IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lost again last weekend to MAC school Northern Illinois— its seventh straight dating back to 2012 and first in an opener in 13 years. But don’t mistake a loss for lost confidence. The Hawkeyes (0-1) showed signs that the misery of last season could eventually be a thing of the past, even in defeat.

New starting quarterback Jake Rudock played well. The running game showed signs of progress and Iowa’s defense appears to be in decent shape heading into Saturday’s game with FCS school Missouri State. Coach Kirk Ferentz says he saw a lot of “good things,” from both the offense and defense.