IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa hardly looked like a Big Ten contender in a narrow win over Northern Iowa.
The Hawkeyes will look to inch closer to their potential this weekend.

The key takeaway for Iowa (1-0) following a 31-23 win over the Panthers last week was that a number of inexperienced players learned valuable lessons without actually costing the Hawkeyes a game. Iowa’s rebuilt defense was burned for a number of big plays and its offense was outgained by an FCS opponent.

Coach Kirk Ferentz isn’t overly concerned about the mistakes made in the opener – as long as they aren’t repeated on Saturday against Ball State (1-0).