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Now the seventh-ranked Hawkeyes face the challenge of trying to stay unbeaten without their leading rusher.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced Tuesday that running back Adam Robinson is likely out for at least the rest of the regular season after suffering a left ankle sprain in last week's 15-13 win at Michigan State.
Ferentz said he is hopeful Robinson can return for a bowl game. But the loss of Robinson, who has rushed for 629 yards and five TDs, is a big blow for an offense that hasn't exactly been explosive.
Iowa (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten), which ranks 86th nationally with 23.6 points per game, will replace Robinson with fellow freshman Brandon Wegher, who has rushed for 321 yards.
Ferentz also said Tuesday that offensive lineman Dace Richardson will be out four to six weeks because of a leg injury he had against Michigan State.
"Our margin for error is really thin, and I think our players understand that," Ferentz said. 'Thus far, at least they haven't seemed to be affected by anything going on outside, and it's a tribute to our leadership. We're getting really good leadership."
Robinson is the second running back Iowa has lost for a significant period time this season. Jewel Hampton, who was expected to be the starter, is out for the season after injuring his knee in fall camp.
Robinson's injury is yet another hurdle for the Hawkeyes, who've cleared them all so far while racing to the top of the conference standings and into the national title race.
The Hawkeyes run, though, has come with more than its fair share of drama.
Iowa started the season with a 17-16 win over FCS school Northern Iowa that included two blocked field goals in the closing moments, a game that proved to be the prelude to a nerve-racking season in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes have won four games by three points or less for the first time in school history, and they rallied from early deficits to beat Penn State and Wisconsin. Iowa's most thrilling win yet came at Michigan State last weekend, when Ricky Stanzi found Marvin McNutt for a 7-yard TD pass on the final play for 15-13 victory.
The Hawkeyes figure to get a breather this week, since they're a 17 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's home game with Indiana (4-4, 1-3). Then again, maybe not. Iowa beat Arkansas State, the only team it has played with a losing record, 24-21 at home.
"We're just kind of keep getting it done. But that's the bottom line. That's what you get measured on," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "You worry about how many cracks in the dike you can handle, one of those types of things. But the players keep playing. They've done a great job."
The question now is whether Iowa can keep it up long enough and finish off a season that, with a few more breaks, could end in the BCS title game. But the Hawkeyes survived the toughest portion of their schedule undefeated - though not unscathed - and their scuffling offense will have a chance to get things moving back in the right direction with consecutive home games against the Hoosiers and Northwestern.
Iowa's final road game is on Nov. 14, when they travel to face Ohio State with, potentially, the Big Ten title and more on the line.
"We're not the most gifted team," Ferentz said. "But the guys have really played well together. They've played through tough situations, whether it be the injuries, with other younger players stepping up, and then through tough situations that - we've seem to find ourselves in those every now and then, like every Saturday. But it doesn't seem to matter what the situation is. The guys, they stick together, they play hard and they finish the game."
Iowa has taken the approach that its ability to pull out close wins is a sign of resiliency. Indeed, the Hawkeyes were due for some good karma after dropping four games by a total of 12 points last season.
Though the Hawkeyes appear to have been lucky at times, they've also been better than their opponents when it matters most. Iowa has outscored teams 113-51 in the second half this season.
"It's not really luck. It's just us going out there and just working hard, just knowing in the fourth quarter that we've got to come out play hard and play together for 60 minutes," Iowa defensive lineman Broderick Binns said.
