The Iowa Hawkeyes have a chance Friday night to bounce back.
Two weeks ago, they got their thrilling win at the buzzer over Michigan. But last week, despite solid effort, the Hawkeyes couldn’t keep up with Ohio State.
They return on a slightly short week to action on Friday against the University of Washington, a classic Big Ten clash.
The problem for Iowa, though, is that they’ll have a different quarterback in action, at least based on Friday morning indications.
Hank Brown is the Hawkeyes’ usual starter, but an injury may keep him out.
Hank Brown Injury Update
Brown is not going to start on Friday, according to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.
According to Nakos, Brown is “dealing with an upper-body injury.”
The former Auburn recruit Brown has been great for Iowa so far this season. Through five games, he has completed 62.9% of his passes for 832 yards with five touchdowns and only one interception.
Brown has also added a rushing touchdowns.
He struggled against the Buckeyes, which is to be expected — just 12-for-27 for 132 yards with an interception.
This wasn’t just Iowa’s chance to bounce back, but also Brown’s — but it appears an injury will prevent him from doing that.
It’s not clear from Nakos’ report whether Brown will be a backup option on Friday or if he’ll be entirely inactive. That may not be clear until the Hawkeyes are on the sideline.
Who is Iowa Backup QB Jeremy Hecklinski?
Hecklinski is a 5-foot-11 quarterback at Iowa who is originally from Marietta, Georgia.
He began his college career at Wake Forest, where he spent one season.
Hecklinski came to Iowa last year, and he actually completed both passes he attempted on the season, totaling eight yards.
So far this season, Hecklinski has gotten some game action and has gone 18-for-32 for 208 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Hecklinski did have a 16-yard rush in his limited action this season, as well.
He’s got a family history of quarterbacks — his dad Randy played QB at Bowling Green, and his uncle Jeff played quarterback at Illinois and Western Illinois.
Hecklinski was a monster contributor in high school, leading Walton HS to the state title game while throwing for 3,835 yards and 50 touchdowns.
Friday night will be his first chance to start a college football game, and it’ll come on the road at the Washington Huskies.
Given that Iowa is currently ranked, this is a huge moment for Hecklinski to ensure the Hawkeyes don’t slip up and can improve their record to 5-1.
Iowa’s Hank Brown Injury Update Makes Backup QB Jeremy Hecklinski Relevant