What is up Hawk fans it's that time of the year again Iowa and Iowa State just a couple days away. The game will get under way at 5 p.m on Saturday night from Jack Trice Stadium and is the first road game of the season for the Hawks. Iowa comes into this game 1-1 with a Win over Missouri State 28 to 14 and a loss to NIU 30 to 27. The Cyclones lost week one to Northern Iowa 28 to 20 and had a bye week last week. So what can we expect in this game we know a few things Iowa State will not play like they did week one vs Northern Iowa. They will be ready to play and the crowd will be rocking on Saturday night. I'm really excited for this game it is so big for both programs Iowa State can't fall to 0-2 and Iowa can't afford to fall to 1-2. I'm really not sure what to expect on Saturday I could see Iowa blowing out the Cyclones or I could see a really close game that could go either way. So lets jump right into this game with what I think we will see from the Cyclones defense..
This game will be Jake Rudock's first road start which does make me a little nervous about how he will play. I expect Iowa State will stack 8 and 9 guys in the box all night against Iowa because vs UNI they gave up a lot of rushing yards to the Panthers. Iowa will run the ball a lot and should have success running the football against the Cyclones but with ISU likely stacking the box the playaction pass becomes that much more important for the Hawkeyes. If you remember back against the Huskies week one we did hit some deep balls down the field on 1st down Playaction passes. I expect to see the same thing this weekend also expect to see Damond Powell in the game more if ISU is giving one on one coverage. Turnovers will be a huge key in this ball game and with a young quarterback making his first road start I just don't know what to expect. Rudock has thrown 3 interceptions so far this season and will have to make smart decisions with the football. I also expect ISU will be blitzing a lot on defense which makes the screen game to receivers and running backs a very effective weapon for the Hawks this weekend. The Cyclones likely will try to take away the running game to make Rudock try to beat them with his arm which I believe he can and will have a breakout game Saturday. Another key for Iowa to win this game we need to see the receivers step up all of them as a whole need to make plays on Saturday night. Offensively I expect the Hawks to run the football a lot and if they are successful that will open up the playaction passes down the field. The team who wins the line of scrimmage on Saturday night will be the team that has the advantage in this ball game.
Now I haven't seen a whole lot of Iowa State's offense as I didn't get to see their game against UNI week one. Looking at the stats Iowa State will run a lot of quarterback read and Sam Richardson isn't afraid to run as he almost runs too much. Iowa will have to contain Sam Richardson which is why playing against mobile quarterbacks in week one and two will only help us in this game vs the Cyclones. ISU will spread the field most of the time on Saturday night which means our linebackers will be tested in coverage this weekend as we will see some on one on one match ups with our linebackers. The Cyclones do have some speed but listening to the reaction to the UNI game people were saying the ISU's receivers had trouble getting separation from the Panthers defensive backs. Tackling will be a huge key for the Hawks as ISU likes to throw a lot of quick passes and let their playmakers try to make plays after the catch. The other major key for Iowa is they must have a pass rush of some sort they can't let Richardson just sit in the pocket and make plays. Also we can't let Richardson scramble and make big plays with his legs he has already proved that he has no fear of running with the football. The last big key for Iowa on defense they must limit the big plays we have already seen this season the secondary giving up long TD passes and they must limit these plays if they are going to beat the Cyclones on Saturday night.
Iowa really struggled with penalties last weekend and they must clean that up this week if they want to win. Iowa will also be running their no huddle offense for the first time on the road so it will be interesting to see how effective they are running it. Can they get into the right plays or will they struggle with the crowd noise. The major key in this ball game for Iowa is to score touchdowns when they get in the red zone. They should be able to move up and down the field on the Cyclones Saturday night but the key will be once they get inside the 20 yard line can they score touchdowns. I believe if Iowa scores touchdowns they should be able to run away with this game. Those are my keys to an Iowa victory now I'll give a few keys to to a Cyclone victory.
For ISU to win this game they must slow down Iowa's running attack and make Jake Rudock try to beat them. They also must generate a rushing attack of their own from there running backs so Iowa can't focus in on just Sam Richardson running the football. I think the team that makes more big plays at the wide receiver position will come out on top Saturday night. Now it's time for my prediction I've given you some keys to both teams winning the game now here is how I feel the game plays out.
Iowa's offense has been extremely close to putting together a great game this season and I think this is the week they put it all together. I believe Iowa will win the game Saturday by the score of 31 to 17. I think it will be a close game for a long time but Iowa will pull away at the end. I think Iowa will be able to run the football on Saturday night which should open up the playaction pass down the field. I see Damond Powell catching a long TD pass and I also see Jordan Cotton making some big plays in the passing game. I think Iowa's defense will be able to shut down ISU's rushing attack which will make them one dimensional the one big injury question for Iowa is whether or not Jordan Lomax will play as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. I just feel this is the week we see what this Iowa offense can be this season, they will finally be able to score touchdowns which will lead them to a big win. That is my prediction now it's time for the Hawks to go out and get a big win on the road as always thanks for reading.
GO
Hawks
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