WATCH: Iowa Hawkeyes Give Up Another Massive Play Against Troy Trojans

The Iowa Hawkeyes' defense continues to get burnt.

Sep 14, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Deontae Craig (45) pressures Troy Trojans quarterback Matthew Caldwell (12) during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Last weekend, the Iowa Hawkeyes surrendered a 75-yard touchdown pass in a loss to the Iowa State Cyclones. Well, in Week 3, Iowa's vaunted defense is still getting burnt.

After taking a 7-0 lead on a touchdown from running back Kaleb Johnson, the Hawkeyes proceeded to surrender a 63-yard bomb on a touchdown pass from the Troy Trojans.

Back up QB for a winless Troy team dropping bombs on Iowa
This is a disgrace 😔 pic.twitter.com/6xSkS0bZp7

— Any Action Sports Cast (@AnyAction_) September 14, 2024

This was yet another busted coverage by Iowa, which is very rare to see from a defense that has typically been so stout.

It's already enough that the Hawkeyes are having difficulty putting points on the board, and against a largely inferior Troy squad on top of that. If they begin having defensive issues, it's going to be very difficult for Iowa to experience any sort of success in Big Ten play.

Saturday's matchup against the Trojans represents the Hawkeyes' last non-conference game before beginning to face Big Ten opponents. Based on what we have seen from Iowa over the last six quarters, it does not appear that the team is ready to face the behemoths of the conference.

The Hawkeyes blew a double-digit lead against Iowa State in Week 2. Yes, they routed Illinois State by a score of 40-0 in the season opener, but there is no question that everything we have seen from them since then has been concerning.

We'll see if Iowa can right the ship for the remainder of this game, because if it struggles to beat Troy or somehow loses, it's going to be a long week ahead...and a long season.