Rutgers Scarlet Knights 2025 Opponent Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights open Big Ten play against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Rutgers will host Iowa on Friday, Sept. 19 for the annual blackout game. Last season, the Scarlet Knights defeated Washington in this exact spot. They will look to get off to a quick start against an improved Iowa team.

Kamari Moulton carries the ball against Missouri. — Dec 30, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kamari Moulton (28) runs the ball against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

2025 Iowa Football at a Glance

Name: Iowa Hawkeyes

Stadium: Kinnick Stadium (Cap.: 69.250)

Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz (27th season)

Offensive Coordinator: Tim Lester

Defensive Coordinator: Phil Parker

2024: 8-5 (6-3 Big Ten)

2024 Iowa Season-in-Review

It was another eight-win season for the Hawkeyes but they did not reach their ultimate goals. Iowa went up-and-down in 2024, not being able to put together more than two wins in a row. After an early-season loss to in-state rival Iowa State, the Hawkeyes won two before being rolled by Ohio State.

Other losses came against Michigan State and UCLA. The offense struggled once again last season and that is what the team hopes can improve this season.

Key Returners: RB Kamari Moulton, OT Gennings Dunker, C Logan Jones, DT Aaron Graves, DE Ethan Hurkett, S Xavier Nwankpa, LB Jaden Harrell, WR Jacob Gill, WR Reece Vander Zee, S Koen Entringer, CB TJ Hall, OL Jack Dotzler

Transfer Additions: QB Mark Gronowski (South Dakota State), DT Jonah Pace (Central Michigan), DT Bryce Hawthorne (South Dakota State), OL George Nahas (Iowa State), CB Shahid Barros (South Dakota), WR Sam Phillips (Chattanooga)

Key Losses: RB Kaleb Johnson, LB Jay Higgins IV, CB John Nestor, LB Nick Jackson, DB Quinn Schulte, QB Cade McNamara, TE Luke Lachey, S Sebastian Castro

Iowa offensive line looks up at the scoreboard. — Sep 30, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Mason Richman (78) and offensive lineman Rusty Feth (60) and offensive lineman Logan Jones (65) and offensive lineman Nick DeJong (56) and offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) look on during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Strengths

No surprise here but the defense for the Hawkeyes is going to be very good again.

There is plenty of turnover on the defensive side of the ball but new faces are prepared to step up. The cornerback combination of TJ Hall and Deshaun Lee has a chance to explode as the season goes on. Xavier Nwankpa and Koen Entringer are also intriguing options at safety.

Aaron Graves is an All-Conference defensive lineman while Ethan Hurkett is back after leading the team with 6.5 sacks.

The offense has been a problem in recent years. While the Hawkeyes hope that points can be put up consistently this season, it is an unknown. What is not an unknown is the offensive line.

Gennings Dunker is among the top offensive tackles in the Big Ten. He is an elite option on the right side with Jack Dotzler leading the competition to win the left tackle job.

Logan Jones is another All-Big Ten caliber lineman. He returns to his post at center and will act as one of the leaders with a new quarterback under center. The offensive line led the charge for an All-American running back last season.

Weaknesses

Iowa has high expectations heading into the season. There are not many weaknesses but there are some question marks on both sides of the ball.

Among the hopes is that Mark Gronowski takes the offense to the next level. After a successful career at South Dakota State, Gronowski enters the Big Ten with over 10,000 passing yards under his belt.

Also, can Kamari Moulton take over as the primary back? Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. He is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers and it is Moulton's job in 2025.

Keeping with the theme offensively, the pass catchers feature some new faces stepping up. Jacob Gill led the team with 411 receiving yards last year. Reece Vander Zee will act as the No. 2 after just 14 catches last season.

Defensively, the Hawkeyes lost both Jay Higgins IV and Nick Jackson in the middle. This means Karson Sharar and Jaden Harrell will take on extended roles for the first time.

What to Expect?

Before the game begins, the expectation is a packed stadium in Piscataway on a Friday night. Both sides will enter the Big Ten opener looking to get off to a quick start.

Once the game begins, expectations do not favor Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are 0-4 all-time against Iowa. Rutgers has scord just 17 points in four games, including being shutout twice. While it is unlikely that Rutgers does not score in this game, it will be interesting to see if it can put drives together consistently.

The ground game was strong for Iowa last season and the offensive line is going to be elite. The Rutgers' defense took a step back last season, especially against the run. This will be a major x-factor for both sides. Like many games in the Big Ten, the trenches might decide it. As of now, that favors the Hawkeyes.