Two Keys to an Iowa Victory vs. Ole Miss

At 64-0, despite not having played an unfavorable game yet, the Iowa Hawkeyes have jumped out to an ideal start to the 2025-26 season. With questions coming into the year surrounding recently hired head coach Ben McCollum - mainly, just how good could his team be, and how far could they get there - Iowa's quintupling of dominant wins through as many matches seemed to have answered that question with a relatively decisive haste: the black and gold are very good, at least when they’re supposed to be.

Facing Steeper Competition Down South

But when the line prior to the match doesn't favor the Hawkeyes by a landslide? That's a question yet to be answered, although it'll be posed after Iowa endures one more feasible non-conference battle at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against Chicago State.

Next week, McCollum and his team will take on the Southeastern Conference-representative Ole Miss Rebels. Led by notoriously hard-nosed head coach Chris Beard, the Rebels are a generally mid-ranking team in what was arguably the best conference in the NCAA last season.

Currently 5-0, the Rebels will be in the same boat the Hawkeyes as a team fighting for their undefeated record to remain, assuming Iowa takes care of the aforementioned Chicago State. The B1G vs. SEC showdown will yield undeniably positive results in the light of the national media, as well as mark a semi-signature win for either roster as each inches closer to hyper-competitive conference play. For the Hawkeyes to come out on top, they'll need to do two things particularly well.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum | Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Control the Pace

Ole Miss, having scored in the 80's in each of their five wins and holding every one of their opponents below 70, have developed a specific, restrictive style of play, controlling the pace and making each team against them play to their preference.

If the Hawkeyes want to break that spell, they'll have to get out and run, above all else. Senior guard Bennett Stirtz, who generally plays 40 minutes anyway, will be relied on to carry a heavy load and push the pace when the Rebels are working to slow things down.

Overwhelm Ole Miss' Defense

On a related point, part of Iowa's plan of success will be to break the Rebels' usual defensive barrier of 80 points. Having done so in all but one of their own victories this season, something will have to give in this regard; it'll take an especial scoring effort from Iowa's entire team, not Stirtz alone, to do so.

Forward Alvaro Folgueiras, who just led the team in scoring with 16 against Southeast Missouri State, is likely to see extensive clock and opportunities as well if the Hawkeyes are going to be leading down the stretch. Either way, the game is likely to be close, and will present Iowa with numerous lessons to learn either way.

As daunting as SEC competition can be, fans of the black and gold should look forward to their team being testing for the first real time this season. It's still early, but the matchup should serve as a solid litmus test for what McCollum's first roster can handle at this juncture of the season.

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