The Iowa Hawkeyes didn’t have their biggest star against the Missouri Tigers in the Music City Bowl.
After a breakout junior campaign, running back Kaleb Johnson understandably opted out of the bowl game versus the Tigers to focus on the 2025 NFL draft.
With Johnson out of the equation, Iowa turned to a trio of running backs in redshirt freshmen Kamari Moulton and Terrell Washington Jr. and sophomore Jaziun Patterson. The results from that bunch earned a positive postgame review from Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz.
“Yeah, the three of those guys have all been really good. Obviously TJ has been working at receiver, but he’s a guy we think can do both.
“So I thought all three of them really did a nice job. It doesn’t seem like it’s too big for them at all, and I think they were eager to get a chance to go out there and play. All three of them are different type players, but they’re all really good football players. They’re really outstanding young guys. They’re fun to be around and fun to see at practice and all that type of thing. So, yeah, just happy with the way they stepped in there,” Ferentz said.
Moulton led the way on the ground with 14 carries for 96 yards and a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Patterson added nine carries for 74 yards.
Washington ran once for three yards but he also caught three passes for 26 yards, including his 6-yard touchdown grab to open the game’s scoring.
Ferentz also pointed to senior Tyler Elsbury’s contributions up front. In his final game, Elsbury earned his fifth career start and his second at center for the Hawkeyes with Iowa’s Logan Jones sidelined.
“Tyler Elsbury wasn’t perfect, but yeah, he stepped in with Logan being out and did a lot of good things too,” Ferentz said. “So that’s part of football. Yeah, really proud of those guys especially.”
While Iowa’s 27-24 loss against Missouri left a sour final taste in an 8-5 season overall, the production in the backfield is an encouraging sign as the program transitions toward the 2025 college football season.
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