Turns out, there wasn't some mystical curse putting an artificial lid on Iowa's offense. It just took some new coaching.
In its debut under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester, No. 25 Iowa pummeled Illinois State 40-0 with 492 yards of total offense.
For a unit that ranked dead last nationally at 234.6 yards per game, the performance was a long-awaited revelation. The 492 yards were the most by a Hawkeye attack since a 644-yard explosion against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 28, 2019 -- a span of 59 games.
Quarterback Cade McNamara, a Michigan transfer, completed 21-of-31 passes for 251 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, allaying fears after he reportedly went 8-of-24 for 20 yards with a pick-six in an intrasquad scrimmage earlier this month. On the ground, Kaleb Johnson rushed 11 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns, while Kamari Moulton added 65 yards on 19 carries.
It was the first time since a 30-7 win over Kent State on Sept. 18, 2021 that the Hawkeyes surpassed 200 yards through the air and on the ground; Iowa failed to crack 200 in passing or rushing 11 times for 14 games last season.
Despite the final numbers, the new Iowa started off like the old Iowa. The Hawkeyes led just 6-0 at the half, going 3-and-out in their first two possessions and punting four times total with one turnover on downs. After halftime, Iowa punted only once while piecing together touchdown drives of 75, 66, 62, 77, and 34 yards.
While it was the first outing since 2016 without Brian Ferentz calling plays, it was also the first Iowa game since 1998 without Kirk Ferentz as the long-time head coach served a 1-game NCAA suspension.
Iowa and its new white-hot offense hosts rival Iowa State next week (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.