Midway through Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz's third weekly press conference of the season, the simple question was asked. 

"Is Hank Brown your starting quarterback?" 

Ferentz wasn't surprised by the question since he's been asked about quarterbacks in every press conference he's had in 2026, but yet again, the answer wasn't clear. 

Ferentz said Brown would probably start Saturday's non-conference finale against Northern Iowa (3 p.m., FS1), but when asked further about if Jeremy Hecklinski would take over at some point like he did against Northern Illinois, there was no definitive answer. 

"We really haven't had a conversation about how we're going to handle it yet, but I think just broad-based, I'd say this: We will have that conversation," Ferentz said at his weekly press conference on Sept. 15. "I think we all have confidence that both of them are good players right now." 

Though Brown may have the inside track to the starting role after receiving the bulk of the No. 1 reps, it appears nothing is decided in Iowa's building just yet. The lack of a clear-cut decision may frustrate some fans, but Ferentz did provide plenty of other updates about his football team during his weekly presser. 

Here are the top things to know: 

After tallying nearly 300 yards on the ground against Northern Illinois, the Hawkeyes took a step back against the Cyclones. Iowa totaled just 93 yards against a physical Iowa State defensive front, and with Big Ten play right around the corner, Hawkeye fans were questioning if this unit wouldn't be able to produce in big games. 

That question will remained unanswered until the conference opener at Michigan on Sept. 26, but Ferentz, who gave Iowa State the bulk of the credit for the run deficiencies, is confident his team can win in other ways if the run game is taken away. 

For instance, Brown completed 70% of his passes and threw for nearly 200 yards in the Cy-Hawk win. 

"Then again, if people are going to truly shut off the run, that's where we've got to be able to answer with something, counter it and have some answers there, and I thought we found ways to do that on Saturday as well," Ferentz said. 

College football continues to evolve on a seemingly daily basis these days, and while the transfer portal has helped struggling programs (Texas Tech) vault to national championship contention overnight, but it's also made things difficult at the FCS level. Talent retention is rare, which means most teams in the FCS feature new rosters every year. 

There's no question Iowa will have a major talent gap against Northern Iowa (the Hawkeyes are a 41.5-point favorite), so it begs the question: is it fair for a strong FBS program like Iowa to play a rebuilding FCS squad in UNI? 

The question was posed by longtime Iowa reporter Scott Dochterman, and while Dochterman made a valid point, Ferentz was quick to remind the attending press of the Hawkeyes' near-loss to the Panthers in 2009. 

We've already covered this infamous matchup here, but you get what Ferentz is trying to say. Every opponent shouldn't be taken lightly, and the respect for second-year UNI coach Todd Stepsis was clear, as Ferentz called him "a really good football coach." 

"You have to go in to every game with the right attitude and right respect for your opponent and what it takes to be successful, and I think that'll never change," Ferentz said. 

Iowa didn't have many injuries prior to the Iowa State game, but the physical nature of that contest resulted in some new additions to the injury report. 

Tight end DJ Vonnahme and running back Kamari Moulton both suffered injuries against the Cyclones. Ferentz doubts Vonnahme will be ready to play on Saturday, while Moulton is day-to-day after leaving the Iowa State game in the fourth quarter. Ferentz didn't specifically mention other names, but did say there's other players that are experiencing battle scars from last weekend's game. 

As for the two holdovers - defensive back Tyler Brown and running back L.J. Phillips - they are both making good progress but are unlikely to play against Northern Iowa. Ferentz didn't completely rule out Phillips returning this weekend, which could be a good sign for him returning for the Big Ten opener at Michigan. 

Brown, who transferred in from James Madison, hasn't been available this year due to a lingering injury that hampered him throughout fall camp. He's also starting to get some work in, per Ferentz. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]