Wadley runs No. 17 Iowa to 45-21 win over Miami (Ohio)

Published Sep. 3, 2016 9:04 p.m. ET

foxsports

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Akrum Wadley ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns, LeShun Daniels added 83 yards rushing and two scores, and No. 17 Iowa beats Miami (Ohio) 45-21 on Saturday.

C.J. Beathard was 13 of 20 passing for 192 yards and a touchdown for the Hawkeyes (1-0), whose sloppy defensive play in the second half let Miami hang around.

Daniels and Wadley each scored twice in the first half, and Jerminic Smith's 12-yard TD reception put the Hawkeyes ahead 35-7 early in the third quarter.

The RedHawks (0-1) had touchdown drives of 75 and 74 yards with the game seemingly in hand. But Derrick Mitchell Jr.'s touchdown run with 3:08 left put Iowa ahead by 24.

Billy Bahl threw for 266 yards and two TDs for Miami, which outgained Iowa 424-404.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa: The Hawkeyes' offensive line, which keyed their 12-0 regular season in 2015, looked as sharp as ever against an overwhelmed Miami front. Daniels and Wadley often had massive holes to run through, making Iowa's rushing attack at times look effortless. But Iowa's defense gave up a ton of yards without star linebacker Josey Jewell, who was ejected early in the first quarter for targeting. The Hawkeyes forced and recovered two fumbles though, and the offense turned both into touchdowns in the first half.

Miami: Bahl had a strong day against one of the Big Ten's better secondaries, a promising sign as the RedHawks look to work back into contention in the Mid-American after just five wins in two years. The same couldn't be said for Miami's defense, which as expected was pushed around by the more physical Hawkeyes.

UP NEXT

Iowa: The Hawkeyes get their first Power Five test of the season when rival Iowa State visits Kinnick Stadium next Saturday. The Cyclones have a new coach, Matt Campbell, and an offensive line decimated by injuries and departures. But Iowa State usually plays Iowa tough. The Hawkeyes needed two late TDs to beat the Cyclones 31-17 last year in Ames.

Miami: The RedHawks open a two-game home stand when it hosts Eastern Illinois. The Panthers, of the FCS, opened with a 38-21 loss to Western Illinois on Thursday.