A major question mark going into the Cy-Hawk contest for Iowa was whether or not the run game would improve from 88 yards on 36 attempts against Utah State.
Jaziun Patterson answered the call in the Hawkeyes' 20-13 victory over the Cyclones.
Listed as the third string running back on Iowa's depth chart, Patterson registered just 14 carries for 47 yards in 2022. He ran for 86 yards on ten carries on Saturday, including a 59-yard burst partway through the first quarter.
"The guy [on the defensive line] stunted himself inside, and my blocker just came around, so it was like 'Ope!' I hit a juke on one of their guys and then just hit the sideline," Patterson said postgame. "I honestly thought I was gone until I saw a guy out of the corner of my eye."
"He runs hard," Kirk Ferentz said following the game. "He's a north-south runner. He had a huge play for us, and that's just experience -- anticipation and good reaction. He came up big for us. I'm really proud of him."
Though he didn't score on the near 60-yard scamper, he did punch in a touchdown from four yards out to finish off Iowa's next drive, giving the Hawkeyes a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
"When I got in [the game], I just took advantage of my opportunity," he added. "I'm really just a downhill runner. When we get in third-and-short situations, I feel like I can be a very important asset."
"My emotions were running wild. I didn't think I was going to do this, but I did. I prepared for it. It was just crazy to see it happen."
And it wasn't just the production on the stat sheet, either. During a pass attempt where he was called on to block, Patterson took out two Iowa State defenders on one play.
"I saw one guy inside, but I had my guy on the outside," Patterson said. "So, I swung my body just so I could get both of them. I did it on purpose."
He recognized the offensive line improvement that allowed his stat-padding plays today, too.
"They were blocking the hell out of those guys," Patterson smiled. "I give all my credit to them, because without them, I wouldn't have this many yards and my first touchdown. They've been working hard all week."
"It just falls down to execution," right guard Connor Colby said. "We're trying to get better at that every day and grow week-to-week. I think that comes from practice, and we've got to get more confident in our ability to block people. Just keep focusing on what we have to do fundamental-wise to get better."
Ferentz agreed that the group took a step forward but maintained that there is still work to do in the trenches.
"This is going to be a process," he said. I think our whole team grew, and I think we definitely did on offense. We're doing a lot of good things in the run-game. It's not always there quite the way you want it. I think our pass-blocking was good."
"I think we're growing. The thing I'm probably most excited about is that we have a lot of potential to continue to grow, and that's what we have to be focused on. We'll enjoy this one, but tomorrow we've got to get back on that track."
