Iowa Defense Praised by Rutgers HC

This week's college football showdown between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Rutgers is the ultimate test of offense vs. defense.

Rutgers, who has scored 30 points in each of their first three games, is matching up against Iowa who has a top-three defense in the country. The Scarlet Knights have the advantage as it'll be "blackout" night at home, though Iowa just played at No. 12 Iowa State two weeks ago.

If Rutgers is able to get past Iowa, it'll mark back-to-back 4-0 starts for HC Greg Schiano. The sixth-year head coach has a 97-101 overall head coaching record in college. He is under .500 in both the NFL and college football. Schiano is four games away from leveling his college football record, but the Scarlet Knights have their work cut out for them the rest of the season.

Before they can look too far ahead, they have to focus on the task at hand. The Hawkeyes have allowed an average of just 178 yards per game. That puts Iowa at No. 3 in the nation. Of course, that average could be lower if they had not given up 238 yards to the Cyclones. Regardless, that's a number HC Kirk Ferentz can live with. The Hakweyes' defense allowed 177 yards to Albany in Week 1 and gave up just 119 to UMass less than a week ago.

"Their defense, you talk about consistency, it’s been a top defense over the last 10 years," Schiano said. "Under 20 points a game over the last 10 years. Right now they’re a top-five defense in the country so we certainly have our hands full.”

Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Similar to Iowa, Rutgers will play four ranked opponents the rest of the season. Unlike the Hawkeyes though, all of the Scarlet Knights opponents are currently ranked in the top 10. Rutgers has the honor of playing at No. 9 Illinois and No. 1 Ohio State while they get to host No. 6 Oregon and No. 2 Penn State. The Scarlet Knights season ends with back-to-back games against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. Plenty can change by November 22, but neither the Buckeyes or Nittany Lions seem to be going anywhere.

If anything, Rutgers' Week 4 matchup against Iowa will be a wake-up call. The Scarlet Knights blew through their first three opponents with ease. In the past two weeks, they've outscored Miami (OH) and Norfolk State, 105-27. Iowa provides a new challenge for Rutgers, a team that has been able to move their offense with ease. While the Hawkeyes are nowhere near as talented as some of the top teams in the Big 10, it'll be interesting to see how the Scarlet Knights' offense fares against a top-three defense.

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