

Of those 60, only New Mexico was a loser. The wins all count on the coaches’ records and toward bowl-eligibility, and thank heaven. What would Week 1 have been without Ole Miss 76, Furman 0?

Or Louisville 62, Austin Peay 0? Or Tennessee 69, Chattanooga 3? Or Auburn 73, Alabama A&M 3?

At least the teams from FCS’ ultra-tough Missouri Valley Football Conference are legit, Illinois State and North Dakota (a 21-3 loser at Iowa State Saturday) included.

Take North Dakota State, for instance. The Bison almost matched the Colorado Buffaloes hoove for hoove Thursday before losing, 31-26. NDSU quarterback Cam Miller of Solon gave Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes a lot of trouble, completing 18 of 22 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown and rushing 16 times for 81 yards and two TDs.

Pretty, pretty good.

Week 1 was a snooze overall, was it not? UCLA held off Hawaii, 16-13. It was one of several uninspired wins by Big Ten teams, and we’ll not even mention Minnesota’s home loss to North Carolina.

Oregon, the Big Ten’s new superpower, made its Big Ten Network debut by beating Idaho, 24-14. Idaho was a 49-point underdog.

Wisconsin trailed Western Michigan 14-13 in the fourth quarter before winning, 28-14. Michigan State was shut out in the second half of its 16-10 win over Florida Atlantic. Northwestern beat Miami (Ohio), 13-6, in the Wildcats’ temporary 12,000-seat football facility that borders Lake Michigan.

What would the ticket-brokers get if Iowa played at Northwestern this season instead of vice versa?

Look at that Iowa schedule again and tell me it isn’t a CFP candidate. Of course, that can unravel as soon as Saturday when Iowa State is the visitor to Kinnick Stadium.

Right now, the Cyclones may be among the Hawkeyes’ three best foes this year, and Rocco Becht may be the best quarterback not named Will (Ohio State has Will Howard, Washington has Will Rogers) that Iowa faces.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Iowa has a lot of its former QBs floating around out there.

Deacon Hill was 11 of 23 passing for 104 yards in Utah Tech’s 31-7 loss to fourth-ranked Montana State. Hill did have a 24-yard touchdown run. His team is a relatively new FCS program, while Montana State is ranked fourth and is that team that beat New Mexico last week.

Spencer Petras was 10 of 15 with two interceptions and a TD pass for Utah State in its 36-14 win over Robert Morris. Alas, Petras sprained an ankle in the first half and had his left foot in the boot as he watched the rest of the game from the sideline.

Joe Labas, who went the distance for Iowa in its 21-0 win over Kentucky in the 2022 Music City Bowl and didn’t throw another pass for the Hawkeyes, was 18 of 24 for 342 yards and three TDs in Central Michigan’s 66-10 victory over Central Connecticut State.

In a final note, Iowa is 91st in the nation in punting.

Put the T-shirts in the closet or sell them to Chicago Bears fans now that Tory Taylor is their guy. Until further notice, punting is not winning.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com