Biggest Advantages for Iowa Football Against Purdue, How To Exploit Them

No game is an automatic win in the Big Ten. It's one of, if not the best, conferences in all of college football. Every week is a grind amid the gauntlet, even if the records don't show it. The Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing for their 10th game of the year, and it's against a Purdue team they can't overlook.

Iowa has been playing its style over the last few weeks against Wisconsin and Northwestern, which has led to two wins. This weekend, against Purdue, the recipe isn't a whole lot different, but it includes picking the right times offensively to help the defense put this game on ice early.

Stay strong against the run game on defense

Teams are averaging less than 2.5 yards per carry on the ground against the Iowa defense this year. That contributes to this unit giving up only 81.9 yards per game on the ground and just two rushing touchdowns all year. This weekend, this is the recipe.

Purdue does not get much going on the ground. The Boilermakers get just 3.5 yards per carry on the ground and are ranked 117th in the country, with just 117.9 rushing yards per game. It's been a grind for them, aside from a 305-yard outlier against Minnesota, which ballooned these numbers slightly.

If Iowa can stay strong against the run, like they have all year, this should become a one-dimensional offense for Purdue. If the Hawkeyes do that, this game gets incredibly hard for the Boilermakers.

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Embrace third downs on offense

Offensively, the Hawkeyes are 58th in the country in terms of converting third downs into first downs. Iowa converts just under 41% of third downs. This weekend, third downs shouldn't scare Iowa. The Hawkeyes can move the ball on this down.

To put it rather bluntly, Purdue has been abysmal at getting off the field on third downs. The Boilermakers give up almost 48% of third downs. If Iowa can get up near this number to stay on the field, chew clock, and rest the defense, things tilt towards Iowa in a big way.

Take the early shots on offense to force Purdue's hand

Tying into the above point, Iowa can use early downs and early plays to try to put Purdue in a position that forces it to play from behind. If Iowa can do that, the defense can feast on the pass rush and suffocate an offense that will see some of its playbook taken away.

Tim Lester and Hank Brown also shouldn't be overly worried about the pass rush. Through nine games, Purdue has only gotten home for 9.0 sacks. Iowa's offensive line should be able to hold up here, allowing Tony Diaz and Reece Vander Zee to get downfield.

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