No. 22 Iowa uses defense, Moulton’s running game to beat Northern Illinois 40-0

Iowa City, Iowa – In a dominant performance during their season opener, No. 22 Iowa defeated Northern Illinois 40-0 on Saturday. Quarterback Kamari Moulton led the Hawkeyes with a career-high 183 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Iowa defense was equally impressive, shutting down Northern Illinois throughout the game. Moulton surpassed his previous career high of 114 yards in the first quarter, with 132 yards on touchdown runs of 50 and 37 yards.

In the quarterback battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski, Brown started and completed key plays, while Hecklinski made his first appearance in the game. Iowa's offense moved efficiently, with a 507-120 edge in offensive yards compared to Northern Illinois. Despite Northern Illinois' early struggles, they did score a touchdown on a pass-interference penalty against Iowa in the third quarter.

The Hawkeyes held on to win their season debut with ease, setting the tone for the rest of the season.