By Pat Harty

There is a part of the Iowa fan base, or so it seems, that believes Jeremy Hecklinski is Iowa’s best option at quarterback.

This observation is based on personal feedback, and on fan chatter on social media.

Ever since Hecklinski lit it up at the Kids Day practice with four touchdown passes in mid-August, his fan club has grown.

The Hecklinski hype cooled after Hank Brown led Iowa to a 20-19 win at Michigan on Sept. 26 by throwing a touchdown pass as time expired.

Brown also passed for 143 yards against Michigan in the fourth quarter alone, so he clearly had momentum and the starting job firmly in his grasp heading into last Saturday’s game against Ohio State.

But then Brown struggled in the 31-14 loss to the Buckeyes before leaving the game late in the third quarter with a shoulder injury, which now reportedly has him only available for Friday’s game at Washington in an emergency whatever that means.

The fans that have been asking for Hecklinski to get a chance to start a game will now get their wish in a game that has huge significance for both teams.

Iowa is trying to avoid losing back-to-back games heading into a bye week, while Washington is trying to avoid starting 0-3 in Big Ten play.

The competition between Brown and Hecklinski was so close that they both were listed as co-starters throughout preseason practice and through the first two games, though Brown played the entire game against Iowa State in week two, giving the impression that the competition had been settled.

Brown also went the distance against Michigan and was probably on the verge of doing it against Ohio State before being injured.

Some fans believe that Hecklinski hasn’t been given a fair shot to show what he can do, but now here comes that fair shot halfway across the country.

If Hecklinski were to play well and Iowa wins, then Kirk Ferentz wouldn’t necessarily have a quarterback controversy, but he would have a decision to make at quarterback moving forward.

Barring a historical performance by Hecklinski against Washington, it’s hard to envision Kirk Ferentz demoting Brown based on just one game in which Brown was injured.

Hecklinski took three snaps while playing for Wake Forest as a true freshman in 2024. He then appeared briefly in two games for Iowa last season, and has played in three games this season, passing for 208 yards and one touchdown.

So from an experience standpoint, Hecklinski doesn’t have much to fall back on.

His top priority in Friday’s game will be to protect the football at all times.

He has been known to takes risks as a passer, but that’s also part of what makes him appealing to some fans.

Hecklinski isn’t afraid to take chances, partly because he believes in his ability, and because that’s how he likes to play quarterback.

But he also has to remember what his head coach expects from his starting quarterback, and that is to protect the football first and foremost.

Hecklinski is only listed at 5-foot-11 and 201 pounds, so it’s reasonable to assume that the Washington defenders will try hard to knock down his passes at the line of scrimmage.

The Iowa running game has been held to fewer than 100 rushing yards in each of the three games against power-conference opponents this season, and if that were to happen against Washington, then Hecklinski could be in trouble.

Sometimes, switching quarterbacks provides a spark, and maybe this will be one of those times for Iowa.

If the competition truly was as close between Brown and Hecklinski as we were led to believe heading into the season, then there shouldn’t be much of drop-off for at Iowa at quarterback, if any.

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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

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.

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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)