AMES — This looked familiar.

The good and the bad.

The defensive excellence. The impactful special teams. The underwhelming passing game. Those have become synonymous with Iowa football's recent past.

The Hawkeyes once again looked the part in each of those facets during a 16-13 loss to Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 6. That can serve as both a compliment and criticism as we try to figure out what this Hawkeye team, surrounded by so much mystery entering the season, is all about.

Iowa ’s offense, the passing game in particular, can attract scrutiny like a moth to a light.

For what good Iowa showed overall, it’s difficult to avoid that conversation yet again following the Hawkeyes' first loss of the 2025 season.

After a lackluster Iowa debut against Albany, quarterbac

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