Iowa made short work of Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon, trouncing the Blue Raiders 48-3 at Kinnick Stadium to remain unbeaten. The Hawkeyes did exactly what was expected of them against a C-USA opponent, holding Middle Tennessee to 216 yards of offense. With the win, Iowa could push up a spot and will certainly remain locked in the low teens when the next AP Top 25 comes out on Sunday.
Nate Stanley threw for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17-of-25 passing, while Mekhi Sargent, Toren Young, and Tyler Goodson had a field day against the Blue Raiders on the ground. The trio finished with 319 yards on 37 carries. As a team the Hawkeyes scored four rushing touchdowns.
The degree of difficulty increases in a big way for Kirk Ferentz’s team once the calendar shifts to October. Iowa heads to Ann Arbor to face Michigan in Week 6, then follows up with home dates against Penn State and Purdue before closing out the month at Northwestern. Win all four and the Hawkeyes will be knocking on the door of the top 10.