The non-conference finale is already here. 

No. 18 Iowa football is gearing up for another in-state matchup against 1-1 Northern Iowa at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday (3 p.m., FS1), and we're right in the middle of previewing it. 

Here are five Hawkeyes to keep an eye on against the Panthers. 

Kirk Ferentz still hasn't declared a full-time starting quarterback, so as far as we know, the competition between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski is still ongoing. Brown appears to have the inside track to earning the full-time job after throwing for nearly 200 yards against Iowa State, but if there was ever a spot to turn Hecklinski loose, it's this game. 

Though it may be slightly improved from last year's 3-9 squad, UNI is clearly out-matched in this one. Playing an FCS team wouldn't be the best evaluation tool for Hecklinski and the coaching staff, but if this battle remains undecided as Ferentz says it is, then Hecklinski should see a high volume of snaps against the Panthers. 

It's worth mentioning that Ferentz revealed during his weekly press conference that Brown is likely to start under center (though it's subject to change), so we'll see if Iowa opts to revert back to the rotation it employed against Northern Illinois. 

Hawkeye fans expected a lot of things to go wrong against Iowa State, but few anticipated Iowa struggling to run the ball as much as it did last weekend. After rushing for nearly 300 yards against Northern Illinois, the Hawkeyes managed just 93 against the Cyclones. 

Ferentz isn't too concerned about the lack of production because of the physical nature he expected to see in the Cy-Hawk Game, but the struggles are something to monitor with Big Ten play right around the corner. Look for the offensive line to assert its dominance against a lesser opponent in Northern Iowa and work out some much-needed kinks before the big trip to Michigan next weekend. 

DJ Vonnahme is unlikely to play against Northern Iowa, which leaves the No. 1 tight end spot in this game wide-open for Addison Ostrenga. His story has been told a lot here, but Ostrenga is back for one final year of college football after missing most of 2025 due to an Achilles injury. Iowa hasn't involved its tight ends very much this year because of the emergence of Tony Diaz, but if there's a chance to spread the ball around the field, it's against UNI.

Look for offensive coordinator Tim Lester to take advantage of the size mismatch in the middle of the field and get his tight ends involved on Saturday. 

The Hawkeyes have used the return game as a second offense over the last few years, but believe it or not, they haven't had a chance to return a kick this season. Northern Illinois' only kickoff was the opening kick, and Iowa State kicker Kyle Konrardy's powerful leg sent all of his kicks through the back of the end zone. 

Iowa is going to get its chance sooner than later, and it feels like the first opportunities could be coming on Saturday. The man receiving those returns back deep will be third-year running back Brevin Doll, and if you've read our countdown piece about him, you'll know all about the explosiveness he can bring as a returner. 

The full scouting report on UNI will be coming later on Wednesday, but here's one nugget we noticed when watching the Panthers on film: there's going to be plenty of opportunities in the return game, especially up the right sideline. 

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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]