Iowa football: Oliver Martin's first Hawkeye catch goes for a touchdown

IOWA CITY, Ia. — The Oliver Martin era began with a you-can't-make-this-up play. 

His first career catch in a Hawkeye uniform went for a 9-yard touchdown, giving Iowa a 17-7 lead with 10:06 to go in the third quarter. The catch came on Martin's second snap of the night. 

For a while, it seemed Martin would remain a spectator. He didn't play at all in the first half, even as Ihmir Smith-Marsette exited briefly with a shoulder injury. But Martin checked in to a loud roar. His scoring snag on a fade sent Kinnick Stadium into a frenzy. 

Martin, who transferred from Michigan this offseason, was ruled immediately eligible by the NCAA last week and the Big Ten on Wednesday. Expect plenty more impact to come as Martin gets better acquainted with the offense.  

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.