Game 7 Preview @ Iowa

By Timothy Wallis

Following a tight 39-38 loss at home to Jacksonville, the Quad City Steamwheelers will head west on I-80 to take on their rivals, the Iowa Barnstormers. This will be the second of three matchups between the two teams this season, and a game the Wheelers need to win if they want to stay right in the playoff hunt as the season goes on.

Kick-off is at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at Casey's Center in Des Moines, IA. To watch, you can go to Overnight online or on iOS, Android, or Apple TV.

About the Steamwheelers

Last week, the Steamwheelers came up just short in a 39-38 loss to the Jacksonville Sharks at The Wheelhouse. After falling behind early, Quad City battled back throughout the game behind quarterback Daquan Neal, who threw for 207 yards and five touchdowns while completing 18 of 28 passes. Keyvan Rudd led the receiving corps with five catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns, while Quian Williams added six receptions for 71 yards and three scores. The Steamwheelers cut the deficit to one point late in the fourth quarter after Neal found Jordan Vesey for a touchdown and connected with Rudd on a two-point conversion. Quad City's defense forced a late fourth down, but Jacksonville converted and ran out the clock to seal the narrow win. Offensively, the Steamwheelers have started to falter, now ninth-highest out of 14 teams at 44.7 points per game. While he leads the league with 26 passing touchdowns, quarterback Daquan Neal also has thrown the second most interceptions, after throwing two last week versus Jacksonville. On defense, they remain on the lower end of the statsheets, allowing the fifth least amount of yards per game, only 214 yards per game, but also allow the fourth most passing yards per game, with 168.2 passing yards given up on average.

QC - Players to Watch

Jarrod Ware / RB  - In the first matchup between these two teams, Ware only rushed for four yards and a touchdown on seven attempts, but in the receiving game, he caught four passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns, including a flashy ankle-breaker. When he is available for check-down passes, the Wheelers' offense is usually very successful overall. 

Alex Herriott / LB - So far this season, Herriott has racked up 46 tackles, the most in the league, as well as three tackles for loss. With the Barnstormers now having a new quarterback who can scramble, Herriott's job will become slightly more difficult as he will have to occasionally watch out for the scramble.

About the Barnstormers

Last week, the Barnstormers dropped to 0-5 on the season after a 53-31 home loss to the Fishers Freight. Despite falling behind early, Iowa showed fight behind quarterback Ivan Corbin, who provided the team's offensive spark throughout the game. Corbin rushed for five touchdowns, including a 32-yard scoring run in the second quarter that helped keep the Barnstormers competitive. Late in the game, Iowa was within two scores and still pushing for a comeback opportunity. A potential big play connection from Corbin to Demonte Martin was ultimately ruled incomplete, ending one of the Barnstormers' last chances to rally. A lot of the Barnstormers' production comes on the defensive end, where they allow the second fewest amount of passing yards per game, only allowing 124 yards per game, but allow a whopping 102 rushing yards per game, which is the most in the league. On offense, they score only 29.4 points per game, the fewest in the league, while their 124.6 passing yards per game are the third-fewest among all teams.

Iowa - Players to Watch

Ivan Corbin  / QB - After starting last week for the Barnstormers, Corbin ran for five touchdowns against Fishers, which certainly turned some heads when scouting. A mobile quarterback could prove to be a problem for the Wheelers, though the Quad City defense has only allowed 45.8 rushing yards per game to this point.

JK Smith / DL - The third-year indoor player joined Iowa in the offseason and has immediately made an impact. In five games so far, Smith has racked up 20 tackles, one sack and 5.5 tackles for loss, which is the fourth most in the league out of individuals. A Wheelers' offensive line, which has faced adversity throughout the season, will have its hands full with this matchup.

Last Time Around….

The Steamwheelers and Barnstormers last met on 3/21/26, when the Steamwheelers earned their first win of the 2026 season with a 46-26 victory over the Iowa Barnstormers in the home opener and first Battle of I-80. After trailing early, the Steamwheelers took control in the second quarter with a balanced effort on both offense and defense. Quarterback Daquan Neal threw for 159 yards and four touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown, helping spark the offensive turnaround. Running back Jarrod Ware contributed three total touchdowns, including two receiving scores, while receiver Quian Williams also hauled in a touchdown catch. Defensively, Quad City forced multiple turnovers, including two interceptions from Kevin Ransom Jr., to help seal the dominant win.