Outback Bowl Preview

         Whats up Hawk fans the Outback Bowl is next Wednesday so I thought I would write up a preview of the matchup between the Tigers and Hawkeyes.This should be a great match up,of course everyone is probably going to be picking LSU in this game. Iowa is 5-1 vs SEC Teams so they are one of the teams in the BIG Ten that has had success against teams from the SEC. I'm really excited for this game Iowa will be facing a real challenge LSU is a lot like a BIG Ten team, they play a very physical brand of football. This will be a very physical football game so lets jump in and look at the Iowa Offense against the LSU Defense.

          The Iowa offense improved every week of the season so I expect we will see a very strong offense next Wednesday. Jake Rudock has been a very solid quarterback for the Hawks he had a tendency to turn the ball over so he will have to be very careful with the football vs a ball hawking Tiger defense. On the season Iowa averaged 200 yards passing per game with Jake Rudock throwing for 18 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Iowa's offense is built around the rushing attack led by Weisman and Jordan Canzeri the running game was really elevated in the last few weeks. As a team Iowa is rushing for 188 yards per game while scoring 27.3 points per game. The one constant was the ability to run the football they will need that to be able to move the football against LSU. The Tigers defense is ranked 17th in the nation against the pass only allowing 200.8 yards per game. They also have a decent run defense ranking number 48 in the country giving up 148.6 yards rushing per game. As a team LSU is allowing 22.7 points per game so they have a pretty solid defense. This isn't going to be the best defense we have played this season but will probably be one of the most athletic defenses we've seen. LSU has 24 sacks on the season so they have a decent pass rushing. The good thing is Iowa has allowed the 11th fewest sacks this season with only 12. This will be a key, if Iowa can protect Jake Rudock they will have a great shot to win. Receiver play is another key for Iowa they improved over the course of the season but will need to be consistent for Iowa to win this game. I look for CJ Fiedorwicz to have a strong game this will be his last game at Iowa one last chance to show pro scouts what he is capable of. The guy that I think will step up to make plays will be Don Shumpert he has had an up and down career but came on strong towards the end of the season. Keyvonte Martin Manley is probably the most consistent receiver for the Hawks so he should be able to find openings in the LSU defense. A guy that hasn't been mentioned in a while that could play a bigger role Wednesday is Damond Powell he has the ability to make a big play I wouldn't be surprised if we some package plays designed to get him the football. Tevaun Smith is another guy who has been inconsistent so hopefully he can find that consistency on Wednesday.

            Looking at the LSU offense they are going to be missing a huge piece that is their starting Quarterback Zach Mettenberger who is out with a Torn ACL. Anthony Jennings will start in his place on the season he is 6-10 for 99 yards one touchdown. Jennings is a very mobile quarterback so we will probably see a lot of QB runs in the game plan for LSU. Iowa has faced a number of mobile QB's this year so although I'm worried about his ability to run I don't think it will make a huge difference.  The Tigers are rushing for 200 yards per game while being led by Jeremy Hill who has run the ball for 1185 yards 14 TD's. The Second Running Back for LSU will be Terrance McGee who has 614 yards 8 TD's. Iowa's run defense has been very good this season only allowing 120 yards rushing per game. Expect LSU to run the football a lot without Mettenberger. Iowa should be able to slow down the run forcing the Tigers to beat them through the air. One of the things that separates the Tigers from other teams Iowa has played is the Wide Receiver position they have two legitimate NFL Receivers. Jarvis Landry has 75 receptions for 1172 yards 10 touchdowns. Odell Beckham is a dangerous speedster has 57 catches for 1117 yards and 8 touchdowns. The Iowa pass defense although they have given up a lot of big plays this season has been very good only allowing 182.4 yards passing. Big plays have been a weakness. LSU has some guys that can exploit the defense like Ohio State did so getting pressure on Jennings will be a real key. The LSU offensive line has allowed 21 sacks this season while the Iowa defense has sacked the QB 20 times. LSU averages 37 points per game while allowing 22.7 points per game, Iowa on the season is scoring 27.3 points per game while allowing 18.8 points per game.

          Special teams can completely change a football game LSU has some big time playmakers for the return game. The kickoff return game has been very good for LSU as they averaged almost 26 yards per kick return. The Iowa kickoff unit hasn't always been great so for this game this has to be a major focus the Tigers haven't had a TD yet on the return but still very dangerous. The Hawks have some playmakers in the return game too Kevonte Martin Manley is the 5th leading punt returner averaging 15 yards per return. LSU is the number one unit in the country only allowing .91 yard per return. This could be a key on Wednesday Iowa's punt return game against LSU's punt defense and their kick return game against the Iowa kickoff coverage. I see this being one of the key factors the team that controls special teams will win this football game. To go along with special teams turnovers will be a factor on the season Iowa has forced 20 turnovers 8 fumbles and 12 interceptions, while LSU has 7 fumbles and 9 interceptions. I give Iowa a slight edge here with an inexperienced Quarterback in Jennings playing I think he will make some mistakes with the football. Iowa's linebacking core is if not the best one of the best in the country so it will be fun to see them against a strong Tigers rushing attack.


           I think the Hawks will make enough plays to win this one with an inexperienced QB for LSU I think Iowa will be able to design packages to pressure him. I think the real key will be if Iowa can run the football if so I think Rudock will be able to make plays in the play action passing game. I think for Iowa to win Rudock can't throw interceptions he had a tendency to throw an interception per game this season. Tackling is extremely important this week LSU has receivers that can take a short pass and turn it into a long touchdown if they aren't wrapped up. Alright it's prediction time I see Iowa finding a way to win this game 27 to 20. I think this will be a very close game but I think the Iowa defense will force Jennings into a couple of turnovers helping the Hawks become Outback Bowl Champions. I'll have a review of the game next week so check back thanks for reading.

Go Hawks.

Iowa vs Iowa State Review

            Hey Hawk fans I needed a little bit a time before I could re watch the game that took place in Ames last Friday Night. Now that I have re watched the game I can finally write up a review. Now the officiating wasn't great but I'm going to try not to blame this loss on the officiating. In the first half Iowa completely outplayed Iowa State except for one stat Iowa State went to the foul line 20 times compared to just 9 for Iowa. It seemed to me that Niang lived at the foul line all night but with the new rules it is a lot harder to defend without fouling. Especially on a guy with the size and skills of Niang he is very good at drawing contact he went 8 for 10 at the free throw line. I had no problem with the officials calling Iowa for fouls on him but when Iowa State was playing the same defense that Iowa was they were not getting called for fouls I have a problem with that. Iowa State shot 36 free throws in the game, they were in the bonus with 9:43 to go in the first half, and 9:50 to go in the second half. Coming into this game Iowa had made more free throws than their opponents were shooting. They averaged only 16 fouls per game yet were called for 27 in this one. Okay I'm getting off topic a little bit lets try to break down the game not look at the officiating.

        Iowa played better than Iowa State for 38 minutes of this game they just let up at the wrong time allowing Iowa state to go on an 8-0 run to finish the game with an 85 to 82 victory. As an Iowan this was a fantastic basketball game to me it was a heavyweight fight and it felt bigger nationally than a normal Iowa and Iowa State game. Hilton Colosseum is a very difficult place to play and a very tough place to come in to win a basketball game. This was Iowa's first road test of the season but Iowa wasn't phased at all by the crowd controlling the game for all but 2 minutes. Iowa's star players came to play on Friday Night Aaron White had his best game at Iowa scoring 25 points with 17 rebounds. If he can play like that all season we are a legitimate Big Ten Title contender. Devin Marble had another good game with 19 points 6 assists he continues to be the guy we need him to be. Adam Woodbury really had a nice game also he didn't score a lot but grabbing 11 rebounds getting 5 points with a couple of assists. The one thing he needs to work on is knowing when to take a risk going hard after a loose ball he plays the game so hard that sometimes he picks up a foul he doesn't need too. The back court was outstanding for the Hawkeyes as Clemons, Marble and Gesell combined to score 32 dishing out 15 assists with only 2 turnovers. That is the type of play Iowa will need in the back Court to have a chance to win a Big Ten Championship.

         The Front Court was pretty good also dominating the rebounding battle 49 to 35 including 14 offensive rebounds which led to 13 second chance points. Aaron White was the leader he plays small forward but he plays inside a lot of the game. On the season Iowa has had good production off the bench in the front court that wasn't the case Friday. Zach McCabe who came in as a 50 percent 3 point shooter was 0-7, Gabe Olaseni who had provided a lot of energy this season only had one dunk in 10 minutes, Melsahn Basabe only had 4 points and 6 rebounds. Adam Woodbury only scored 5 points but he had 11 rebounds. Our power Forward center position combined to score 11 points Iowa is going to need more production from this group in the Big Ten Season. Iowa's bench was outscored for the first time this season they came in averaging 48 points off the bench which is a little skewed due to the competition but they lost this battle to ISU 19 to 18 Friday. The Hawk bench had been good all season but it seemed that Uthoff was the only guy that was able to provide a spark as he scored 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting while grabbing 5 rebounds. Peter Jock only scored 2 points off the bench he looked a little bit shaky but that is expected from a Freshman in his first road game. Usually Iowa is going to get more production from the bench so that was a big factor in the loss to Iowa State Friday.

           Now lets take a look at some of the team stats Iowa shot good enough from the field to win the basketball game shooting 47 percent in the first half and 45 percent in the second half. That is plenty good enough to win a basketball game. Three point shooting wasn't nearly as good as it has been this season as Iowa went 4-17 from beyond the arch only 23.5 percent. On the season Iowa was shooting a lot better from 3 the biggest reason for that was Zach McCabe's shooting, Friday he just couldn't get anything to fall. Free throws Iowa shot good from the line in the first half shooting 8 for 9 but in the second half they couldn't make the big free throws to put the game away only hitting 6 for 12 including 2 front ends of a 1 and 1 plus the last 2 free throws Gesell missed at the end of the game. Even though Mike missed those 2 free throws he still played a great game scoring 11 points and dishing out 6 assists with 0 turnovers. Iowa did everything right to win that game they just couldn't seal the deal from the foul line the good thing is that it's December these guys will learn from this. I imagine we will see them in this scenerio again but this time Iowa will come through to win a big road game.The Hawks only turned the ball over 11 times which is great as you want to keep that number around 10. Iowa defensively was pretty good also they held Iowa State to only 6 made 3 pointers on the season they were averaging 10 a game. The free throw line was the biggest difference in this game as ISU got to the line 36 converting 23 while Iowa got there 21 times making 14. I think the play that started the come back for Iowa State was when Woodbury fouled out in the second half the Hawks did a pretty good job on Georges Niang. Niang made both free throws to cut the lead to 3 if Iowa gets a stop there the game is likely over instead a foul things get crazy. Then on the other end Iowa took the clock all the way down missed the shot but Aaron White got the rebound in this situation Iowa should have called timeout even though there was a lot of contact on the steal by the Cyclones. Ejim makes a pair than we all know the free throw story at the end of the game. The last Possession Iowa couldn't draw up a better play a wide open 3 for your best shooter it just wasn't meant to be.

         Now Iowa will finish up the Non Conference portion of the schedule with a game against Arkansas Pine bluff on Sunday Afternoon. Even though Iowa couldn't pull out wins against Villanova or Iowa State don't worry about the RPI if Iowa wins the games they are supposed to they will without a doubt be an NCAA Tournament team. After Arkansas Pine bluff it is time to start the BIG Ten season Iowa will begin the season at home with a game vs Nebraska on December 31st they then go to Wisconsin who is ranked number 4 in the country on January 5th, than  at home vs Northwestern. I think Iowa should start at least 2-1 if not 3-0 Wisconsin is good but Iowa plays a style that tends to frustrate the Badgers that should be a Marquee game on January 5th. So the Non Conference portion of the schedule is nearly over things didn't go exactly how we wanted but big things are still ahead for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Next game I will be previewing will be the Nebraska Basketball game plus watch out for my preview of the Outback Bowl Thanks for Reading

GO Hawks.

         

             

Iowa vs Iowa State Preview

         What's up Hawk fans it has been a while since I had time to write but coming up tomorrow night is a huge basketball game. I thought I would give a quick preview on the CyHawk game. First of all this is probably one of the most anticipated match ups in a long time due to the fact that both teams are ranked. Iowa State is undefeated on the season with a record of 7-0 quality wins at home against Michigan and on the road against BYU and are ranked 17th in the nation. Iowa on the other hand is 10-1 ranked 23rd in the country with quality wins at home against Notre Dame and wins in the Battle 4 Atlantis over Xavier and UTEP. This game is always important in the State but this year it has a lot of National appeal also. Both teams are ranked, have a combined one loss on the season plus it's a rivalry doesn't get any better than that. Lets jump into some of the key match ups on Friday Night.

          The Hawkeyes play a very fast offense looking to run every second of the game, on the season they are averaging 89.5 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the field 18 assists per game. They also average 46 rebounds per game. Iowa seems to be the deeper team looking at the stats as 10 guys play more than 15 minutes per game. Iowa is led in scoring by Roy Devin Marble who is averaging 15.6 points per game with 3.6 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists.  Aaron White also scores in double figures with 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Jarrod Uthoff is the third Hawk scoring in double figures with 10.3 points and 7 rebounds per game. Iowa also has 3 guys averaging over 7.7 points per game in McCabe 9.5 points, Peter Jok 8.4 points, Melsahn Basabe 7.7 points and 6.7 rebounds and Gabe Olaseni 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

     The Hawkeyes are balanced offensively they don't play through one guy specifically and the depth they have will be a major factor vs the Cyclones.Devin Marble has shown the ability to take over games.  This will be the first Hostile Environment that Iowa has played in, but with the experience on this team I don't see this as a  major factor. Three point shooting has been a pleasant surprise for Iowa with 4 guys shooting over 40 percent. Iowa State defensively is very good against the 3 point shot only allowing teams to shoot 26.9 percent. This will be an interesting match up with both teams likely to play a lot of zone defense Iowa should get some good looks from the outside the question will be can they make them.

      The Cyclones allow 67.6 points per game and 37 percent from the field. Rebounding will be a major factor on Friday as both teams are out rebounding opponents by 9  per game. Iowa State has forced 86 turnovers on the season while Iowa has taken pretty good care of the ball only turning it over 10.6 times per game. For Iowa to have success on offense they must take advantage of their size advantage Iowa State is going to play a lot like Villanova a small lineup that shoots a lot of 3 pointers. The Iowa bigs need to be ready to play tomorrow as they will have a chance to put a big game together.

            The Cyclones on offense play a lot like Iowa pushing the ball every second of the game averaging 91.7 points per game shooting 49.3 percent from the field. They play very good team ball with 19.9 assists, 46.3 rebounds per game. As a team ISU is shooting 37.4 percent beyond the Arc. The Cyclones are also a 68 percent free throw shooting team which could play a major role in the game. Fouls have changed in College Basketball more fouls are being called than ever before but these two teams have been able to avoid fouls with Iowa averaging 16.8 and ISU a little over 18 per game. Iowa is allowing opponents 64.7 points per game on 36 percent shooting. The Hawks are also holding opponents to 25 percent from beyond the Arc. Iowa State has a very balanced attack with 5 guys scoring in double figures and one scoring 9.9 points per game.

      Melvin Ejim is the leader for the Cyclones and will present Iowa with some problems he is scoring 18 points and 7.8 rebounds, shooting 52 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3. Ejim is a 6 ft 6 Forward so Iowa has a number of options they can put on him but I expect to see Aaron White guarding him the majority of the time. DeAndre Kane is their second leading scorer the 6 ft 4 guard averaging 15.4 points 8.0 rebounds 5.3 assists per game. Kane will be a difficult match up on Friday night he is a big guard build wise so I think Marble will likely be defending him and he will have his hands full. Georges Niang is their main post presence a 6 ft 7 forward averaging 13.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Iowa State also gets double figure scoring from Dustin Hogue 12.7 points and Matt Thomas 10.3 points. Naz Long scores 9.9 points per game. Iowa State is turning the ball over 11 times per game while Iowa is very good at forcing turnovers getting 7.1 steals per game.
           
           There are a lot of intriguing match ups in tonight's ball game Iowa clearly has the size advantage but can they utilize it tonight. How much zone will Iowa State play since Iowa is the bigger team the Cyclones will likely play a lot of 2-3 zone to keep the Hawks on the perimeter. I have the same question for Iowa how much zone do we see from the Hawkeyes they have played it a lot already this season but with Iowa States ability to hit 3 pointers we will probably see that tonight. The Match up Devin Marble against DeAndre Kane both of these guys have been the leaders on the team so seeing them go head to head should be interesting to see if this is the match up we see. Kane is a big guard at 6 ft 4 but Marble is even bigger than that at 6 ft 6. Kane play's point guard for the Cyclones so he will be have the ball in his hand most of the game. Gesell could get the assignment at first but I think when the game is on the line in the second half Marble will be the guy to guard him. On the inside Iowa needs to attack Georges Niang he had a tendency to get in foul trouble last year if Iowa gets him in foul trouble that takes a huge weapon away from Iowa State. So there is a little preview of the game and some of the key match ups I see.

            My prediction is Iowa hands the Cyclones their first loss on the season 87 to 77. I see an extremely close game but I just think Iowa has too much depth for the Cyclones. In a game that will likely be a shoot out the team that doesn't get tired will be the one that wins. I don't think Iowa State will be able to handle Iowa's size in the post which will allow the Hawkeyes to get Niang in foul trouble. I still think it will be a close game I just see Iowa pulling away at the end. This would be a signature win for either team as we will see both of these teams in March which great for the State to have 2 great basketball teams again.

On a Special note congratulations to the Iowa Football team for making the Outback Bowl against LSU I will preview that game when we get closer to January 1st. We aren't far from the start of the Big Ten Conference Basketball Season so I may write up a little preview on the Conference. Thanks for Reading

GO Hawks

Iowa vs Nebraska The Hero's Game Preview

         The Hawks have there final game of the regular season coming up on Friday afternoon as they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Iowa is 7-4 4-3 in the Big Ten while Nebraska is 8-3 5-2 in the Conference so this match up is basically for second place in the Legends division. I know second place isn't a great think we would all rather be playing for first but finishing in second place in the Legends when most people picked us to finish 4th or worse is very good. Both of these teams are going to a bowl game so that isn't on the line but either team could improve their bowl position. If Iowa wins I see them in Florida for the bowl season if they fall to the Cornhuskers on Friday still a good bowl the Gator or Buffalo Wild Wings bowl. I think if Iowa wins they will be headed to the Outback bowl due to the fact that two Big Ten teams will make the BCS whether that be Ohio State and Michigan State or Wisconsin it doesn't really matter two will likely make it the next will be in the Capitol one Bowl. This is why this game is so important I feel the winner will play in the Outback Bowl a January bowl game after last year would be way more than a success. So let's take a look at what you should expect on Friday.

         Iowa over the course of the season has shown glimpses of a very good offense than they have also had games where the offense wasn't very good. On the season Jake Rudock is passing for 207 yards per game good enough for 86th in the country the problem with Rudock this season has been the number of interceptions he has thrown. He has thrown for 2155 yards on the season with 16 TD's and 12 INT's completing 60 percent of his passes. If Iowa is going to win in Lincoln they need Rudock to be on his game if he throws 3 interceptions like he did vs Michigan it will be very difficult for the Hawkeyes to come out with a win. The Hawks receiving core seems to be getting better as the season has gone on the one guy that really seems to be coming along is Tevaun Smith. He had a great game last weekend vs Michigan hauling in 6 passes for 96 yards a Touchdown so I will be very interested to see if he can continue that this week vs a decent secondary. Nebraska is allowing 213 yards passing per game, they also have a very strong pass rush sacking the quarterback 33 times this season. Iowa on the other hand is a very good pass blocking team only allowing 10 sacks so far this season so that will definitely be something to watch for on Friday. I see the screen game very important this weekend Nebraska is a very aggressive defense they blitz a lot to try to create pressure on the quarterback. This can be very beneficial to a team but it can also backfire as Iowa should have some one on one match ups on the outside.

          I see the running game being a factor in this game but I also see the backs catching the ball out of the backfield more this week. Damon Bullock will probably play more snaps this week as he is the best pass blocker from the running back position.On the season the Hawks are rushing for 191.5 yards per game. They have had success the last 2 games running the football so this should help get the momentum on Iowa's side Friday. I see a very similar rotation to what we saw vs Michigan with Weisman getting his 18 carries and Jordan Canzeri getting 12 to 14 carries which leaves about 4 to 5 carries for Damon Bullock. Nebraska is allowing 161.6 yards on the ground they have struggled vs teams that have lined up to run the football right at them. I expect to see Iowa do the same thing the question will be how much success can Iowa have in the passing game to loosen up the Cornhusker defense. The Hawkeyes on the season are scoring 26.4 points per game while Nebraska allows 24.2 points per game. This like most of Iowa's games this season will come down to which team controls the line of scrimmage if the Hawks can run the ball well they will have a great shot to win this game. I think Canzeri could break one on Friday for a long Touchdown he has been close a couple of times and the Nebraska run defense has been vulnerable this season so don't be surprised if he gets loose on Saturday. Another guy that I expect will see the field is Damond Powell as Iowa will run a couple of screens to him and maybe hand it off to him once like vs Michigan. With the one on one match ups Iowa will have on the outside I see us taking some shots down the field. I don't see a shootout with these offenses but a well played game by both teams.

            Nebraska is built on offense the days of the Blackshirts are gone even though the defense is decent the only way Nebraska will win this game is if they turn this into an offensive battle. Nebraska wants to run the football they are averaging 199 yards per game on the ground. They have one of the best running backs in the country in Ameer Abdullah who has rushed for 1483 yards and 7 Touchdowns. He is the main cog on the Nebraska offense but they also have a dual threat quarterback in Tommy Armstrong Jr. who has rushed the ball 57 times for 176 yards. Nebraska is built around there running game so if Iowa can slow down the run they should be able to force Nebraska into some difficult spots. They play two quarterbacks one Tommy Armstrong Jr. who has thrown for 807 yards 7 TD's 7 interceptions and Ron Kellog the Third who is the better passer throwing for 720 yards 5 TD's 1 interception. I believe if Iowa can make these two quarterbacks try to beat us we have a great chance to win the football game. On the season Nebraska is scoring 34 points per game while Iowa is only allowing 18.9 points per game. The Hawks run defense is only allowing 123 yards rushing per game. Nebraska's passing game isn't great but they do have two weapons on the outside Kenny Bell has 44 receptions for 499 yards with 4 Touchdowns averaging 11.3 yards per reception. Quincy Enunwa is the other threat he also has 44 receptions for 578 yards 9 Touchdowns averaging 13.1 yards per catch. The Iowa defense will have to keep an eye on these two as they have had trouble at times giving up the big play in the passing game. Iowa's secondary is only allowing 180.9 passing yards per game and the pass rush has been pretty good sacking the quarterback 18 times while Nebraska's offensive line has allowed 14 sacks this season. Again this game is going to come down to which team controls the line of scrimmage I believe if Iowa can pressure either of these quarterbacks they can force some turnovers Friday.

          Special teams is always a huge factor in a close game and both of these teams have pretty good special team units. One of the major keys Friday will be Iowa's kickoff team vs the Nebraska return team Kenny Bell is a dangerous Kick returner averaging 23.5 yards per return as a team with one that went for a touchdown. Iowa is allowing 23.82 yards per kick return so they have to clean that up because a big play on Special teams can be a game changer. The Hawkeyes on the other hand are averaging 19.64 yards per return but Jordan Cotton just last week had a return over 60 yards. Nebraska's kickoff team is very good only allowing 17.82 yards per return. In the punt game Conor Korbraith is averaging 39.9 yards per punt with the punt team allowing 5.82 yard per return. Nebraska is averaging 3.1 yards per return. Nebraska's punt team is allowing 8.62 yards per punt return while the Hawkeyes are averaging 15 yards per return. Sam Foltz the Cornhusker punter is averaging 42.4 yards per punt. Nebraska has the advantage in the kick return game with Iowa having the advantage in the punt return game. Field goal kicking Nebraska's Pat Smith is 10 for 11 while Mike Meyer for the Hawkeyes is 15 for 20 and with wind likely being strong again it puts more pressure on these kickers.

        Turnovers are always a factor in a close game last week Iowa turned the ball over 4 times losing the turnover battle but it was the first time this season that the Hawks won the game after losing the turnover battle. Iowa has fumbled 6 times with 13 Interceptions on the season while Nebraska has lost 15 fumbles and thrown 10 Interceptions. The Hawks have forced 17 turnovers this season with 7 fumble recoveries and 10 interceptions. Nebraska has forced 16 turnovers only 3 forced fumbles and 13 Interceptions. The team that wins this battle will likely be the team that comes out on top which is why it is so important for Rudock to take good care of the ball. He has thrown 12 Interceptions this season and he is going vs a very aggressive secondary that likes to jump the short routes so he will have to be careful on Friday.

          My prediction is a very close game between these 2 teams both teams are playing pretty good football I just have a feeling that Iowa is ready to win a big road game. I have the Hawkeyes 24 to 17 it could be a little more low scoring but I think Iowa will be able to run the football. It's going to come down to quarterback play and Jake Rudock has proved that he can win games passing the football. I think Iowa will be able to force a turnover on Friday and I think that Jordan Canzeri get's loose for a long gain. If my prediction is correct on Friday Iowa would be 8-4 headed to the Outback Bowl to meet another SEC Team with 3 straight wins to end the season. I guess we will find out on Friday I have a number of posts up on the website so check them all out my Battle 4 Atlantis Preview is right below this one as the Basketball team is playing in that starting tomorrow. As always thanks for reading.

Go Hawks.

Battle 4 Atlantis Preview.

        Since Iowa is going to be playing in this tournament coming up on Thursday at 6pm I thought I would write up a preview of the Battle 4 Atlantis. Iowa hasn't been tested much yet but the number 23 team in the country will have some tests in this tournament. We will find out how good this team is as they could potentially play Xavier, Tennessee and Kansas on there way to the championship. Here are the first round match ups for the Battle for Atlantis Iowa vs Xavier, Utep vs Tennessee, this is the bottom half of the bracket on the top half it's Kansas vs Wake Forest, Villanova vs USC. This is what the bracket looks like lets dive deeper into all of these teams.

     Iowa will be playing Xavier on Thursday night so I will start off with a preview of the Musketeers they are out of the Big East conference so this would be a good win for the Hawks. On the season they are 5-0 with a win over Tennessee 67 to 63 who is the team that could play the winner or loser of this game. On the season they averaging 79 points per game with 16.6 assists and shooting 52 percent from the field. Team stats are hard to read too much into this early in the season due to most teams level of competition. They are led in scoring by Semaj Christian a 6 ft 3 guard who is averaging 16.4 points per game looking at his numbers he has been to the free throw line 39 times this season only making 20 so he looks to drive to the basket a lot only shot 4 three pointers made 2 of them. They are a fairly balanced team with 5 guys averaging over 7 points per game. Matt Stainbrook is their interior threat the 6 ft 10 Center is averaging 10 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Xavier only allows 57 points per game so they play pretty good defense. Xavier is turning the ball over 13.5 times per game which isn't terrible but with the pressing defense Iowa plays this will be a key factor. They are a 39 percent 3 point shooting team making 24 of 61 with Miles Davis being their best 3 point shooter making 10 of 23 on the year. Also Xavier is only a 59.9 percent free throw shooting team so this could come in to play if it's a close game. That was a small preview on Iowa's first opponent.

        If Iowa wins and Tennessee wins they would play each other on Friday night at 6 on the NBC Sports Network so lets do a quick preview of the Volunteers. Tennessee is 3-1 on the season with their only loss coming at the hands of Xavier. They play Utep with winner playing the winner of Iowa and Xavier. The Volunteers average 78 points per game shooting 47 percent from the field with 12.2 assists.  Tennessee is led in scoring by Jordan McRae a 6 ft 6 guard who is averaging 21.5 points per game he is a 45 percent 3 point shooter 9 for 20 on the season. The other 3 key players for Tennessee are Jarnell Stokes a 6 ft 8 forward who is averaging 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Antonio Barton a 6 ft 2 Guard scoring 10.8 points per game and 2.3 assist. Barton is 61 percent 3 point shooter 8 of 13 and the final player is Jeronne Maymon the 6 ft 8 Forward averaging 9.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. On the season Tennessee is 24 of 54 from the three 44 percent they also shoot 69 percent from the foul line getting there 111 times. Tennessee turns the ball over 9 times a game which is a very good number as Iowa turns it over 11 times per game which is about where you want that number. Tennessee allows 64.8 points per game. This could be a very interesting match up in the second round if both teams win.

            UTEP plays Tennessee so here is a look at what they have done so far this season they are 3-2 with their only 2 losses coming vs New Mexico State. The Miners average 74.8 points per game shooting 46 percent from the field with 15 assists per game. They are a very balanced team with 6 guys scoring above 8 points per game and 4 scoring in double figures. They are led in scoring by Mckenzie Moore a 6 ft 6 guard who is averaging 14 points 4.8 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Cedrick Lang 6 ft 10 Forward averaging 11 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Julian Washburn 6 ft 8 G/F averaging 10.4 points per game while shooting 44 percent from 3. Vince Hunter a 6 ft 8 forward scoring 10.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. John Bohannen 6 ft 11 Center averaging 9.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. So again the Miners are a very balanced scoring team so it will be interesting to see their game vs Tennessee which follows the Iowa game against Xavier. They turn the ball over 14 times per game so if they get by Tennessee expect Iowa to really pressure the ball to force the Miners into some turnovers. UTEP allows 64.6 points per game. We looked at the potential second round match ups now I'm going to preview the other half of the bracket.

        Lets start out with a preview of Wake Forest the Demon Deacons are undefeated 5-0 on the season they haven't played a very strong schedule so it's hard to tell how good they are. They are the unlucky ones of the bunch drawing number 2 Kansas in their first game so I don't expect we will see this team but it's basketball anything can happen. They play a little faster than most of teams I've previewed so far they score 85 points per game shooting 44.5 percent with 17.2 assists per game. They have 4 players scoring in double figures leading them is Codi Miller-Mcintyre a 6 ft 3 Guard who is scoring 18.6 points and 4.8 assists. Devin Thomas the 6 ft 9 Forward averaging 14.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Travis Mckie a 6 ft 7 Forward scoring 12.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Coron Williams the 6 FT 1 Guard averaging 11.2 points per game and is a 41 percent three point shooter. They take good care of the ball only averaging 9 turnovers per game. They shoot a lot of 3 pointers making 30 of 92 on the season while shooting 64.2 percent from the foul line. They allow 66.8 points per game. The only way Iowa would meet them is if they made it all the way to the Championship game.

          Kansas is the team that most people feel are the favorite to win this tournament and they are the team I think Iowa would play in the Championship if they make it. The Jayhawks are ranked 2nd in the Nation 4-0 with a win over Duke 94 to 83. They are averaging 87 points per game while shooting 56 percent from the field with 19.3 assists per game. They play Wake Forest in the first round of this tournament and they are likely to make the championship game. Kansas is a very balanced team with 3 players scoring in double figures and 6 players scoring at least 7 points per game. Andrew Wiggins the 6 ft 8 guard leads the Jayhawks in scoring averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Wiggins is the potential number one draft pick in next years NBA draft. Perry Ellis the 6 Ft 8 Forward is averaging 16.8 points and 7 rebounds per game. Wayne Selden Jr. is a 6 ft 5 guard who scores 10.5 points with 3.3 assists per game. Kansas does turn the ball over 12 times per game so if Iowa happens to play them they could take advantage of the Jayhawks not taking care of the ball.The Jayhawks are 21 of 56 from the 3 point line while shooting 68 percent from the free throw line. Kansas only allows 67.5 points per game so they do play pretty good defense.

           The other match up on the top half of the bracket is USC vs Villanova. The Trojans are 4-1 on the season scoring 75.2 points while shooting 46 percent from the field with 15.4 assists per game. USC is based around their big 3 with leading scorer Byron Wesley 6 ft 5 Guard who is scoring 19.8 points and 8.8 rebounds with 3.4 assists. Omar Oraby a 7 Ft 2 Center averaging 13.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. J.T. Terrell scoring 10 points per game. USC is turning the ball over 12 times per game while shooting 31 percent from 3 26 for 82. They are a 65 percent free throw shooting team. USC is allowing 67.8 points per game. Again the only way Iowa would play this team would be in the championship game which is possible but not likely.

           Villanova is undefeated on the season 4-0 with wins over Towson and Delaware so they haven't played a very difficult schedule. The Wildcats average 81 points while shooting 46 percent from the field with 17 assists per game. They are led in scoring by Jayvaughn Pinkston the 6 ft 7 forward who is averaging 20.3 points per game James Bell the 6 ft 6 Guard is scoring 18 points with 7 rebounds per game. Darrun Hilliard the 6 ft 6 guard is the third leading scorer averaging 14 points and 5 rebounds per game. Villanova averages 11 turnovers per game shooting 25 percent from 3 for 24 of 94, and shooting 72 percent from the foul line. They allow 60.5 points per game and they are a team we could play if they make the finals but I'm not sure they can get by Kansas.

            Finally I'll preview the Iowa Hawkeyes they haven't really played a lot of competition yet so it will be very interesting to see how they do vs some of the better teams. Iowa is averaging 92.6 points per game shooting 47 percent from the field with 18.2 assists per game. Iowa like most of the teams in this tournament have a very balanced scoring attack with 4 guys averaging over 9 points and 7 players scoring over 7 points per game. The Hawks are led in scoring by Roy Devin Marble a 6 ft 6 guard scoring 14.6 points 3.8 assists per game. Aaron White the 6 ft 9 forward  is scoring 13.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Jarrod Uthoff is the 3rd leading scorer for the Hawks which is kind of a surprise the 6 ft 9 transfer from Wisconsin is scoring 11.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Iowa is turning the ball over 11 times per game while shooting 35 percent from 3 29 of 82 and 74 percent from the foul line.Iowa is only allowing 54.6 points per game The Hawks like to play extremely fast and are probably the deepest team in the tournament Kansas has the most talent but going 9 almost 10 deep the Hawks are the deepest team.

            Prediction time in the First Round Match ups I have Iowa defeating Xavier by 10 points it will be close for a while but the Hawks pull away in the end. I see Kansas Rolling to a first round victory over Wake Forest, I like Villanova to knock off USC in the first round, and I think Tennessee gets the win over UTEP in a very close one. I think this game could go either way but I like the Volunteers to advance. For the second round I think the games will both be close but I think Iowa will get by Tennessee in a close game to move on to the championship, Kansas will also beat Villanova so I have the two best teams making it to the championship on Saturday night. I think Iowa does have a chance to knock off Kansas it won't be easy but the Hawks have the depth and talent to compete with Kansas. Especially after playing for the 3rd night in a row this will be a huge factor in the game come Saturday. I think Iowa will upset Kansas on Saturday night the Jayhawks have the more talented team but I just have a feeling the Hawks get it done. It could go either way but I think Iowa's depth will allow them to knock off Kansas in a very close game. I will have a preview of the Nebraska game coming soon for the football team thanks for reading.

Go Hawks.

Iowa vs Michigan Review

        Last Saturday at Kinnick Stadium Iowa had their biggest win in the last 3 years over the Michigan Wolverines. Maybe I'm placing a little more on it than it was but I believe this win is a signal that this team back on the upswing. We went through a little rebuild the last couple of years but this season really is starting to have a 2008 feel to it. If you remember Iowa had a very similar record before winning the final 3 games of the regular season and beating South Carolina in a bowl game. The Hawkeyes look to be on a very similar path right now the team has been getting better every single game. If Iowa beats Nebraska on Friday the same thing that happened in 2008 could happen again and we all remember 2009 when we started 9-0 nearly winning the Big Ten. So am I saying that the 2008 season and 20013 with look exactly the same not necessarily but there are a lot of thing similar with this season to that one. Enough about what could happen lets talk about what did happen on Saturday.

        The Iowa offense was very bad in the first half I mean the first play on offense Jake Rudock threw a pick 6 after he was hit on a play action pass. Rudock didn't have a lot of options on this play but he probably could of taken the sack instead of just throwing the ball up for grabs but that is something learned through experience. I mean that first half couldn't of gone any worse for the Hawks but like they have all season they kept on fighting. Even though it was very cold and Michigan seemed to be in complete control of the game I felt if Iowa could take care of the ball they could get back in the game. Really Iowa gave Michigan their points first the interception for a touchdown than the second interception where Rudock threw into triple coverage to set up another Michigan touchdown. After Iowa got down 7 to 0 they put a nice drive together to respond but missed the field goal. The Hawks 3rd drive resulted in a touchdown pass from Rudock to Fiedorowicz capping a 7 play 45 yard drive. Again the Iowa defense continued to shut down the Michigan offense but the next drive Iowa turned it over on downs than threw another interception. Both of Michigan's scoring drives started in Iowa territory one going 7 plays for 28 yards a touchdown pass from Gardner, than the second drive right before halftime 10 plays 47 yards and another TD from Gardner. Jordan Cotton had a big kick return before the half but a bobbled snap on the field goal caused the Hawks to miss another scoring opportunity. The interesting thing about this first half is it felt a lot like the Wisconsin game we were making a lot of mistakes which would wind up costing us the game.

        Iowa came out in the second half looking like a completely different team and the play that completely changed the game was Tevaun Smiths 55 yard touchdown catch. He made a one handed catch on the play gathered it in broke a tackle than out ran every one to the end zone. After this play I could really feel the momentum shift towards the Hawkeyes, the defense completely shutdown Michigan forcing 4 three and outs out of the 6 Michigan possessions. After Iowa's touchdown it seemed like we were going to tie the game but we had to punt 2 times than Rudock threw another interception when Iowa was driving for the game tying score. Instead of getting frustrated like the fans were the defense went back on the field allowing one first down but only 4 plays to force a punt. Finally Iowa put there best drive together going 60 yards in 9 plays to score the game tying touchdown. Mark Weisman had his best game since the beginning of the season bulldozing the Michigan defender into the end zone. After the Hawks tied the game the defense was just outstanding in the second half forced another 3 and out, these are the type of things you need to happen to overcome losing the turnover battle to win a football game. Iowa than put another nice drive together to get the go ahead field goal from Mike Meyer on 9 plays for 50 yards. After the field goal the defense came up big once again as Michigan was starting to drive the ball down the field when Anthony Hitchens and Tanner Miller stripped Devin Garder with Hitchens recovering it. Iowa had a key third down Michigan was likely going to get the ball back if the Hawks just ran the ball instead they called a play action naked bootleg giving Rudock the option to throw or run he found Fiedorowicz for a first down sealing the win for the Hawks. So we know how the Hawks got the win so lets take a look at some of the key stats.

        Offensively Jake Rudock was okay but the way he fought back after throwing 3 interceptions was very impressive. He went 19 of 30 for 239 yards throwing 2 TD passes and 3 interceptions but he was outstanding down the stretch of the game. He really made some big time throws. I had been saying it for while that Tevaun Smith was getting close to having that breakout game well that happened last weekend. Smith had 5 catches for 97 yards including a 55 yard touchdown reception leading the  Hawks in receiving. . He had the big touchdown catch but also had a 21 yard reception to start off the game winning drive followed by an 8 yard catch. He really had a big game when Iowa needed him the most. Now hopefully he can continue to build on this success becoming a more consistent threat. CJ Fiedorowicz also had a nice game hauling in 3 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Rudock completed passes to 10 different receivers including 2 catches from Martin Manley for 20 yards, Hillyer didn't have a lot of catches only 2 but both went for first downs. Jordan Canzeri, Mark Weisman and Damon Bullock all caught passes out of the backfield. Canzeri had 2 catches for 27 yards Bullock only had one catch but it was a great catch on a back shoulder throw setting up a field goal attempt. The running game was very good on Saturday as the Hawks rushed for 168 yards on 44 carries averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Weisman had 17 carries for 88 yards looking a lot more explosive than he had the last few weeks. Jordan Canzeri had his second nice performance rushing 12 times for 50 yards, and Damon Bullock had 4 carries for 12 yards. Michigan's defense coming into this game was very good against the run so this was a very good day for the Hawkeyes on the ground. Even though Iowa had some mistakes on offense they made up for them in the second half to pull off the come from behind victory.

           The Iowa defense on Saturday was unbelievable in the second half completely shutting down the Michigan offense. They only allowed 60 yards rushing and 98 yards passing holding the offense under 200 yards a very impressive performance. There isn't really anything bad to say about the defense they won this game for the Hawks by keeping the team in the game long enough for the offense to get going. Desmond King was just outstanding he probably had a little chip on his shoulder being from Michigan, he was all over the field breaking up passes and Carl Davis another kid from Michigan just dominated the interior offensive line with 8 tackles. This front 7 is outstanding but the big thing for this team is they are starting to eliminate the big plays they were giving up early in the season not only is the front 7 playing well but the secondary is too. Coming up on Friday Iowa has a big test facing the Nebraska rushing offense but the way they have played all season I believe they will be up for the challenge. These linebackers Iowa have are right up there with the best in the country they all make so many plays. Hitchens coming up with the strip to finish the game also they are very effective when they blitz timing the blitz to get to the quarterback. All 3 of these guys have an NFL future and it's great to see all the seniors having a lot of success.

            Special teams played a role in the game as Meyer missed a field goal than was unable to attempt one as the snap was bobbled. He came back though to make the big one putting the Hawks ahead by 3 which turned out to be the game winning points. Jordan Cotton had a strong day returning kicks including a 27.5 yard average with one for 60 yards. The kickoff team was decent for Iowa only allowing 21.2 yards per return to the Wolverines. Punting Connor Kornbraith was pretty good for the conditions averaging 37.5 yards per punt with 2 of his 4 punts downed inside the 20.

             Now that Hawks got win number 7 they will be going bowling to a nice area of the country but I see this team finishing even stronger. This win last Saturday is one that I believe people will look back on and be like that was the game that turned the program around. We all remember last season's 4-8 team can this team reverse those totals making it 8-4 with a win over Nebraska I think they can. Iowa needs to win one of these games in Lincoln to really turn this into a rivalry but enough about that enjoy this great win over Michigan. I will have a preview for the Nebraska game in the next day so check back. As always thanks for reading.

Go Hawks.


             

Iowa Basketball and Football Thoughts

         Whats up Hawk fans I haven't wrote about Iowa Sports in a while so I thought I would give some thoughts on the Football and Basketball team. The football team is coming off a bye week after they got their 6th win in impressive fashion 38 to 14 over Purdue. Iowa now has a big game against Michigan at home this Saturday. Michigan has been struggling a lot lately only scoring 6,13, and 9 in regulation games even though they put up 27 due to the triple Overtime win over Northwestern. Iowa needs a signature win for this season beating Michigan would be a great win for this program even though Michigan is a little down this year they are still Michigan. So lets recap the Purdue victory before we move on to previewing the Michigan game.

          Offensively Iowa had one of their best games totaling 509 yards on 72 plays while rushing 52 times for 318 yards. This was the first game Iowa was able to run the football but it was Purdue so I don't exactly know what this tells us about the team. Jake Rudock had a very solid game going 12 for 20 with 191 yards 2 Touchdown passes with 0 interceptions. This was the first game where Jake didn't throw an interception in a long time so hopefully this means he has turned the corner. Jordan Canzeri started at running back and was a big success carrying the ball 20 times for 165 yards 1 Touchdown. Damon Bullock had 10 carries for 85 yards and Mark Weisman had 9 carries for 30 yards. I really liked how Iowa used their running backs on Saturday they basically used Jordan Canzeri and Damon Bullock for the majority of the carries with Weisman getting the short yardage carries. Now there were some big holes for all the backs to run through but over the last 2 games Wisconsin and Purdue Jordan Canzeri has looked like the best running back on the team. I expect we will see him starting when the Wolverines come to town this Saturday. From the receiver position Iowa had catches from George Kittle 3 for 37 yards Don Shumpert had his best game with 2 catches for 69 yards maybe this means he has finally getting it. Tevaun Smith had 2 receptions for 33 yards and CJ Fiedorowicz also had 2 catches for 19 yards. Kevonte Martin Manley only had one catch but it was a big one a 19 yard Touchdown reception. I still need to see the offense perform against a good defense, they will get that chance this weekend vs Michigan's defense.

            Defensively Iowa was very good only allowing 53 yards rushing to Purdue completely shutting down the Boilermaker rushing attack. Iowa didn't really give up to many big plays on defense which has been a problem for this secondary all season but in this game they only allowed one long touchdown. Iowa forced one turnover and sacked the quarterback twice. This will be a big factor this weekend as Michigan's offensive line has been pretty bad allowing a number of sacks to all of there last 3 opponents. I see Iowa being able to get some pressure on Devin Gardner forcing him to make some bad decision with the football. Now that we looked at Purdue lets preview what we will be seeing on Saturday against the Michigan.

              Offensively Iowa is the team we thought they were they run the football a lot to set up the Play action pass. On the season Jake Rudock is throwing for 204 yards per game with 14 Touchdowns and 9 interceptions. For Iowa to win this game they need Rudock to make smart decisions in each of Iowa's losses this year he has thrown a big interception. Usually when he has a clean game throwing the football Iowa is going to win. Michigan is 75th vs the pass allowing 236 yards passing per game. Iowa ran the ball better vs Purdue and averaging 193 yards rushing per game. Michigan is 13th in the nation against the run only allowing 111.2 yards rushing per game so they will be focused on stopping the run forcing us to try to beat them through the air. Iowa's offense on the season is averaging 26.6 points per game while Michigan is allowing 25.2 points per game. I don't really know how good this defense is they have had games where they shut down the opposing offense but other games like vs Indiana where they gave up 47 points. I believe Iowa can take advantage of this defense but the receivers need to step up this weekend to make some plays down the field. The running game needs to continue to be successful like vs Purdue hopefully this gives us some momentum vs Michigan. I believe Jordan Canzeri will start at Running back with Bullock and Weisman splitting carries with him. I've been impressed with Jordan's vision he has always had the speed but over the last 2 weeks he showed great vision to find the right hole it also helps that he has that breakaway speed.

           Defensively Iowa has been very solid for the most part, they have given up a lot of big plays this season. Devin Gardner is a dual threat quarterback just like Colter and Braxton Miller who gave Iowa some fits when they ran the football. He isn't as good of a passer as Miller so that should help us a little but he is still throwing for 247 yards per game the problem with Gardner is that he doesn't always make the smartest decision. Gardner's numbers are similar to Rudocks with 15 Touchdown passes and 11 interceptions he has also ran the ball 146 times for 461 yards 10 rushing touchdowns. He is a legit dual threat so containing him will be extremely important because he is at his best when he gets outside the pocket to make plays. Iowa is a very good pass defense only allowing 189.2 yards passing per game but they are susceptible to the big play and Michigan has two big play receivers Devin Funchess a very athletic Tight end who has 42 catches for 684 yards 5 Touchdowns, Jeremy Gallon is their other big play guy with 65 catches 1062 yards 7 touchdowns. Iowa's safety play has to be better this weekend I have watched Michigan play a little and while the offense is struggling right now they still have some guys that can make plays down the field. Michigan is 95th in rushing averaging 135.6 yards per game but the last few games they have had negative yardage rushing while Iowa only allows 130 yards rushing per game. Michigan has allowed 31 sacks so Iowa should be able to put some pressure on Devin Gardner this weekend. Iowa has blitzed a lot more this season than previous years so I expect to see this continue also the Raider package should be in play again this weekend. If Iowa gets pressure on Gardner he will make bad decisions with the football. Now Michigan can score averaging 34.3 points per game while Iowa only allows 18.7 points per game. This should be another defensive battle it's going to be cold and windy perfect football weather in the Midwest the team that controls both lines of scrimmage will win the football game.

         Special teams as always can turn a game completely around so Iowa's kickoff coverage which has been better lately will have to continue to contain the Wolverines return men. Michigan averages 22 yards per kick return. Michigan allows 21.3 yards per kick return so maybe Jordan Cotton will be able to make some plays this weekend. Iowa's kick coverage is allowing 24 yards per return. Turnovers can also be a big factor Iowa has turned the ball over 15 times this season while Michigan 18 times. The kicking game can always be a factor in a close game both kickers are very good Mike Meyer is 14 of 18 while Brendan Gibbons 15 for 20 so if it comes down to a kick either team could win this game.

            Prediction I like Iowa this weekend Michigan has been struggling on the offensive side of the ball I think Iowa will get some pressure on Gardner intercepting him 2 times. Last week he got a way with at least 5 passes that should of been intercepted. I think Iowa wins this one 24 to 10 it could be a lower scoring game but coming off the bye and Michigan having played 3 straight physically tough games. I see the Hawkeyes winning the turnover battle and Rudock making enough plays with his arm to help Iowa get to win number 7. The biggest key in this game will be containing Devin Gardner he has the ability to cause havoc with his arm and legs. I just think Iowa will be able to make enough plays to win the game Saturday Michigan got very lucky against Northwestern so if the Hawks don't turn the ball over they should win this game going away. This is my football prediction for this weekend but another sport started that is College Basketball so I'm going to give a few thoughts on the team.

           I'm very excited about this team they have a chance to be a very special  they are probably the deepest team Iowa has had in a long time. They also just became ranked 25th in the USA Today poll for the first time since the Alford days so this is very exciting. Iowa is undefeated 4-0 even though they haven't played a lot of competition but they played a very solid Nebraska Omaha team that came in not scared led at the half but Iowa battled back to get the win. The team is averaging 94 points per game 20 assists per game but again they haven't really played anybody too good yet. Iowa has one game left vs Penn on Friday before they have a big preseason tournament, the games in this tournament will tell us how good this team will be. Iowa will play Xavier on Thanksgiving night I believe the games will be on the NBS Sports network if they win that game they play the winner of Tennesse and Utep at 1p.m on Friday, if they happen to win that game they could play Kansas in the Championship. The top half of the bracket is Kansas vs Wake Forest and Villanova vs USC. We will know a lot about this team during this stretch of games than we host Notre Dame. I think this could be a very special team that should make the NCAA tournament and possibly compete for a Big Ten Championship but I still have to see us do it vs some good teams. I'll have a review of the Iowa Michigan game while touching on the basketball team next week so be sure to check back. Thanks for reading

Go Hawks.

Iowa vs Wisconsin Game Review

        Saturday was a game filled with missed opportunities for the Hawkeyes in a game where they had a great chance to beat a very good Wisconsin team. Iowa had great field position the entire first quarter and came away with 3 points once this happened I knew we would regret that later in the game. Wisconsin went on to win the football game 28 to 9 but the score was a lot closer than that. If a few plays would have went the Hawks way they probably win this football game. So why did the offense struggle so much on Saturday against the Badgers defense?

       The Hawks struggled running the football once again vs the Wisconsin 3-4 defense only being able to rush for 110 total yards. I really don't know what to say about this running game because at times they have been very good but lately we haven't been able to get whole lot going on the ground. Weisman just doesnt' look like he has the same burst that he had earlier in the season maybe that is because of the better teams we are playing. Weisman was held to 15 yards on 9 carries only averaging 1.7 yards per carry and Damon Bullock had 6 carries for 6 yards only averaging 1 yard per carry. The only running backs that had any type of success were Leshun Daniels who had 4 carries for 14 yards a 3.5 yard average per run. The leading rusher for the Hawks was Jordan Canzeri who ran the 5 times for 58 yards including a long of 43 yards and an average of 11.6 yards per carry. I really am at a loss right now with the fact that Iowa just can't get the running game going maybe playing a smaller shiftier back may be the right thing for the Hawks going forward. Canzeri hasn't had a whole lot of carries on the season averaging 6 yards on 29 carries for 129 yards. I like all of the backs for the Hawkeyes but the interesting thing is that Mark Weisman is not getting the majority of the carries on Saturday Iowa ran the ball 32 times for 110 yards with only 3.4 yards per carry. For 4 of the first 5 weeks of the season Mark Weisman ran the ball for over 20 times a game in the last 3 games he has ran the ball 10 times, 13 times and 9 times. Something has changed with Weisman I don't know if he just banged up or if maybe the defense has figured out that Weisman isn't going to hurt them running the football. Bullock and Weisman haven't been effective running the football so is it time to think about giving Daniels and Canzeri more carries in the next few weeks?

       The Iowa passing game wasn't good only completing 16 of 40 passes between Rudock and Beathard for 179 yards 2 interceptions. Jake just couldn't get a whole lot going he missed a number of open receivers on Saturday that could of been some big plays for the Hawkeyes. Dropped passes were an issue for the Hawkeyes as they dropped at least 5 passes that I remember the big one coming down at the 5 yard line where the Hawks were driving Rudock escaped the pocket to hit Kevonte Martin Manley on 3rd down but he dropped the pass. Rudock missed back to back plays which would have been touchdowns on the first play they ran a deep post by Tevaun Smith with a wheel route by Kevonte Martin Manley Jake threw the ball to Martin Manley but overthrew him. On the play Smith was wide open on the post would of been an easy touchdown he just didn't see him. The very next play Kevonte Martin Manley ran a double move out and up where he was all by himself but Rudock pulled the ball down to quick due to the pass rush so he didn't see him. If Iowa could of made one of these plays this game would of been changed dramatically.
       
          The leading receiver for the Hawks was Damond Powell who had 3 catches for 43 yards, Damon Bullock also had 3 catches for 39 yards, Don Shumpert had a nice game with 2 catches for 35 yards. Tevaun Smith had 2 receptions for 26 yards, 1 receptions by CJ Fiedorowicz for 16 yards. The only other players with a reception Jake Duzey had 2 catches for 8 yards, Kevonte Martin Manley had his worst game of the season hauling in 2 catches for 6 yards, Matt Vandeberg had 1 catch for 6 yards. We saw a very good passing game by the Hawkeyes vs Ohio State when they used the 3 tight end set but they have gone away from that formation for the most part. They tried to get Jake Duzey involved but the Wisconsin defense was focused on him so he didn't get a lot of chances to make plays. I still think there is a possibility the Hawkeyes passing game can improve I see great things in the future from Tevaun Smith. I really think for the Hawkeyes to get a passing game going they need Damond Powell, and Tevaun Smith to become more consistent. In this game Iowa made 2 critical mistakes they ran a play action pass down at the goal line where Rudock was pressured he could have been sacked for a safety instead he just threw the ball up for grabs and was intercepted. This play completely changed this game Iowa was trailing 7 to 6 when the Badgers intercepted the pass than scored one play later. The other interception was thrown by CJ Beathard who was hit as he threw the ball and it hit Andrew Donnal in the helmet bouncing in the air for an interception. One thought about Beathard is he definitely has a cannon he makes throws that other quarterbacks simply can't. I'm not saying we have a quarterback controversy yet but going into next year we could have another battle on our hands. Rudock has played very well this season earning this starting job if he is healthy he will be the starting quarterback for this football team. I'd like to see him throw the ball down the field a little bit more he has a tendency to pass the ball to the flat when the middle of the field has been open. I don't know if that is by design or if he just does that on his own. When Beathard came in he threw the ball down the field on a number of throws. Iowa needs to hit some passes down the field if defenses are going to respect the passing game to open up the running game.

        Defensively Iowa played a very good game they held Wisconsin to 218 rushing yards with most of those yards coming in the 4th quarter. The impressive thing for the Hawkeyes defense is they forced 3 straight 3 and outs to start the game including an interception by Tanner Miller. The Hawks did get a lot of pressure Stave for the most part sacking him at least 3 times that I can remember. The blitzing the Hawkeyes did on Saturday was very effective. This has been a tool the Hawks have used all season and it has worked very well. The Secondary was much improved on Saturday but they still allowed some big plays the first touchdown by the Badgers was a 44 yard TD reception. The second TD pass was a 20 yard pass play to Jared Abbrederis another play over 20 yards for a TD. Iowa has to play better in the secondary by stopping these big plays they have hurt us all season long the Safeties are part of the problem but it is hard to tell what the coverage is on these plays. Iowa's defense did hold the Wisconsin passing game to 144 yards they forced one turnover a interception but lost the turnover battle 2 to 1. I can't put this game on the defense they played very good all day they just got a little bit tired down the stretch they kept Iowa in the game as the offense only put up 3 field goals.

         Special teams was actually a bright spot on Saturday the coverage teams were very good. Mike Meyer made 3 field goals and Konor Cornbraith punted the ball fairly well averaging 41 yards per punt with a long of 54 and 3 inside the 20 yard line. The return game was okay for the Hawks Saturday Jordan Cotton 4 kickoff returns for 88 yards averaging 22 yards per return. Kevonte Martin Manley had 2 punt returns for 10 yards 5 yards per return. Penalties hurt Iowa very badly they had the ball on the Wisconsin 29 but they got a false start penalty even though they did pick up a first down later on the drive. Iowa had the ball 2nd and 6 at the Wisconsin 14 CJ Fiedorowicz was called for holding making it 2nd and 16 they also converted a first down on 4th down and 1. Later on this same drive they had the ball 3rd and goal at the 3 yards line another false Start penalty Rudock ran for 4 yards on 3rd and goal from the 8 without the false start he has a touchdown. Iowa didn't have  a lot of penalties but they had critical penalties that hurt drives where they had a chance to score touchdowns.
         
          Looking at this game as a whole the Hawks missed a lot of opportunities on Saturday in the first quarter they had the ball on the Wisconsin side of the field just couldn't score touchdowns. The defense kept Iowa in the game the offense just couldn't score touchdowns settling for field goals. Against a good team like the Badgers Iowa needed to score touchdowns if they were going to win this football game. Iowa has 3 games left this season which starts this weekend with a must win game at Purdue they then have a bye week before their final home game against Michigan finishing up on the road at Nebraska. I believe the Hawks can do some special things this season they could finish this season on winning streak going 8-4 or 7-5 is very important for this team they have had a lot of success against teams they are supposed to beat now it's time for them to win a game against a good team like Michigan or Nebraska. The Hawkeyes need to win this game vs Purdue on Saturday getting to the 6 win mark and bowl eligible should take some pressure off the team.. I will have a preview of that game coming up in the next few days thanks for reading.

Go Hawks.

The Battle for the Heartland Trophy Preview

         Whats up Hawk fans it has been a whole 3 years since the Hawks have played the Wisconsin Badgers. That will all come to an end this weekend as the Badgers are in town for a critical conference match-up. Wisconsin is coming off a bye week and they are 5-2 with a 3-1 record in the conference. Iowa comes into this game coming off probably their biggest win so far this year over Northwestern 17 to 10 in OT to bring their record to 5-3 2-2 in the conference. I expect to see a fight on Saturday these teams both are known for being the more physical team and the team that wins the line of scrimmage will likely win the football game. Both teams are very similar in style that they are run first teams they both played Ohio State very strong at the Shoe with Wisconsin losing 31 to 24 and Iowa 34 to 24. The last time we played Wisconsin was the heartbreaking 31 to 30 loss back in 2010 and a lot of people point to this game as the starting point for the program decline. Is this going to be the game we say the Hawks are back to rising as a program. I feel this is a very important game not only for bowl position but Iowa is coming off a big win can they put another good game together to beat a very good Wisconsin team. So lets take a look at Iowa's offense against the Badgers defense.

            Iowa is known for running the football which is what they will try to do on Saturday afternoon vs Wisconsin. The winds could play a factor in this game as they are going to be pretty strong out of the Northwest which could effect both passing offenses. The Hawkeyes come into this game rushing for 188.9 yards per game and they have thrown for 208 yards per game. Iowa is scoring 27.4 points per game while allowing 18 points per game. Wisconsin is number 4 in the nation stopping the run only allowing 87.6 yards per game so they will definitely be trying to shut down the run making Iowa one dimensional. Wisconsin on the season is only allowing 197.4 passing yards per game so they have a complete defense good against the pass and running game. The Badgers only allow 15.9 points per game so we could be in for a defensive battle on Saturday in Kinnick Stadium. Wisconsin brings a different dimension the Hawks haven't seen much this year as they play a 3-4 defense which means pass blocking is going to be extra important on Saturday.

              They will have a lot of linebackers on the field, we need to take advantage of this matching up our running backs and tight ends on linebackers. I think you will see Iowa spread the field a lot against Wisconsin trying to take advantage of these one on one match ups. Obviously Iowa needs to be able to run the ball to set up the playaction passing game so that will be a major factor. Turnovers will play a major factor Iowa has forced 14 turnovers while turning it over 12 times and Wisconsin has forced 10 turnovers while giving it away 8 times. Even though Iowa may not have the most skilled wide receivers I believe the Hawks will have a chance to make some plays down the field in the only 2 games I saw Wisconsin play they struggled finding the football on deep passes. The Hawks need a good game from the wide receivers I believe that the Badgers will focus on the tight ends in the passing game so the receivers should have some one on one match ups on the perimeter. This is going to be the game Damond Powell makes an impact, expect Jake Duzey to also get targeted a lot he has the speed to run away from linebackers in coverage. Tight ends and running backs will be targeted a lot this weekend with the way Wisconsin likes to blitz I think the screen pass could be a very effective weapon for the offense. The one thing that doesn't worry me is that Rudock will not be scared to stand in and take a shot to complete a pass. I also think his scrambling ability will come into play this weekend Wisconsin likes to blitz so if Rudock can escape the pocket he could have some room to run. The 3-4 defense could cause a lot of problems for the zone blocking scheme Iowa runs so I think we will see Iowa focusing on running the ball in the middle of the defense more than the stretch play. If they can outnumber the defense on the outside they should still be able to run the football and if Iowa is going to win they need to at least run for over 100 yards. Now lets look at the Wisconsin offense against the Hawks defense.

            Wisconsin wants to run the football and be the most physical team on the field they have rushed for 296 yards per game good enough for 8th in the nation. They have thrown the ball for 216 yards per game on the season while scoring 39.9 points per game. Iowa is number 14 in the nation in pass defense allowing just under 115 yards per game while their run defense is 24th allowing 128.6 yards rushing per game. The two main guys Iowa will need to contain Melvin Gordon he is a home run threat every time he touches the football, watch for Wisconsin to run some jet sweeps to him. James white is the other running back he has more power than Gordon so he will be running between the tackles more. Wisconsin has a big offensive line and they will just line up to run the ball right at the Iowa defense. The one thing that gives me hope is if Iowa can pressure Stave he hasn't looked all that great. Really the only receiving target Iowa has to worry about is Jared Abbrederis who has 43 catches for 725 yards and 5 touchdowns. If Iowa can slow down the running game they have a great shot to win. I expect we see Iowa run blitz a lot this weekend as the Badgers will be trying to run the football. The defensive line will be without Dominic Alvis again so Mike Hardy will have to step up like last weekend. Stave will make mistakes if Iowa can get pressure on him he has thrown 13 touchdowns with 6 interceptions. Wisconsin's second leading receiver is running back James White and 3rd is tight end Jacob Peterson. Wisconsin's passing game besides Abbrederis doesn't worry me I think we can shut him down the question will be can we slow down the Badgers high powered rushing attack.

            Special teams can be a complete game changer in a close game which is what I expect to see this weekend. The Badgers kickoff return unit is averaging almost 25.6 yards per return so the poor kickoff coverage Iowa has had this season could be exploited if they aren't careful. On punt returns Iowa has the upper hand averaging over 20 yards per return could a big return be the game changing  moment? Konnor Cornbraith on the season is averaging only 37.2 yards per punt but he has been better as of late and seems to be improving. Wisconsin's punter is only averaging 36.2 yards per punt so field position will be very critical with two punters who aren't great at completely turning the field over with a long punt. Field goals I would give the advantage to Iowa with Meyer being 10 of 14 on the season Wisconsin has scored so many points in most games that kicking hasn't been that important with Kyle French going 5-8 on field goals. French is 3 for 6 on 30 yard plus field goals so if Iowa can hold the Badgers to field goal attempts he could miss a couple.

             My prediction is a very close game coming down to the final drive I believe last weeks win helped the Hawks turn the corner Iowa upsets Wisconsin 24 to 21. I believe Iowa will be able to run the ball enough to keep the Badgers off balance. I think this team is ready to get on a roll they won a close game last weekend and I see another close game where the theme of Rudock making big plays continues. I think Jake Rudock will be the difference in the game as the Badgers will be focused on the run I think the quarterback that plays better will lead his team to a victory. The one thing we haven't seen from Jake in a while is a turnover free football game I think we see that this weekend. I also believe Damon Bullock will come up with some big plays in the passing game coming out of the backfield. Also with the number of linebackers Wisconsin will play George Kittle one of the faster tight ends will probably get some more playing time this weekend. I have Iowa moving to 6-3 securing a bowl game with a chance to finish this season very strong. As always I will have the review coming up after the game so check back. Thanks for reading


Go Hawks

Iowa vs Northwestern Review

             Sometimes games go like you expect them to, this game last Saturday didn't really follow this pattern. One pattern it did follow was like all of the heartbreaking losses Iowa has suffered against Northwestern the Hawks jumped out to a 10 to 0 lead before Northwestern came back to tie it. I like everyone else was thinking here we go again the Wildcats will beat us but this time it was the Hawkeyes rising to the occasion in overtime to beat the Wildcats 17 to 10. I know this is only one victory but  it felt bigger than just one win it puts Iowa in great position to make a bowl game. This game really felt like a turning point for this team, Iowa has lost a number of close games over the years where they should have won the football game. A lot of these games have taken place at Kinnick Stadium so getting  a close win finally at home was huge for this team. Kinnick Stadium was as loud as it has been in the last few seasons in that overtime. This was a huge victory for the Hawks so how did they get it done on Saturday.

              Offensively this was an ugly football game the winds were very strong out of the Northwest which basically crushed any hope of a consistent passing game for either team. The opening drive once again was a thing of beauty for the Hawks going 74 yards in 14 plays to score a touchdown. This was the second straight game where Iowa scored on their opening possession and really set the tone for how the game would be played. I really thought after we basically ran it right down the field for a touchdown we were going to be blowing out Northwestern but that just didn't happen. The Hawks third drive of the game resulted in a Mike Meyer field goal as they went 42 yards in 11 plays to extend the lead to 10 to 0. That was really all the action for either offense in the first half of the game. The running game for Iowa wasn't nearly as good as I thought it would be but still productive with 136 yards rushing on 41 carries. Mark Weisman led the way with 13 carries for 56 yards and Damon Bullock had 17 carries for 52 yards. The Northwestern defense was very good vs the run in the second half blowing  up a lot of the things Iowa was trying on offense.

               Jake Rudock didn't have a great game but he was very accurate completing 19 of 27 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown, one interception. The passing game was held down by the wind but the Hawks still were productive through the air. Keyvonte Martin Manley led the way with 5 receptions for 45 yards Tevaun Smith probably had his best game as a Hawk hauling in 3 passes for 41 yards including a huge play in overtime to get the first down on a quick slant. Jake Duzey again had a nice game with 2 catches for 27 yards I expect we see him being targeted a lot the rest of the season. CJ Fiedorowicz had a nice game with 2 catches for 26 yards including the game winning touchdown in overtime. I really like what I see from these receivers they seem to be getting better each week so if we ever run into a team where we can't run the football I think the offense will be able to move the ball and put up points. The one thing that Rudock has that I love is the guts to stand in under fire I have seen him a  number of times this season just like the overtime play where a defender comes free. He doesn't get rattled stands in to throw a perfect touch pass to the end zone for the game winner. I think this offense can be very productive passing offense the rest of the year the Hawks have the running game but if they could develop a consistent passing attack they become a very dangerous offense. Those are some of my thoughts on the offense so what did the defense do on Saturday to hold Northwestern to 10 points.

                Defensively Iowa got after the quarterback on Saturday sacking the Colter 5 times and Simian one time for 6 total sacks on Saturday. Kain Colter is a tough quarterback to defend and he made Iowa pay running the football 18 times for 60 yards. Northwestern ran the ball very effectively vs Iowa rushing 52 times for 225 yards rushing.  Colter provided a spark to that offense and you could tell how big of a factor he is on that team. Iowa's defense was very good in the first half forcing 3 punts and a fumble in the first half. The thing that I liked was after Iowa went on their long opening scoring drive the defense came right back to get a 3 and out on Northwestern's first possession. The second half things changed the Wildcats had the ball a lot in that 3rd quarter where I could tell the defense was getting tired. The defense stopped Northwestern on their opening drive of the second half too but the Iowa offense couldn't take advantage of it. Honestly this game felt like Iowa was about to open it up but that just didn't happen. Northwestern had a very impressive drive going 8 plays in 81 yards where they ran the ball 5 of the 8 times hitting one long pass down the sideline and a TD pass to the tight end. From the 3rd quarter to the start of the 4th quarter Northwestern had a 16 play drive going 69 yards but the Iowa defense stepped up to make a play on 3rd down as Mike Hardy sacked the backup quarterback for the Wildcats to force the game tying field goal.

              After Northwestern tied the game it was very encouraging to see the Hawkeyes put a nice drive together going 51 yards in 9 plays but missing a 42 yard field goal. After the missed field goal I was really thinking here we go again. The Iowa defense rose to the occasion on this drive causing a fumble on the option by the Wildcats which Desmond King dove on. A huge play by the defense which kept coming up with the play that they needed to keep the game tied. The Iowa offense stalled and Rudock threw an interception so we were heading for overtime I've seen a few overtime games in Iowa City, they haven't seemed to go our way. This time Iowa made the key play of the game on the clutch TD pass by Jake Rudock to CJ Fiedorowicz. Again the defense stepped up Drew Ott sacked Kain Colter on the opening play of Overtime. Kolter than was able to rush for 3 yards bringing it to 3rd and 8. Desmond King the true Freshman made the play of the game on defense breaking up a potential first down pass for the Wildcats. On 4th down Louis Trincas Pasat had a great pass rush forcing Colter out of the pocket where they Hawkeyes ran him down to finish off the victory.

                There were a few things that I really liked seeing for the defense, the first was the pass rush Iowa generated sacking Wildcat quarterbacks 6 times. I really liked the 3rd down defense Iowa went with bringing  in Nate Meir, Reggie Spearmen and Quinton Alston to specifically rush the passer. This is a wrinkle I would like to continue to see also on this formation every defensive lineman stayed up so the offense didn't know what player was going where. Iowa won the turnover battle which always a good sign forcing 2 fumbles. The best thing out of the defense is that they didn't give up many big passing plays really the only one was a 31 yard pass where B.J. Lowery was in great position the guy just made a great play. I think the wind did make it harder for a long pass to be complete but overall the secondary only allowed 104 yards passing. Iowa will see other scrambling quarterbacks later this season so what they learned in playing against Braxton Miller and Kain Colter will help them. The defense will see a completely different offensive philosophy next weekend when the Badgers come to town. One thing that seemed to be a problem was giving up big runs between the tackles especially up the middle Northwestern had a lot of success. I think the defensive line got a little tired so we might see some more rotating in that interior defensive line for the Hawkeyes.

                Special teams can completely change a game but in this one that wasn't the case each team made a field goal. Northwestern averaged 25 yards per kick return including a 38 yard return Iowa has to improve the Kickoff coverage they continue to give up big returns each game. Punting was better last week as Kornbraith punted 4 times for an average of 40 yards including 2 inside the 20 and one that was downed inside the 2 yard line. Iowa didn't really get a chance to return a punt or kick Canzeri averaged 14.5 yards on 2 attempts and Martin Manley had a 10 yard punt return. The special teams can still use some improvement but they are getting better I think we will have a game this season where we say the special teams was a huge factor in the win.

                 So now Iowa welcomes Wisconsin to Kinnick Stadium this Saturday I'm very excited for this one. Going back to the importance for Iowa to win last weekend vs Northwestern it was a win that seemed like a turning point in the program I feel Iowa could be back on the rise. They had some down years but I think they should make a bowl game and could do a whole lot more. I mean besides Ohio State and Michigan State the Big Ten isn't full of unstoppable teams. Looking at the Legends division this conference is wide open who would of thought Nebraska would lose to Minnesota, Michigan State still has to play Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern and Minnesota. Looking at their schedule they shouldn't lose 3 games but who knows what will happen. Iowa has everything in front of them sitting 2-2 in the conference 5-3 overall still have games vs Michigan at home plus a game on the road at Nebraska. Iowa plays Wisconsin this weekend which should be another great game I'm very excited where the team is sitting right now we are in position to make a bowl game and could make this season very special. Does that win last week start a winning streak to end this season I feel it is very possible the Hawks get on a roll. I will have a preview of the Battle for the Heartland Trophy coming up in the next few days so stop back, thanks for reading.

Go Hawks

Iowa vs Northwestern Preview

           What's up Hawk fans are you ready for the hated Northwestern Wildcats to invade Kinnick Stadium on Saturday? This is a huge game for both teams as Iowa sits 4-3 overall with a conference record of 1-2, Northwestern sits at 4-3 overall with a record of 0-3 in the conference. The Wildcats over the years have given the Hawks fits because they take what Iowa gives them throwing short passes and moving the ball down the field. This is a must win game for both teams as the winner will have a leg up in the chances to make a bowl game the team that  wins only needs one more victory to make a bowl game so expect this one to be good. Northwestern is pretty banged up with there star Running back Venric Mark out for the game and QB Kain Colter questionable for the game this Saturday. I expect to see Colter under center this Saturday he has been practicing this week so he will play. So what will be the keys for Iowa having success on offense Saturday?

              Iowa will do what they have done all season which is to establish the running game early on in the football game. Northwestern doesn't have a strong defensive front so the Hawkeyes should be able to run the ball early and often. I expect Iowa to have a 200 yard plus rushing performance for the first time in their last 2 weeks. Northwestern as a team is allowing 168 yards rushing per game so really look for Iowa to try to take advantage of the Northwestern front 7. Last week we saw Iowa come out in a 3 tight end package which was very successful even though we probably have as good of athletes as the Wildcats in the secondary it will be interesting to see how much we see this offense. The Wildcats are ranked 97th in the nation in pass defense allowing 257.4 yards per game.

            Iowa should be able to find a rhythm in the passing game this weekend Northwestern doesn't have a strong defense but they are very opportunistic in forcing turnovers having forced 17 so far this season including 13 interceptions. Rudock will have to very careful on his passes. The Hawkeyes will have a chance to open up the passing game and I'm hoping to see them complete some passes down the field. This is the type of game where if Iowa doesn't turn the ball over they should be in a great position to win. A quick start is a huge factor on Saturday Northwestern has not played well since they lost a heart breaker at home to the Buckeyes so if the Hawks can jump on them early they should be able to win this game going away. A few things that I want to see the offense do in this game run the ball over 200 yards again they had a streak going for a while and it's time to restart the streak Saturday.

           I'd like to see Damon Bullock bust a 20 yard plus ran I really feel like he is getting better and better each week so he could have a big game this Saturday. In the passing game I want to see the receivers make some plays down the field I'm talking 30 yards down the field a deep pass. Iowa needs to show Northwestern that the do have the athletes to make some plays on the outside really expect the Wildcats to put 8 in the box but with the offensive line playing well that shouldn't play a factor in the success we have running the ball. The last thing I want to see in this game is a perfect card for Jake Rudock now what does that mean? I'm not saying I want him to hit every pass but what I want to see on Saturday is 0 turnovers he has thrown interceptions in a lot of games this season so I would like to see him get through this one without throwing a pick. Those are the things I would like to see out of the offense this weekend now what does the defense need to do to slow down the wildcats?

           Offensively Northwestern will do what they have always done to Iowa spread out the defense and throw the ball to the flat. The Wildcats are one of the few teams that have been able to take advantage of Iowa's soft defense so hopefully this weekend we see a little more man to man defense. I believe a lot of this game will be played in the red zone because the wildcats will be able to move the ball the key will be if they can score once they get there on the season they are number 2 in the nation scoring 28 times in 29 attempts. Iowa on the other hand has a very strong red zone defense allowing only 4 total touchdown all season long. Pass defense will be a major factor for the Hawkeyes who are in the top 30 allowing just over 200 yards passing per game. The problem this Iowa defense has had this season is the tendency to give up big plays which they must correct this weekend vs a pretty good receiving unit for the Wildcats. Northwestern is averaging 244 yards passing per game which is a decent number, I don't believe they will be able to run the football.

         The wildcats average 177 yards rushing per game but if Colter is able to play he will make a major difference on the type of rushing attack Northwestern will have. The Hawks run defense only allows 114 yards per game so I think they should be able to slow down Northwestern rushing attack making them a pass first team. Trevor Seimeian and Kain Colter have combined to throw 10 TD passes and 8 interceptions. Colter has also ran the ball 53 times for 283 yards and 5 touchdowns and he even plays receiver he is the guy that really makes the Northwestern offense go so if Iowa can slow him down they should win this game. Iowa has forced 12 turnovers this season with 9 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. Turnovers can make a difference on who will win the football game both of these defenses are pretty opportunistic so the team that wins the turnover battle should have the upper hand in this match up.Summing up the Northwestern offense they will run most of their plays out of spread formations trying to get rid of the ball quickly. Iowa will be without Dominic Alvis who has a back injury so some other guys after step up for him on the defensive line. Containing Colter with be very important he has the scrambling ability like Braxton Miller last week where he can make plays when things break down.

            Prediction Iowa wins 34 to 14. Northwestern comes into this game struggling having lost 3 straight games with 2 of the 3 at home. The only Big Ten road game they played Wisconsin crushed them 35 to 6 I think Iowa will be able to exploit the Northwestern defense and I see a huge days for Weisman and Bullock. This game is really a turning point for the Hawks if they win it I see good things ahead a loss wouldn't give Iowa a great shot to make a bowl game. The Hawks need this one with the schedule they have coming up the Wildcats are beat up as a team Iowa needs to win this game. I think they will get the job done on Saturday I see the Hawks forcing 2 turnovers both interceptions to pull away late in the game. I see a 17 to 14 type halftime score with Iowa being the team that makes the plays to win the game.

       As long as Iowa doesn't turn the football over they should win this game I don't think Northwestern will be able to slow down Iowa's rushing attack. On defense Iowa has to make tackles they can't allow the Wildcats to take one yard throws and turn them into 50 yard plays. Special teams coverage will be important again they are getting better but a goal I would like to see is holding the opposing teams return men to under 20 yards a return. I also think Jordan Cotton will break one this week he has been bottled up lately but I think this is the week he breaks out with a big return. Iowa still has everything right in front of them sitting at 1-2 in the conference they need to get a win this week to get some momentum going into the final 4 conference games. This is a much better team than last year they have been close all year long it's time for the Hawkeyes to take the next step forward winning a Big Ten conference home game. I'll have a review of the game coming up next week so be sure to check it out thanks for reading

Go Hawks.