Four games into the 2026 season, Iowa is undefeated. The Hawkeyes have two shutouts, a Cy-Hawk victory, and now a win in the Big House. Iowa has plenty of reasons to be 4-0. The offense has shown an explosiveness we haven't seen consistently in years, and the defense remains unmistakably Iowa.
But there's another piece of this team that deserves considerably more attention.
Iowa's special teams have been special.
Through four games, they haven't simply complemented the offense and defense. They've helped win football games.
Special Teams Are Changing Games
It started in Week 1. Evan James introduced himself to Kinnick Stadium with a 77-yard punt return touchdown against Northern Illinois. Through Iowa's first three games, James had already accumulated 148 punt-return yards while averaging 21.1 yards per return.
Then came Iowa State. In a game where every possession and every yard mattered, Caden Buhr essentially became Iowa's offense. The Bettendorf native went 3-for-3 on field goals, connecting from 45, 32 and 42 yards. The final kick came with 15 seconds remaining and delivered a 16-13 Cy-Hawk victory. Ten of Iowa's 16 points came from Buhr's leg, and he was subsequently named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.
Even the less glamorous part has been excellent. Punter Boston Everitt averaged 44.1 yards through his first 13 punts as a Hawkeye, with nine downed inside the 20. Against Iowa State alone, four of his six punts were downed inside the 20. That's the kind of field-position advantage Iowa has built its identity around for years.
Then came Ann Arbor.
Michigan scored first Saturday. Iowa needed exactly 13 seconds to answer. Braeden Jackson took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to the house, tying the game and completely erasing Michigan's early momentum. It was Iowa's first kickoff return of the season and the first kickoff-return touchdown Michigan had allowed since 2019.
Four games into the season, Iowa's special teams have already produced a punt-return touchdown, a kickoff-return touchdown, a game-winning field goal, and consistently excellent field position from the punting unit.
That's not a supporting cast. That's a weapon.
And Now There's an Offense
Perhaps the biggest difference with this Iowa team is that special teams and defense aren't being asked to do everything. The offense has flashed legitimate firepower.
Iowa opened the season with 507 yards against Northern Illinois, including 298 on the ground. Kamari Moulton ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries.
Two weeks later, the Hawkeyes exploded for 640 yards against Northern Iowa, the second-highest total of the Kirk Ferentz era and the most under offensive coordinator Tim Lester. They rushed for 422 yards, the most of the Ferentz era, and produced three different 100-yard rushers.
Iowa has already topped 500 yards twice this season. The last time the Hawkeyes had multiple 500-yard games in the same season was 2006.
Saturday at Michigan showed something different.
Michigan took away the running game, holding Iowa to just 58 rushing yards. So Hank Brown threw it. Brown finished with 227 yards and two touchdowns, then took possession at his own 9-yard line with 1:46 remaining and drove Iowa 91 yards.
With two seconds left and the game sitting on fourth down, Brown found Reece Vander Zee for the 16-yard touchdown that stunned the Big House.
That's an important development. Iowa has already demonstrated it can bludgeon teams on the ground. Saturday showed it may also have a quarterback who can win a game when the run isn't there.
The Defense Is Still the Defense
And then there's Phil Parker's group.
Eight first-time starters entered the season opener. The result was a shutout. Northern Illinois managed only 120 total yards and seven first downs.
Two weeks later, Iowa shut out Northern Iowa while allowing only 155 yards and nine first downs. Through three games, Iowa led the nation in both scoring defense and total defense, allowing just 4.3 points and 176.7 yards per game. The Hawkeyes had surrendered one touchdown in 12 quarters.
Michigan finally landed some punches Saturday, piling up 429 yards. But even there, Iowa's defense produced one of the game's defining moments. With Michigan threatening in the third quarter, Deshaun Lee intercepted Bryce Underwood at the Iowa 2-yard line.
Michigan had the yards. Iowa got the possession that mattered.
That's Iowa football.
This Team Is Starting to Look Different
Four games don't make a season, and nobody needs to explain to Iowa fans what comes next. Ohio State is coming to Kinnick.
But this isn't simply another Iowa team trying to survive with defense, field position, and just enough offense. Through four weeks, we've seen three different paths to victory.
We've seen an offense put up 507 yards and then 640. We've seen a defense pitch two shutouts. We've seen a kicker win the Cy-Hawk game, a punt returned 77 yards for a touchdown and a kickoff returned 99 yards for another in the Big House.
And when Iowa needed 91 yards with 1:46 remaining Saturday, the offense went and got them.
Offense, defense, and special teams are all contributing. But through four games, that third phase has been something else.
It's been special.
And at 4-0, Iowa suddenly has the opportunity to find out just how special this season can become.
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Two Seconds. One Unforgettable Finish.
Some wins deserve a permanent place in Hawkeye history. Iowa walked into the Big House and walked out with a 20-19 win when Hank Brown found Reece Vander Zee for the game-winning touchdown with 00:02 left on the clock.
We turned those final two seconds into a shirt. The 00:02 — No Extra Time Necessary tee captures the scoreboard, the moment and a win Hawkeye fans won’t soon forget.
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