Deacon Hill fits with Iowa’s messy offense, and the Hawkeyes somehow win again

It was another offensive fever dream for Iowa. Deacon Hill completed just 6 of 21 passes. Yet, the Hawkeyes survived and improved to 5-1.

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Game Report: Iowa 20, Purdue 14

The Iowa Hawkeyes played their usual stout defense, rushed the football well and held on late to post a 20-14 Big Ten football win Saturday afternoon over Purdue at Kinnick Stadium.

Here's a closer look

Iowa WR Kaleb Brown was not on the field because of “personal reasons,” Kirk Ferentz said.

Kirk Ferentz says it would have been “silly” to put Joe Labas in while Deacon Hill was struggling.

Hill is “our quarterback.”

Iowa overcomes lack of passing threat in 20-14 win over Purdue

Virtually no passing game, virtually no problem for Iowa football. At least for now. The defense was effective again on Saturday as the Hawkeyes pulled away with a not-so-picturesque 20-14 win over Purdue at Kinnick Stadium.

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Final: Iowa 20, Purdue 14

The Hawkeyes are now 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten.

Purdue falls to 2-4, 1-2.

Iowa (-2.5) covered the spread.

Purdue turns it over on downs

No drama here.

Logan Lee sacked Hudson Card for a 7-yard loss on first down and Cooper DeJean broke up Card's fourth-and-10 pass, resulting in a four-and-out and Iowa ball at the Purdue 25 with 1:21 left.

Iowa goes three-and-out

Purdue kicked it deep and that bet obviously paid off. The Hawkeyes picked up seven yards on three straight runs, including a 2-yard loss on third-and-1.

Purdue takes over at its 25, trailing 20-14 with 2:00 remaining and no timeouts.

Touchdown Purdue: Boilers still in it

Devin Mockobee powered in for a 2-yard touchdown run, completing a six-play, 74-yard drive and making this a one-score game with 2:54 left.

The play of the drive was probably Hudson Card's pass that was tipped by Jay Higgins right into the hands of TJ Sheffield, who picked up 25 yards.

Iowa 20, Purdue 14 (2:54 4th)

Drew Stevens misses a 44-yard field goal

Wide right.

4:53 to go. Still 20-7 Hawkeyes.

Not great news for the Drive to 325.

Jay Higgins interception

Hudson Card was trying to avoid a sack and threw it over the middle, where Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins was ready to make a play.

The pick gives the Hawkeyes the ball at the Purdue 44.

Iowa 20, Purdue 7 (7:13 4th)

Nice pick, Jay Higgins. 👀@_jhigg x @HawkeyeFootball

📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/GxHfJifeqG

— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) October 7, 2023

Iowa goes three-and-out

Three straight runs for the Hawkeyes at midfield, two of which lost yardage.

Tory Taylor's punt went 39 yards to the Purdue 11.

Iowa 20, Purdue 7 (9:15 4th)

Purdue turns it over on downs

Joe Evans and Max Llewellyn didn't let Hudson Card get a clean throw off on fourth-and-9 from the Iowa 47. Card just launched it over his head and Cooper DeJean wisely let it fall for a turnover on downs (and intentional grounding penalty).

Iowa 20, Purdue 7 (11:30 4th)

Purdue gets a first down ... with a fumble

Nick Jackson batted down Hudson Card's second-and-5 pass, then the Boilermakers mishandled the exchange on third-and-5, only for Card to pick it up and sprint 6 yards to the Iowa 48 for a first down.

Iowa's passing game has been All or nothing, and Erick All is carrying the day.

Touchdown Iowa: Hill to All

Deacon Hill has had a rough day in his first start as a college quarterback, but you wouldn't know it based on that throw. He tossed a 22-yard strike to an open Erick All at the goal line for a touchdown.

Leshon Williams made a big play on third-and-9 with a 15-yard run to the Purdue 31.

Iowa 20, Purdue 7 (14:24 4th)

Hill ↗️ All

Erick All reels it in to extend @HawkeyeFootball's lead.

📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/zZFJyitVeS

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 7, 2023

End 3rd: Iowa 13, Purdue 7

Iowa had a 101-56 advantage in yards in the third quarter.

Penalties push Purdue back

Back-to-back holding penalties resulted in a third-and-30 for Purdue at its 14. Hudson Card's deep ball hit the ground before a diving Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen could haul it in.

Iowa takes over in Purdue territory at the 46 after a 32-yard Jack Ansell punt.

Iowa 13, Purdue 7 (1:39 3rd)

Iowa goes three-and-out

Some early success for Deacon Hill in the second half, but his third-and-4 throw here after a couple Kaleb Johnson runs was way too far.

Hill is now 5-for-19.

Purdue gets it back at its 14 after a 45-yard Tory Taylor punt.

Iowa 13, Purdue 7 (4:55 3rd)

Two second-half drives, two Purdue punts

Devin Mockobee picked up a first down with a 10-yard run, but two incomplete passes led to a Purdue punt from its 43. Hudson Card's third-and-4 throw hit Sebastian Castro in the back.

Cooper DeJean returned the punt to the Iowa 35.

Iowa 13, Purdue 7 (6:14 3rd)

Leshon Williams was WIDE open on the RB wheel route on that third-down incompletion by Hill. I mean wide open ...

Iowa's first drive of the half results in a field goal

Drew Stevens kicked a 23-yard field goal to cap a nine-play, 75-yard drive.

Deacon Hill nearly doubled his passing yards with a 27-yard completion to Erick All, then All made a leaping grab at the Purdue 6 for a 33-yard gain.

A screen pass was set up for tackle Mason Richman on the next play but it was batted down. Hill's third-down pass hit Purdue defensive back Derrick Rogers Jr. in the facemask.

Iowa 13, Purdue 7 (7:58 3rd)

Erick All is a playmaker. 💯@eallindi83 x @HawkeyeFootball

📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/UxbLEHTA1Z

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 7, 2023

Deacon Hill with his helmet on. Joe Labas with a headset on. Looks like we'll see Hill again (despite his 3-for-14 first half).

More losses for the Iowa D-line

Among the work for Iowa's D-line on Purdue's first drive: A TFL for Joe Evans and sack for Deontae Craig. That led to a third-and-14 incompletion.

Iowa starts at its 20 after a 17-yard Cooper DeJean punt return.

Iowa 10, Purdue 7 (13:35 3rd)

Halftime: Iowa 10, Purdue 7

Deacon Hill completed an 11-yard pass to Erick All, Iowa called timeout with 13 seconds left in the half ... and Hill was sacked by Mo Omonode on the next play.

Hill finished the first half 3-for-14 for 28 yards and an interception.

Iowa had 139 yards of offense in the first half, 100 of which came on two Kaleb Johnson runs (including the Hawkeyes' only touchdown).

Heck of a breakdown there for Iowa, and the icy fingers of that negate much of what had been some strong defensive work.

Touchdown Purdue: Boilers on the board just before halftime

Purdue quarterback Hudson Card and TJ Sheffield showed their athleticism on a 43-yard touchdown.

Card bought time rolling to his right and finding Sheffield, who made a couple defenders miss and found the end zone.

It was a seven-play, 69-yard drive for Purdue.

Iowa 10, Purdue 7 (0:32 2nd)

A HUGE TD late in the first half for @BoilerFootball. #BigTenSaturday pic.twitter.com/GBrI0gNWOP

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 7, 2023

Iowa field goal is blocked

Khordae Sydnor blocked Drew Stevens' 49-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-2 from the Purdue 39.

Kaleb Johnson gave the Hawkeyes a spark with a 33-yard run on the first play of the drive, followed by a 12-yard Leshon Williams gain.

Deacon Hill is now 2-for-11 passing.

Iowa 10, Purdue 0 (2:32 2nd)

Deacon Hill completes his second pass of the day, and his passer rating goes from 0.9 to 13.

Mishaps continue for the Purdue offense

Hudson Card dropped the snap on third-and-2. He still scrambled and nearly picked up the first down before Quinn Schulte stopped him just shy.

The Boilermakers punted on fourth-and-inches from their 48 and Iowa will start its next drive at its 16.

Iowa 10, Purdue 0 (5:20 2nd)

Deacon Hill's passing rating is 1. His team is ahead by 10. The Big Ten West is a fever dream.

Iowa goes three-and-out

Deacon Hill is now 1-for-9 after two more misfires on that drive. He was pressured on the third-and-8 

"You can tell right now, Deacon Hill is not comfortable at all," Peacock analyst Jason Garrett said.

Tory Taylor's punt went 57 yards and Purdue takes over at its 27.

Iowa 10, Purdue 0 (8:58 2nd)

The Hawkeyes have as many sacks so far today (three) as they had in their first five games combined.

Another sack for the Iowa D-line

Devin Mockobee converted a third-and-2 with a 9-yard run into Iowa territory, but it was downhill from there.

Aaron Graves sacked Hudson Card for an 8-yard loss and the Boilermakers were flagged for holding on the next play.

Iowa takes over at its 13.

Iowa 10, Purdue 0 (9:51 2nd)

Another sack for the Iowa D-line

Devin Mockobee converted a third-and-2 with a 9-yard run into Iowa territory, but it was downhill from there.

Aaron Graves sacked Hudson Card for an 8-yard loss and the Boilermakers were flagged for holding on the next play.

Iowa takes over at its 13.

Iowa 10, Purdue 0 (9:51 2nd)

Field goal is good

Drew Stevens kicked a 27-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter.

So, due to the second-down snap mishap, that was a four-play, minus-4 yard scoring drive following Cooper DeJean's interception.

Iowa 10, Purdue 0 (14:57 2nd)

End 1st: Iowa 7, Purdue 0

Logan Jones' second-down snap was a little hot and high and Deacon Hill had it go through his hands, resulting in a 15-yard loss.

Leshon Williams picked up 9 yards on a third-and-goal run from the 18 and Drew Stevens will line up for a field goal attempt to begin the second quarter.

Cooper DeJean nearly scores another TD

Guess who? The Kinnick crowd says it all: "Cooop."

Cooper DeJean picked off Hudson Card and returned it 41 yards to the Purdue 5.

Iowa 7, Purdue 0 (1:53 1st)

Cooper DeJean just nearly got his fourth career Pick-6.@cdejean23 x @HawkeyeFootball

📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/qine9WCsRN

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 7, 2023

Iowa's passing game remains off

Deacon hill had Kaleb Johnson open in the flat on third-and-5 but Johnson wasn't quite ready for the pass and had to reach for it. It went through his hands and Iowa punted. Hill is now 1-for-7.

Purdue takes over at its 38.

Iowa 7, Purdue 0 (2:10 1st)

Purdue has entered Iowa territory on all three drives, but has failed to score each time.

Purdue can't take advantage of the INT

Purdue drew a pass-interference penalty on Cooper DeJean in the end zone on its first play after the turnover, but couldn't do anything to take advantage.

Hudson Card was pressured by Logan Lee on third-and-4 and flagged for intentional grounding. Then Julio Macias missed a 41-yard field goal attempt.

Iowa 7, Purdue 0 (3:03 1st)

Deflection and an interception for Purdue

Deacon Hill's rough opening quarter now has an interception. And it came on probably his best pass of the game. It bounced off the hands and helmet of Seth Anderson and right to Dillon Thieneman, who returned it 26 yards to the Iowa 35.

Hill has started 1-for-5 for 13 yards and the pick.

Iowa 7, Purdue 0 (4:38 1st)

Purdue punter Jack Ansell is no Tory Taylor. Two punts. Both get 21 net yards after touchbacks.

Timing issues for Purdue

Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen got a step on Jeremari Harris but Hudson Card's third-and-10 throw to the end zone was slightly overthrown and Harris recovered to help break up the pass.

Purdue was in that situation after Card wasn't ready for an early snap that bounced off his chest and resulted in a 4-yard loss.

Iowa gets it back after a touchback.

Iowa 7, Purdue 0 (6:10 1st)

Kaleb Johnson now has 266 rushing yards vs. Purdue in 4 quarters and 5 minutes.

Touchdown Iowa: Welcome back, Kaleb Johnson

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson's first game back from injury is already a success. His 67-yard touchdown gives the Hawkeyes an early lead.

It was a two-play, 80-yard drive with Johnson accounting for all 80 yards. He had a 13-yard catch on first down.

Iowa 7, Purdue 0 (10:15 1st)

Untouched. 67-yards.@HawkeyeFootball | #BigTenSaturday pic.twitter.com/bSWxdShyRf

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 7, 2023

Iowa just got its first sack against a Power 5 conference team this season.

Joe Evans gets a TFL and sack

Garrett Miller's diving catch resulted in a third-down conversion, but Joe Evans stopped Tyrone Tracy Jr. for a 2-yard loss on the next play and appeared to sack Hudson Card for an 11-yard loss on third-down.

Purdue tried to challenge the call as it appears Card's knee actually wasn't down before he got rid of the ball, but the officials apparently realized that call can't be challenged.

Iowa gets it back with 10:58 left in the first quarter after a touchback.

Iowa loses yardage and field position on its first drive

Purdue's Sanoussi Kane dropped Kaleb Johnson for a 1-yard loss on the first play.

Deacon Hill got a chance for a deep ball on second-and-11, but his throw was too far and Purdue had it covered anyway. His third-and-11 pass was overthrown as well.

Purdue's TJ Sheffield ripped off an impressive punt return, taking Tory Taylor's 61-yard boot 48 yards to the Iowa 45.

Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson and LT Mason Richman are starting.

Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson has been fully participating in warmups so far.

Iowa OL Mason Richman (questionable) is participating in early pregame warmups.

Iowa's pregame availability report

Three players on Iowa’s two-deeps who played last week — offensive lineman Nick DeJong, defensive back Deshaun Lee and tight end Addison Ostrenga — are listed as out Saturday.

The Hawkeyes have some positive injury news at running back, though. Kaleb Johnson does not have any injury designation for the Hawkeyes’ game against Purdue after missing the Hawkeyes’ previous three games. Offensive lineman Connor Colby, whose role in the Michigan State game was limited because of an injury, also does not have an injury designation.

The Hawkeyes’ full Big Ten-mandated pregame availability report is below. First-team players are indicated with an asterisk.

OUT

• WR Jacob Bostick

• DB Deshaun Lee

• RB Jaziun Patterson

• QB Cade McNamara* (season)

• WR Reese Osgood

• DL Anterio Thompson

• OL Nick DeJong*

• TE Luke Lachey*

• TE Addison Ostrenga

• DL Chris Reames

QUESTIONABLE

• OL Mason Richman

Iowa vs. Purdue storylines

3 keys: Purdue QB Hudson Card vs. Iowa’s secondary, the Iowa offensive line giving Deacon Hill enough time to take advantage of his big arm and the Hawkeyes avoiding costly turnovers. Here’s the analysis from John Steppe.

Gameday feature: Iowa’s Jermari Harris regains confidence after persevering through a season-long injury and gambling suspension.

Purdue perspective: Tyrone Tracy Jr., the transfer from Iowa, has a new position.

Fun Facts: Iowa is 7-11-1 when it hosted Purdue for a homecoming game. Here are 20 things to know about Saturday’s game.

Data analysis: Deacon Hill “played with a lot of poise,” against Michigan State but data shows improvement is necessary.

Get to know Deacon Hill: Iowa’s water-polo-loving quarterback is now thrust into the spotlight.

Injury report: Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara will miss the rest of the season. Running back Kaleb Johnson has a “realistic” chance to play Saturday.

Iowa vs. Purdue predictions

Line: Iowa -2.5

Mike Hlas: Iowa 25, Purdue 17

John Steppe: Iowa 24, Purdue 21

Jeff Johnson: Iowa 17, Purdue 13

Rob Gray: Iowa 24, Purdue 17

Beth Malicki: Iowa 20, Purdue 17

Todd Brommelkamp: Purdue 20, Iowa 17

How to watch Iowa vs. Purdue

Kickoff time: 2:33 p.m. (CT)

TV channel: none

Live stream: Peacock — NBC’s streaming service costs $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year. Its website has information about supported devices, including mobile apps and TVs.

Peacock announcers: Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline)

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network | The Varsity Network app | SiriusXM Channel 137 or 195