Oct 9, 2026 11:57 PM

The Huskies will be looking for their first ranked and Big Ten win of the season.

SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies football team will be looking for its first ranked and Big Ten victory of the season against the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes at 6 p.m. PT on Friday at Husky Stadium.

The Huskies will have an advantage in the game, with starting Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown likely out due to an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder.

Here are three things to look for in Washington's game against Iowa:

Can pass defense continue to perform?

The Huskies secondary had a solid performance in the team's last game, a 25-21 loss to the No. 19 Southern California (USC) Trojans on Oct. 3. The team saw the full returns of fourth-year cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, third-year nickelback/free safety Rahshawn Clark and second-year corner Dylan Robinson had what head coach Jedd Fisch and defensive coordinator called his best game of the season.

Related stories

Iowa's run game is averaging just 2.6 yards per carry against Big Ten opponents this season. The team's defensive line has been the best unit on the roster this season, which will likely mean the Hawkeyes will look to the passing game to find openings against the UW defense.

With junior backup quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski under center, the secondary will have an opportunity to completely neutralize Iowa's offense with a good showing on pass plays.

What shape does offensive line take?

Fisch said at the beginning of the week that the team will rotate several offensive linemen in different spots in practice in efforts of finding the best starting five.

Fourth-year center Landen Hatchett will make his season debut after missing the first five games of the season due to a wrist injury.

First-year left tackle Kodi Greene was rotated in practice this week at guard spots and fourth-year center Kolt Dieterich, who filled in for Hatchett snapping the ball, was rotated in at guard and tackle spots this week in practice. Left guard John Mills has been rotated in at left tackle several times this season, and was the team's best-graded lineman in pass protection against USC.

What the starting offensive line actually is and how often Fisch will rotate players through could be critical, not just for Friday's game, but for the rest of the season.

Washington Huskies left guard John Mills speaks to teammates before a game against the Eastern Washington Eagles on Sept. 19 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. | Joe Nicholson/Imagn ImagesWashington Huskies left guard John Mills speaks to teammates before a game against the Eastern Washington Eagles on Sept. 19 at Husky Stadium in Seattle. | Joe Nicholson/Imagn Images

Can the offense finally break through?

The UW offense has struggled against FBS teams this season.

Washington is yet to score more than 24 points in a game against an FBS squad and has been limited to 10 total points in the third quarter this season.

Iowa has allowed just one opponent to score more than 19 points this season, which happened in its most recent game against the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes on Oct. 3. The Hawkeyes lost 31-14.

Huskies starting running back Brian Bonner is coming off his best game. But, even with his career-best performance and a re-tooled offensive line, Washington's offense could be in for a rough night against the potent Iowa defense.

1
Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy