IOWA CITY, Iowa – Running Back Derrick Mitchell Jr. was the shiny car in the garage about which Iowa fans heard good things. Finally, on Saturday, the Hawkeye faithful saw what he looked like out in the open.

After making his 2015 debut on special teams Sept. 19 against Pittsburgh, the St. Louis native carried seven times for 52 yards (7.4 YPC) in his team’s 62-16 demolition of North Texas Saturday here at Kinnick Stadium. That output included a 14-yard loss on a double-reverse play on his first carry that led to a fumble.

Mitchell bounced back to rip off a 45-yard run in the fourth quarter. It’s been a comeback season of sorts for him.

The 6-foot-1, 212-pounder missed Week 1 with an injury. He was sent home from Ames by Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz on the Friday before the Iowa State game in Week 2 after he received a letter from the Iowa administration. He was suspended from the team for four days before being reinstated after meeting with Ferentz and telling his side of the story.

"It’s always fun it’s just getting out there and playing again. I haven’t played in almost a year so it feels good just being out there again, running the ball behind the offensive line," Mitchell Jr. said of finally getting to carry the ball. He switched to running back from wide receiver after last season and ascended to No. 3 on the depth chart in August camp.

With LeShun Daniels nursing an ankle injury after beginning the season as the team’s starter, Mitchell Jr. could very well be needed when Iowa opens the Big Ten season next week at Wisconsin (11 a.m. CT, ESPN). Jordan Canzeri is the current No. 1 who’s performing well but isn’t likely to carry 30 times in a game.

"It was to run hard, get hit a little bit, protect the football so I can pretty much get ready for next week and get a game feel," Mitchell Jr. said of his approach against North Texas.

Said Ferentz: "It was good start for him. It was good to get him in in live contact. He’s had nagging injuries too which is frustrating for him and frustrating for all of us. Good to see him playing live action. That’s a start certainly."

Things did not begin well for Mitchell. He mishandled a handoff from receiver Matt Vandeberg on his first carry and the Mean Green recovered it before scoring on the next play.

"Everything was moving so fast. I didn’t run the play earlier this week so it was kind of just a little mix-up. I got in there and just did what I could. The defense went out and got scored on but we bounced back," said Mitchell Jr., who said he didn’t practice that play with Vandeberg this week.

Mitchell Jr.’s highlight came in the fourth quarter when he bursted through a hole on the right side of the line and sprinted 45 yards before being wrestled down. He thought he could have gone all the way.

"It was just go out there and make a play and hold to the ball. I just got to the open spot and just try to get downfield and get what I could. I think I could have broke it if I would have put the ball in my other hand. Some of the coaches said I wasn’t trusting my speed on that," he said.

Mitchell Jr. is hoping the injuries and off-field issues are behind him so he can contribute to a team off to its first 4-0 start since 2009.

"It’s been up and down. That’s just part of the whole thing. That’s part of the process. There are ups and downs. It’s just how you bounce back. I bounced back. The coaches believed in me and I came out here and made a couple big plays. That’s just how it goes," he said.

INJURY REPORT: If there was a downside to Saturday’s big win, it was that the list of Iowa injuries grew. The news didn’t seem to concern Ferentz.

"I think the guys that are out of the game are going to be fine. You know, we’ve had some nagging injuries with a lot of players," the coach said.

Starting Left Tackle Boone Myers exited the game with what appeared to be a left arm/shoulder injury and did not return. He left the field in street clothes at game’s end.

"Boone’s one of those guys (with a nagging injury)," Ferentz said. "The big thing we want to do is make sure we weren’t going backwards and Cole Croston jumped in and did a great job. We’ve had confidence in him all along."

Strong Safety Miles Taylor (undisclosed), who started the first three games of the season, was replaced in the starting lineup by Anthony Gair, who later left the contest with what appeared to be a leg injury. Kevin Ward was the next man in at that position.

"Just a lot of soft tissue stuff that popped up late in the week actually, so we worked several guys up before the game today and Miles, just we were worried about it, so we hauled him out. Though he did sneak in for two plays, which I don’t mind telling you it worried me a little bit," Ferentz said.

Drew Ott (elbow) returned to the starting lineup on Saturday but still was limited. Daniels (ankle) still did not look like himself and was limited to 21 yards on five carries.

Jake Duzey saw his first action of the year on Saturday after undergoing off-season knee surgery.

"He got in there and looked like he did okay," Ferentz said. "I wasn’t watching him specifically, but I thought he did a good job. The last two weeks he’s making progress.

"I wouldn’t call him a hundred percent yet, but at least he’s making progress. To get him in the game and have him play a little bit should be good for his confidence."

SPECIAL TEAM UNITS: Here’s a look at how the Hawkeyes lined up with their return and coverage teams.

-Kick Return: Desmond King, Riley McCarron, Cole Fisher, Aaron Mends, Adam Cox, Travis Perry, Jacob Hillyer, Brandon Snyder, Derrick Mitchell Jr., Drake Kulick, Macon Plewa.

-Kick Coverage: Marshall Koehn, Travis Perry, Anthony Gair, Maurice Fleming, Brandon Snyder, Bo Bower, Sean Draper, Jordan Lomax, Cole Fisher, Aaron Mends.

-Punt Return: Maurice Fleming, Jameer Outsey, Bo Bower, Jacob Hillyer, Kevin Ward, Anthony Gair, Desmond King, Aaron Mends, Travis Perry, Josh Jackson, Riley McCarron.

-Punt Coverage: Nathan Bazata, Dillon Kidd, Josey Jewell, Tyler Kluver, Kevin Ward, Travis Perry, Josh Jackson, Riley McCarron, Brandon Snyder, Macon Plewa, Cole Fisher.

EXTRA POINTS: Iowa’s 62 points scored are the most by a Hawkeye team since scoring 62 against Northwestern in 2002…Ferentz has 119 wins as a member of the Big Ten Conference, tying Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez (119) for ninth in conference history…Iowa is 11-1 in the month of September over the last three seasons…Hawkeye Quarterback C.J. Beathard opened Saturday’s game with 15 straight completed passes, the best start by a Big Ten quarterback since Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson (16-16) in 2011…Beathard is undefeated in five career starts. His statistics include 92-of-147 (62.6) passing for 1,207 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions, and 180 yards rushing with three rushing touchdowns…Iowa RB Jordan Canzeri rushed for four touchdowns Saturday, tying the school record. It was the sixth time in program history a player rushed for four touchdowns, most recently by Shonn Green against Wisconsin in 2008…WR Tevaun Smith’s 81-yard touchdown reception was Iowa’s longest touchdown from scrimmage since Jake Duzey’s 85-yard touchdown reception at Ohio State in 2013. The reception was a career long for Smith, and the pass was a career best for Beathard…Smith had four catches for a career-high 115 yards. It is the first 100-yard receiving game of his career…TE George Kittle 43-yard touchdown reception was the first touchdown of his Hawkeye career…Iowa DB Desmond King averaged 35.5 yards on two punt returns. His 38-yard yard return in the first quarter was a career long. King also had a career-long 40-yard kickoff return. He averaged 27.3 yards on four kickoff returns…The Hawkeyes missed an extra point for the first time in since Oct. 30, 2010 against Michigan State, a span of 59 games. Iowa had connected on 185 straight PAT attempts…Hawkeye LB Josey Jewell recorded the first interception of his career, returning it 34 yards for a touchdown. LB Bo Bower returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It is the seventh longest interception return in school history…Iowa added a "TS" sticker to its helmets in honor of late Hawkeye safety Tyler Sash.