No. 20 Iowa rolls past Rutgers 30-0, Stanley throws 3 TDs
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Nate Stanley threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns and No. 20 Iowa rolled past Rutgers 30-0 on Saturday in its Big Ten opener.
New Jersey native Ihmir Smith-Marsette caught two TD passes for the Hawkeyes (2-0, 1-0 Big Ten), who’ve allowed just 14 points in two games ahead of next week’s rivalry showdown at No. 25 Iowa State.
Stanley found Smith-Marsette and Tyrone Tracy for first-half touchdowns to help Iowa take a 20-0 lead at the break. Stanley then connected with Smith-Marsette from 23 yards out to make it 27-0.
Smith-Marsette finished with 113 yards receiving. Stanley had at least three TD passes for the 10th time with the Hawkeyes. Iowa is 10-0 in those games.
“I feel very poised, and my teammates have my back no matter what,” Stanley said.
Iowa’s defense smothered Rutgers (1-1, 0-1), which scored 48 points in its opener over UMass. The Scarlet Knights gained just 125 yards, punted 10 times and turned it over three times.
THE TAKEAWAY
Iowa: Rutgers has yet to beat a ranked league opponent since joining the Big Ten, so it’s not as though the Hawkeyes faced a ton of resistance. Still, Iowa’s defense crippled the Scarlet Knights from their opening drive, and the 97-yard touchdown drive the Hawkeyes put together in the second quarter was a good sign for their surging offense.
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights thought they had found their quarterback when McLane Carter threw for 340 yards last week. But Rutgers made the switch back to Artur Sitkowski at halftime after Carter threw for just 22 yards — only to watch Sitkowski throw for 19 in 11 attempts. Coach Chris Ash said Carter suffered an unspecified injury at the end of the half. “We have the bye week to sort it out,” Ash said.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Iowa could move up a few spots after thoroughly dominating a conference opponent.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to face rival Iowa State next week.
Rutgers has a bye next week. The Scarlet Knights host Boston College on Sept. 21.
