Illinois State Redbirds vs Iowa Hawkeyes Match Player Stats On Sep 05, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Sep 5, 2015

C.J. Beathard passed for a touchdown and ran for two scores in his second career start as Iowa coasted to a 31-14 victory over Illinois State in the season opener for both teams at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

Beathard, a junior who was handed the quarterback job in January over two-year starter Jake Rudock, completed 15-of-24 passes for 211 yards.

Running back LaShun Daniels Jr. rushed for a career-best 123 yards on 26 carries, and running back Jordan Canzeri caught four passes for 90 yards and scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter.

The Hawkeyes took control from the outset, marching 81 and 99 yards for touchdowns on their first two drives to open a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Beathard ran six yards for the first touchdown. Marshall Koehn's 40-yard field goal ended the first half and boosted the lead to 17-0.

Beathard's touchdown pass was a nine-yarder in the third quarter to wide receiver Matt VandeBerg to expand Iowa's lead to 24-0. Beathard scored the Hawkeyes' final touchdown on a 1-yard run with 7:54 left in the game.

Iowa held Illinois State, which reached the Football Championship Subdivision final last year, to 231 total yards and only 35 yards on the ground.

Quarterback Tre Roberson, a former Indiana quarterback who played against Iowa for the Hoosiers in 2011, was limited to 49 yards passing.

Illinois State scored two late touchdowns on passes by backup quarterback Jake Kolbe.