Hawkeye Dominance: What Went Right And Wrong In Iowa Football's Blowout of Washington

It's hard to diagnose too many things that went wrong for the Iowa Hawkeyes during their 41-24 trouncing of the Washington Huskies that really wasn't even half as close as that final score says.

Iowa had this game in control from the jump, quickly getting out to a 27-0 lead before putting things on cruise control. To get to that point, Iowa saw almost everything go right. Still, nothing is perfect.

Be it a combination of the lead, the play-calling having Iowa protect the lead, or something else, Iowa gave up some easy yardage at times, which is uncommon for Phil Parker's defensive unit,

Right: Jeremy Hecklinski's preparation

Jeremy Hecklinski played well. There is no doubt about that, but it doesn't happen without the direction of offensive coordinator Tim Lester and head coach Kirk Ferentz, which leads to a bigger conversation.

Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown were in a quarterback battle through training camp and into the first few weeks of the season. Is it possible that Kirk Ferentz has outsmarted all of us once again to get both of his quarterbacks legitimate reps?

Wrong: Second half secondary

I know Phil Parker was having his defense sit off and let Washington eat the clock, but it wasn't ideal. After Demond Williams Jr. left the game with an injury at halftime, the Huskies turned to Elijah Brown, who had a surprisingly strong outing against Iowa's defense.

Brown went 38-for-39 for 251 yards and three touchdowns in limited action. Yes, he was forced to throw almost every play due to the score, but it isn't exactly what you want to see from Iowa's normally strong secondary.

Right: Offensive line success

This is what Iowa needed. The offensive line was hearing the noise all week. Today, they answered the call and dominated Washington on the ground. All day, Iowa had gigantic holes to run through.

The Hawkeyes ran for a monstrous 263 yards on just 38 carries, which was an average of 6.9 yards per carry. This was a performance Iowa's offensive line needed to have, and they answered when it mattered the most on the road.

Right: College Football Playoff picture

Iowa is 5-1 and entering its bye week. Can anyone be upset about that? Iowa navigated a stretch of games that consisted of a game at Michigan, a home game against Ohio State, and a road game at Washington on short rest, with a 2-1 record.

Everything this team wants is right in front of it. It's not just in front of them. It's in their grasp. The Iowa Hawkeyes have set themselves up in a spot where every single goal remains attainable.

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