By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – While one game certainly doesn’t make or break a college football team’s season, Friday’s matchup between Iowa and Washington in Seattle could go a long way in determining how both teams handle the rest of their schedule.

Iowa is trying to avoid losing back-to-back Big Ten games before entering its bye week, while Washington is trying to avoid starting 0-3 in conference play.

With a win on Friday, Iowa would would have momentum entering the bye week and a remaining schedule in which all six games look winnable.

Iowa is currently 4-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play; winning 20-19 at Michigan on Sept. 26 and losing to Ohio State 31-14 this past Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

Washington, on the other hand, just needs to win a conference game to have something good to feel about again, and to keep its season from unraveling under third-year head coach Jedd Fisch.

The Huskies started 3-0 but have since lost to Minnesota at home and to USC on the road by scores of 27-24 and 25-21, respectively.

“They started out 3-0, looked really good,” said Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. “Now, they have two losses in Big Ten play, three points and four points, seven points combined. Both games were really competitive against two good teams involved in both of them. They’re a good football team.

“Jedd’s a really good coach. He’s done a great job up there in a short time in his third season right now and just have a good football team.”

Unlike with Iowa where it’s uncertain who will start at quarterback in Friday’s game, there is no mystery about who will line up behind center for the Huskies.

Demond Williams isn’t even halfway through his third season, and yet, he already ranks third on Washington’s all-time rushing list for quarterbacks with 1,084 yards.

He also has passed for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns this season after having passed for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns last season.

Williams is listed at just 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, but what he might lack in size he makes up for with his athleticism and with his throwing accuracy.

“Quarterback is extremely dynamic, one of the better players in the country from what I can tell,” Kirk Ferentz said of Williams.

Washington is only averaging 109.0 rushing yards per game, but that is partly due to suffering multiple injuries at the running back position.

The Huskies are also 130th in the nation and dead last in the Big Ten on third down, converting just 29% of the time. They also have committed four turnovers in the last three games, and the pass blocking has left much to be desired.

Washington’s  defense, on the other hand, has been pretty solid against the run, allowing just 111.4 rushing yards per game, while Washington’s special teams have also performed at a high level.

Washington kicker Tyler Robles has made 7-of-9 field-goal attempts, with a long from 49 yards, while punter Hunter Green is averaging a whopping 47.7 yards on 24 attempts.

“They do a good job in really all areas there, and they’re good on special teams,” Kirk Ferentz said. “It’s what you’d expect from a good team, good program.”

As for the Hawkeyes, it appears that third-year quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski will make his first career start in Friday’s game, replacing Hank Brown, who injured his right shoulder late in the third quarter against Ohio State and did not return.

There has been no official announcement that Hecklinski will start on Friday, but as of Tuesday, Brown was limited to just some light throwing.

Brown and Hecklinski both were listed as co-starters throughout preseason practice and they both played in the first half of the season opener against Northern Illinois.

However, Brown then played the entire game against Iowa State and has started all five games this season.

He also threw a touchdown pass as time expired to beat Michigan 20-19 in the Big House while playing the entire game.

“I don’t think there’s any downside to having two good players,” Kirk Ferentz said. “We feel good about Hank. Right now it’s just a matter of can he go physically? Based on what I know thus far — and he’s still got three days here, so anything can happen — but based on what I know thus far, it would be foolish for us to say he’s starting. If he does, great. If he doesn’t, we go with Jeremy, and we’re ready to do it.

“I guess the good news is one benefit about it being so close, it’s so far proven to be accurate. Whoever’s in there is the guy we’ll go with and not worry about it. We’ll have a week after this game is over to contemplate and see where things are. We’ll have more information then too. Really our focus is just on getting ready.”

Hecklinski, who played his true freshman season at Wake Forest, has appeared in three games so far this season. He played the entire fourth quarter against Ohio State, completing all five of his passes for 67 yards.

“I complimented Heck the way he jumped in there and never really flinched on Saturday,” Kirk Ferentz said. “Again, he’ll do the same thing this week. I don’t know why he wouldn’t.”

And though Iowa is averaging 180.2 rushing yards per game, it has also been held to fewer than 100 rushing yards against the three power-conference opponents it has faced this season: Iowa State (93), Michigan (58) and Ohio State (39).

In the other two games against Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes ran wild, gaining 289 and 422 rushing yards, respectively, while winning both games by a combined score of 95-0.

Starting right guard Kade Pieper was asked on Tuesday what has to happen for the running game to be more productive against power-conference opponents.

“I say just continue to work at practice and just try and get better every single day,” Pieper said. “Work on our fundamentals and continue to go at it.”

Washington is led in rushing by first-year running back Brian Bonner with 215 yards on 41 attempts. He has started the last four games after the position was decimated by injuries.

Both teams will likely try to establish the run early, and in Iowa’s case, a productive ground game would be beneficial for Hecklinski as he will almost certainly face a loaded box.

Hecklinski also doesn’t have the same running skills that Demond Williams has as a quarterback.

The Iowa defense will have to guard against Williams scrambling from the pocket when a play breaks down, whereas the Washington defense won’t face the same running threat at quarterback.

Iowa has a history of struggling in West Coast games under Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 28th season as head coach.

Something will have to give on Friday as Washington tries to win its first Big Ten game this season, while Iowa tries to win a game on the West Coast for a change.

Friday’s game looks close on paper, and will likely be close on the field.

Turnovers could ultimately be the difference, but the team that has the most success running the ball would probably be hard to beat.

Assuming Hecklinski starts the game, he has to protect the football and hope that his running game finally rises to the occasion against a power-conference opponent.

However, that’s a lot to ask from the up-and-down Iowa running game, especially on the road against a hungry and desperate power-conference opponent.

Washington is way overdue to have a strong performance where the ball bounces its way and where it takes advantage of playing at home on a Friday night against a team from the Midwest that hasn’t played a game west of Iowa City so far this season.

Iowa is also coming off two emotional games against traditional Big Ten powers in Michigan and Ohio State and now has to travel halfway across the country to face a wounded opponent with its back against the wall.

Prediction: Washington 24, Iowa 23.

**********

No. 20/18 Iowa (4-1, 1-1) vs. Washington (3-2, 0-2)

When: Friday, 8:05 p.m.

Where: Seattle, Washington, Husky Stadium (70,138)

TV: Fox or FS1

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Series history:  Friday’s game will be the eighth meeting in the all-time series between Iowa and Washington. It is the
Hawkeyes’ first trip to Seattle since 1963 — a 17-7 Iowa victory.

Iowa leads the series, 4-3, with the Hawkeyes bringing a two-game winning streak into Husky Stadium. Iowa is 1-1 all-time in Seattle.

The Hawkeyes won the first meeting between the two schools as Big Ten foes, downing Washington, 40-16, in 2024 in Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa has met Washington three times in bowl games, falling twice in the Rose Bowl in 1981 and 1990 before winning the 1995 Sun Bowl, 38-18.

**********

SERIES RESULTS

9/25/1937 L 0-14 (A)

10/5/1963 W 17-7 (A)

10/3/1964 W 28-18 (#10) (H)

1/1/1981 L 0-28 (#16) (Pasadena, Calif.)

1/1/1990 L 34-46 (Pasadena, Calif.)

12/29/1995 W 38-18 (#20) (El Paso, Texas)

10/12/2024 W 40-16 (H)