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2h ago

Iowa-Rutgers Opens Big Ten Play Tonight as Hawkeyes’ Defense Meets Scarlet Knights’ Fast Start

Oddsmakers give Iowa a slight road edge, with special teams plus injuries looming large.

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Wide receiver Kaden Wetjen #21 of the Iowa Hawkeyes returns a kick in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on September 6, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 16-13 over the Iowa Hawkeyes.
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Overview

  • Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at SHI Stadium in Piscataway with TV coverage on FOX and radio on SiriusXM channels 84 and 372.
  • Pre-game lines show Iowa favored by about 1.5–2.5 points with a total in the mid-40s, and analysts are split, with several leaning to Rutgers or the Under in a tight game.
  • Rutgers enters 3-0 behind QB Athan Kaliakmanis’ efficient start (about 820 yards, 7 TDs, 0 INTs) and a special-teams surge that includes multiple blocked punts returned for touchdowns.
  • Iowa arrives 2-1 with an elite defense allowing roughly nine points per game, a strong pass rush, and recent milestones for Kirk Ferentz as the Big Ten’s all-time wins leader.
  • Injury updates factor in, with reports that Iowa will be without RB Xavier Williams and Rutgers listing RB CJ Campbell, OT Tyler Needham, and WR Ian Strong as questionable.