Wisconsin certainly had Iowa football's number in the 2010s, but everything has changed in the 2020s.

The Hawkeyes continued their decade of dominance over the 25th-ranked Badgers with a 30-0 victory at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, marking Iowa's sixth win in seven tries against its rivals to the northeast.

The Hawkeyes improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten action, which means they have achieved bowl eligibility for the 14th consecutive season. Quarterback Hank Brown went 20-of-24 for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while the defense was as advertised.

Here are some instant observations from Iowa's win:

Interesting play selection on opening drive

Iowa's maiden drive didn't look promising after two run plays went for three yards, but the Hawkeyes caught a break when a Wisconsin defender slipped on a wheel route by tight end DJ Vonnahme, who responded with a 45-yard catch and run to set Iowa up in the red zone.

Rather than keep the Badger defense on its toes, however, the Hawkeyes ran the ball six consecutive times, which culminated in a field goal attempt instead of a touchdown. The 3rd-and-2 call from Wisconsin's six-yard line looked like it was initially supposed to be a passing play, but quarterback Hank Brown checked into a run into a five-man front.

Third down is the money down for a reason

Iowa's offense couldn't do anything last weekend, but it certainly picked the best scoring defense in the Big Ten apart in this one. The Hawkeyes didn't find much success on the early downs, but that's ok because there are four downs in football for a reason.

Iowa was on point on third down in the first half, and that was all because of quarterback Hank Brown. Brown began the game 4-for-4 on third downs, which included Vonnahme's touchdown reception in the first quarter.

Every third down conversion seemed to fire the offense up, and Wisconsin simply had no answers for it. The Hawkeyes finished 5-for-7 on third downs in the first half.

Fourth-and-goal redemption

Iowa's loss at Minnesota was attributed to many things, but one of the key plays in that game was cornerback Jaylen Watson lining up offsides on a 4th-and-goal to help the Gophers score their only touchdown of the contest.

A similar scenario occurred on Saturday, but the Hawkeyes made sure they were prepared this time. Wisconsin helped Iowa by running a jet sweep from the one-yard line, but linebacker Jayden Montgomery was all over it for the stop.

The play would ultimately be a major swing, as Iowa drove right down the field in just over three minutes to take a 17-0 lead. Though this was the highlight of the Hawkeyes' defensive day, Phil Parker's crew had the Badgers in a blender throughout the entire day, which led to starting quarterback Colton Joseph getting benched.

Vonnahme can run, too

Not only can Vonnahme catch touchdowns, he can also run the ball. It's very rare to see a handoff to a tight end in 2026, but offensive coordinator Tim Lester dialed up not one, but two jet sweeps for Vonnahme, with the latter carry resulting in a two-yard touchdown run - the first of Vonnahme's career.

TEU balling out for @gkittle46 😮‍💨@dj_vonnahme x #Hawkeyespic.twitter.com/NhnKM5YQHI

— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 31, 2026

The Boogeyman returns on Halloween

One of the things Kirk Ferentz was asked about in his Tuesday press conference was getting wide receiver Tony Diaz more touches. Diaz was heavily targeted early in the year, but slowly became less involved in the offense in conference play. Ferentz told the press that Iowa needs the ball to be in Diaz's hands more, and that's exactly what happened on Saturday.

The third-year finished with four (five targets) catches for 75 yards and one touchdown - his first score since Week 1. That's not necessarily a high volume in the receiving game, but Lester made sure to get him involved in the ground game as well, where Diaz tallied a 20-yard run to set up the Vonnahme rushing touchdown.

Up Next

The Hawkeyes return to action next Saturday, Nov. 7, for a road contest against the Northwestern Wildcats. It will be Iowa's first game in the new Ryan Field and could have very high stakes for the Wildcats, who sit at 6-1 overall before a crucial game against Oregon later today.

Kickoff time and TV destination will be announced later this weekend.