The sloppy conditions were a factor from the start, as NC State's Lee Knight recovered a fumble by Iowa's Chet Davis on the game's opening kickoff.
The Hawkeye defense made it tough, but the Wolfpack capitalized four plays later on Charles Davenport's touchdown plunge on 4th and goal.
Danny Peebles outran the coverage and caught a 75-yard bomb from Shane Montgomery on the quarter's first play, then Tyrone Jackson added two touchdown runs to stretch the lead.
Scoring slowed in the second half due to deteriorating field conditions, though Iowa continued to fight with a touchdown in each of the final two quarters.
He completed 30 of 51 pass attempts for 3 touchdowns, but was intercepted 4 times – 3 of those by Defensive MVP Michael Brooks.