IU football hits the road for the first time in 2025 on Saturday.
No. 11 Indiana is set for a big challenge at Iowa in week five, kicking off at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Hoosiers are off to a strong 4-0 start, but they haven’t beaten the Hawkeyes since 2012, and they haven’t won at Kinnick Stadium since 2007. This will be Curt Cignetti’s first time facing Iowa since he took over as IU’s head coach ahead of last season.
Here are three key matchups to watch for on Saturday.
Indiana defensive line vs. Iowa offensive line
Iowa’s offensive line is pretty clearly the best unit Indiana’s defense has faced so far this season.
Left tackle Trevor Lauck, left guard Beau Stephens, and right guard Kade Pieper all rank in the top 10 in overall Pro Football Focus grades among offensive linemen. Center Logan Jones and right tackle Gennings Dunker join them in the top 20. The Hawkeyes, as a team, are ranked 12th in the country in pass blocking grade, and they’re the nation’s No. 1 run blocking team.
Indiana’s defensive line has been dominant this season, with double-digit tackles for loss in each of the last three games. But this will be a much tougher test for that group. The Hawkeyes have not yet seen a defensive front of IU’s caliber, either, so both sides of this battle will look to uphold their reputation.
The Hoosiers’ ability to break through against UI’s offensive line could be the biggest determining factor of this game. Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski grades out very well when he’s not blitzed and is kept clean, but his grades drop significantly when he faces pressure. So expect Bryant Haines to dial up blitzes; and he’ll need guys like Mikail Kamara and Kellan Wyatt to get home and wreak havoc.
IU special teams vs. Kaden Wetjen
Senior returner Kaden Wetjen is one of Iowa’s biggest weapons on the field.
He’s leading the country with 33.6 yards per punt return, with a touchdown against UMass in week three. And he’s seventh in the nation with 35.5 yards per kick return, with a touchdown on the opening kickoff of the game against Rutgers last week.
This may be the best returner Indiana will see all season.
“A great returner, great returner. And they’ve always done a good job on kickoff return. And he took that first swing against Rutgers, he was about five yards deep and was really untouched. He’s an excellent punt returner,” Cignetti said on Monday. “We’re going to have to do a great job there, be prepared and give great effort and tackle in space, defeat blocks.”
IU could be best just avoiding giving Wetjen any opportunities. Brendan Franke has stood out on kickoff duty so far this year, consistently booming the ball into the end zone. Quinn Warren has handled punting since Mitch McCarthy got banged up against Old Dominion, and he’s performed well in limited opportunity. Warren has logged only six punts, but he’s averaging 48 yards per punt.
Regardless of whether the redshirt freshman continues punting or if McCarthy retakes the job, the Hoosiers will need to make life difficult for Wetjen — either giving him difficult balls to field, or kicking it away from him altogether.
Fernando Mendoza vs. Iowa secondary
Iowa has the toughest run defense Indiana has seen so far this season. The Hawkeyes are seventh in the country with just 60.8 rushing yards per game allowed, and rank 36th in the nation in run defense grade on PFF. The Hoosiers are also the strongest rushing offense UI has seen to date — they’re third in the nation at 308.8 rush yards per game. That matchup will be a big test for both sides, but it could easily turn into tough sledding for IU on Saturday.
But this matchup could present another opportunity for Mendoza to thrive. Iowa’s pass rush is strong — third in PFF grade — and the Hawkeyes are 32nd in the country in pass defense. But if Indiana’s offensive line can hold up the way it has to this point in the season, UI’s secondary could be exploitable. The Hawkeyes rank 60th in coverage PFF grade, and Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 330 yards against them last week. Indiana has seen an opponent grading better in coverage: Old Dominion has the 18th-best coverage grade.
Earlier in the week, Cignetti pointed out that Iowa doesn’t beat itself. The Hoosiers will have to go into Kinnick Stadium and win this game, themselves. Another strong performance by Mendoza could be their ticket to a 5-0 start.
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