Iowa Edges Michigan 20-19 on Late Vander Zee Touchdown

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 27, 2026 · 01:11 UTC

The short version

Iowa defeated Michigan 20-19 on Sept. 26 in Ann Arbor to improve to 4-0.
Reece Vander Zee caught the game-winning 16-yard touchdown from Hank Brown with two seconds left, ending a 91-yard drive.
Brown went 21-of-35 for 227 yards and two touchdowns, both to Vander Zee.
Braeden Jackson returned a kickoff 99 yards for Iowa's only first-half touchdown.
Boston Everitt punted six times for 254 yards, pinning Michigan inside the 20 four times.

Reece Vander Zee caught a 16-yard scoring pass as time expired, capping a 91-yard drive that kept Iowa unbeaten at 4-0.

Iowa opened Big Ten play with a win, defeating Michigan 20-19 on Sept. 26 in Ann Arbor. A touchdown in the closing seconds from Reece Vander Zee kept the Hawkeyes undefeated at 4-0.

The decisive sequence began at Iowa's own 9-yard line with 1:46 on the clock. Quarterback Hank Brown completed four passes to reach the Hawkeyes' 40 before a personal foul penalty on Michigan's Zeke Berry tacked on 15 yards to the Michigan 45. Brown then connected with Addison Ostrenga on a 29-yard completion, and with two seconds remaining he hit Vander Zee for a 16-yard touchdown in the left corner of the end zone to finish an 11-play, 91-yard drive.

Brown ended the night 21-of-35 passing for 227 yards. Both of his touchdown throws went to Vander Zee. It was not a sharp start for the Iowa offense, which found its rhythm after halftime.

Iowa's only first-half touchdown came from special teams. Immediately after Michigan reached the end zone for the first time, Braeden Jackson fielded the ensuing kickoff a yard deep and returned it 99 yards for a score. Jackson totaled 119 kickoff-return yards in the game, plus 13 yards rushing and six yards receiving.

A 21-yard reception by DJ Vonnahme early in the fourth quarter moved the ball to the 18-yard line and set up Vander Zee's first touchdown catch. Vonnahme, back after missing the UNI game with an injury, posted four catches for 44 yards, with that grab his longest of the day.

Iowa's defense limited Michigan to a pair of touchdowns on four red-zone trips, keeping the Hawkeyes within reach until the late rally. Zach Lutmer paced the unit with 12 tackles, Cam Buffington added 11 and Landyn Van Kekerix contributed 10. Jayden Montgomery recorded a sack and Deshaun Lee came away with an interception.

Punter Boston Everitt played a key role in the field-position battle, booting six punts for 254 yards. Four of those punts landed inside the Michigan 20, including a 42-yarder in the first quarter that pinned the Wolverines at their own 3 and a 43-yarder in the fourth that left them at the 1.