By John Bohnenkamp

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Kaleb Brown has gone from where’s-he-at to oh-there-he-is in a span of two weeks.

The Iowa wide receiver, a non-factor in the Hawkeyes’ offense since his transfer from Ohio State in the spring, is suddenly making plays, and Iowa is certainly better for that.

Brown caught his first touchdown as a Hawkeye in Saturday’s 22-0 win over Rutgers at Kinnick Stadium, the clinching score in a game that helped Iowa grab a share of the Big Ten West Division title with two games left.

Brown had three catches for 27 yards, along with two rushes for 20 yards.

Pressed into increased action with the absence of an injured Diante Vines, Brown has a big, and important, role in Iowa’s passing game.

“It has been great for me, honestly,” Brown said. “I really can’t put into words what it’s like. The experience has been crazy, but it has been easy for me. Just go out and be with the guys that I am always with and just have confidence in them. So, it has been great.”

It’s a confidence that started building in last week’s 10-7 win at Northwestern. Brown had a key reception late in Iowa’s final drive that set up Drew Stevens’ game-winning field goal.

“This is all new to him, and he’s been great,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “He’s been working hard, especially these last couple weeks he’s been kind of wired in, certainly making a big play last week. He took it another step today, and we had an opportunity there with Diante being out.”

Brown had just one reception last season at Ohio State, and his transfer came with some high expectations. Getting on the field, though, required some patience.

“It definitely boosts it a whole lot,” Brown said. “Just putting out what I can do. Obviously, I have done it in practice many times, but to actually be able to go back and look at what I have done on film in a real game situation brings a whole lot of confidence knowing that I can put it on the field when I need to.”

The touchdown, he said, ignited some emotion.

“A lot of emotions, I would say,” Brown said. “Just coming back to the sidelines and realizing what is actually going on, because down on the field it is kind of like a laser focus, you are not really focused on anything else but the opportunity and your job. It was just crazy to think about, like, I worked for this for so long. For it to finally pour out, I would just say it is really emotional.”

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SHUTDOWN DAY: Iowa held Rutgers to just 127 yards. The Hawkeyes shut down running back Kyle Monangai, the Big Ten’s leading rusher, holding him to just 39 yards.

That work began up front, linebacker Nick Jackson said.

“I think it starts with the defensive line, a lot,” he said. “Those guys playing the blocks and just really being physical in the run game, trying to get them out of the things that they really like to do. That was a heck of a football team to just play against. We knew going in that they had a great quarterback and running back, but I think we did a really great job.”

Rutgers ran just 41 plays compared to Iowa’s 77. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt was 7-of-18 passing for 93 yards and one interception. That pick, from safety Quinn Schulte, set up Iowa’s final touchdown of the game.

Jackson wanted to play more of a role in that interception.

“I ran as fast as I could,” he said, “and I didn’t block anybody.”

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VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE: Rutgers has lost back-to-back games, and coach Greg Schiano knows time is running out for his team.

“Iowa is exactly what I thought they were,” he said. “They sure played well today, and we need to play better and coach better to have a chance to win against a team like that. Very disappointed, but not discouraged. This team will come back. They have every time this year.”

Schiano pointed to Iowa’s November record.

​​“Everybody is limited at this time of the year,” he said. “They had guys playing that were bumped up. It’s a matter of, ‘Are you able to go?’ In November, it’s harder. That’s just the way it is. These guys have been 16-1 in the month of November. It’s tough, they do a really good job.”