Iowa football mailbag: Leshon Williams' outlook, offensive line, Luke Lachey injury

IOWA CITY — Saturday's game at Kinnick Stadium felt a little chaotic. Iowa opened the game sluggish, allowing Western Michigan to get out to a 7-0 lead. Then a lightning delay sent both teams off the field. After returning, Luke Lachey went down with an injury. Then Drew Stevens missed a field goal.

But Iowa eventually took full control of the game behind a strong game on the ground. By the end of a 41-10 rout by Iowa, concerns from earlier in the game felt like long ago.

In the aftermath of what was a winding game, with lots of notable moments to unpack, let's dig into the injury situation because that's very important moving forward.

As of postgame Saturday, these are the updates Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz offered:

• Lachey's injury is "fairly significant." Iowa will learn more in the near future. Lachey wasn't able to put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the field.
• Running back Kaleb Johnson, who was out Saturday, is dealing with an ankle injury. He suffered it near the end of Iowa's week two win over Iowa State. "We'll take it week-by-week, day-by-day," Ferentz said.
• Running back Jaziun Patterson, who had six carries for 20 yards on Saturday after a breakout game against Iowa State, is dealing with a tweak of some sort, though Ferentz didn't specify where. "I don't think it's real significant," Ferentz said.

The injury updates are an apt segue into the next section.

Leistikow:Why Iowa football did the right thing in scoring late touchdown in blowout win

Which backup(s) impressed you most, and who do you think will make the biggest impact in future games?

Anterio Thompson had a big blocked punt. Freshman running back Kamari Moulton scored the first two touchdowns of his college career. Running back Max White got into the end zone, as well. Leshon Williams might have had the best individual performance, rushing for 145 yards. In the absence of Johnson, Iowa had a variety of players step up.

If you consider Williams a backup, which he technically was when Iowa's running backs were all healthy, he seems like an obvious choice of who could have an impact in the future. Williams, a veteran in the Iowa program, was quiet in the first two games of the season, as was Iowa's run game as a whole. But Williams was phenomenal against Western Michigan, flashing burst and quickness.

If Patterson and Johnson are out (which is still to be determined), Williams likely gets a bulk of the carries. Even if those two are back, Williams made a case Saturday to still have a key role in the offense. If all are healthy, Iowa could have three playmaking running backs to share the carries.

“We have a lot of backs in the room, as you all can see," Williams said. "We have a real stable, and we are stacked in there with a lot of talent. With the next man up, anything can happen at any moment, so we have to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Two other players who could carve out roles in the future are tight ends Addison Ostrenga and Steven Stilianos.

Lachey was clearly one of quarterback Cade McNamara's favorite targets. But with Lachey's long-term availability now in limbo, Iowa will need to rely on depth.

It wouldn't be a surprise for Erick All to have an increased role, especially since he already has chemistry with McNamara, both coming from Michigan. But Iowa will need others to step up. Ostrenga and Stilianos have put themselves in a position to do so. On Saturday, Stilianos' 29 yards receiving was tops for Iowa.

Iowa is more than willing to run out formations with multiple tight ends, so all three of those players could be on the field at the same time. It will be difficult to fill Lachey's production, especially if he is out for a while. But Iowa's tight end depth seemed to be a strength entering the season. Now they will need to prove it.

Did offensive line take a step back with the sacks?

Iowa gave up four sacks, correct. But Saturday points to a step forward overall for the offensive line.

After two weeks of underwhelming performances in the run game, Iowa manhandled Western Michigan in that aspect. The Hawkeyes rushed for 254 yards in what was a breakthrough performance on the ground. That Williams and Moulton and others had so many holes to run through was a product of the big men in front of them.

“The running game just opens things up, offensively," offensive lineman Mason Richman said. "It is great to have that in this game."

Iowa rushed for 200 yards in the first two games combined. It exceeded that figure on Saturday alone. This was definitely a performance Iowa can use to build confidence.

That being said, there is still room for more growth. Iowa's offensive line protected McNamara well the first two weeks, but the script flipped on Saturday.

Iowa has shown the ability to pass block and run block during various spurts over the first three games. Now it's about putting it together in the same game.

More:Iowa's win over Western Michigan shows run blocking can unlock a world of possibilities

Thoughts on Iowa's defense?

Iowa's defense uncharacteristically gave up an explosive touchdown. It was emblematic of the rough start that unit got off to.

But the mistakes, according to linebacker Jay Higgins, were self-inflicted.

"We knew what was going on," Higgins said. "We knew it was us beating ourselves at that point. I feel like when problems are extremely solvable, anxiety never got high. Guys never pointed fingers. So we're in a good spot mentally, even though things weren't going our way."

Iowa's defense quickly got back on track. After allowing 10 first-half points, Iowa's defense pitched a shutout in the second half. Higgins and fellow linebacker Nick Jackson were a brick wall in the middle of the defense, combining for 18 tackles and two forced fumbles. It looked much closer to the defense we are accustomed to seeing from Iowa.

Through three games, Iowa's defense has seemed prone to minor mistakes. This is nitpicky and it probably wouldn't raise attention for other defenses around the country. But the standard for Iowa's defense is so high that it is worth mentioning.

Against a team like Western Michigan, Iowa can afford minor breakdowns without having a major effect on the outcome. But this week against Penn State, the margin for error becomes a lot smaller. Iowa can't afford too many slip-ups on the defensive side of the field.

Even going into this much depth about small errors is a compliment to how elite Iowa's defense is. But there is room for marginal improvement on a unit that has still been excellent through three games.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com