Wisconsin Must Take Advantage of Iowa's Glaring Quarterback Problem

As the old saying goes, when you have two quarterbacks, you really have none.

No program in college football is more familiar with that reality right now than Iowa. The Hawkeyes, who were 5-1 and ranked No. 15 in the country before they fell on the road at Minnesota, somehow managed to hide their glaring issue at quarterback for most of the first half the season. But it came back to bite them in Week 8 in Minneapolis.

Some context: Iowa facilitated one of the more public quarterback battles in the country this offseason, letting senior and former Auburn transfer Hank Brown battle it out with junior Jeremy Hecklinski all summer long. The battle continued into the regular season, with both quarterbacks seeing time until Iowa finally appeared to settle on Brown right around its Week 4 win over Michigan.

However, Brown got banged up against Ohio State, which forced the Hawkeyes to pivot to Hecklinski for the game against Washington. Hecklinski proceeded to throw for 202 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-19 passing in that game, dicing up the Huskies with an efficiency Iowa hadn't seen from its gunslingers yet. That performance led Iowa to promote Hecklinski to the starting role after the bye week. That lasted for about two quarters.

With under five minutes to go in the first half against Minnesota, and Hecklinski 9-for-16 passing with 62 yards and an interception, Iowa pulled him in favor of Brown. He didn't fare that much better, completing 11-of-22 passes for 136 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

All told, Iowa's quarterbacks were 20-of-37 passing (54% completion) for 198 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions against the Gophers. Brown also fumbled once, though the Hawkeyes managed to recover it.

All of that is to say: Iowa has a major problem at quarterback.

What's next for the Hawkeyes at QB?

All summer long, as head coach Kirk Ferentz insisted that the battle between Brown and Hecklinski was razor thin, it wasn't hard to read between the lines. It's not that I didn't believe him that neither quarterback was separating themselves; it's more about what that implied about both signal-callers and the implications for Iowa's offense.

A narrow position battle at quarterback isn't always a good thing. As in the case with Iowa this season, it sometimes points to two players who aren't particularly impressive, rather than two talented candidates jockeying for position.

Now, more than halfway into the season, the Hawkeyes must grapple with massive question marks at the most important position on the field. Sound familiar, Badgers fans?

Of course, Wisconsin hasn't gotten the prettiest quarterback play as of late either. The last two weeks combined, Colton Joseph is just 18-of-30 passing for 124 yards and one touchdown (with 103 rushing yards and a score on the ground as well). But the Badgers, at the very least, know what they're about at quarterback. They lean on Joseph's mobility and don't put the game entirely on his right arm. Iowa still doesn't even know who gives them the best shot at quarterback.

If you're even slightly familiar with the battle for the Heartland Trophy, you know that quarterback play is secondary to who wins the battle in the trenches. But Iowa is currently in the kind of quarterback purgatory Wisconsin was in for the entirety of the 2025 season; the Badgers must take advantage Saturday in Iowa City.