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IOWA CITY, Iowa - Fourth-ranked Michigan will play a road game for the first time this season. It comes in one of the Big Ten's most hostile environments. 

The Wolverines (4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) invade Iowa's Kinnick Stadium Saturday (11 a.m. CT, FOX) for a rematch of the 2021 Big Ten Championship game. The Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0) will be looking to avenge an embarrassing 42-3 setback in that contest. 

"I don't know the last time I lost by 39 points," Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras said. "I'd say it's the same for most of the guys on the team. It's never a lot of fun. So in that way, it's definitely motivation. 

"It's just important to realize that 2021 was 2021 and this is a new year. They don't get to carry any of those points over. They have a new team. We have a new team. The opportunity is all in front of us." 

The Wolverines last trip to Iowa City came in November 2016. They were unbeaten and ranked second in the country. Coming off a 41-14 beat down at the hands of Penn State a week earlier, the Hawkeyes stunned Michigan, 14-13. 

Iowa has won five of its last six games against Top 5 opponents at Kinnick. 

"What do they say? It's where Top 5 teams go to die," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "The biggest thing is just how good (Iowa) is. They just get so good at what they're doing that they beat you with the execution. You have to match that execution. 

"It's great environment that they have at Kinnick Stadium, but I think it's more the team that's on the field. They produce one that's good every single year."  

The Hawkeyes embrace the underdog role. It fits them. 

"Most of the guys on this team, for the most part, weren't recruited by Michigan; weren't recruited by Ohio State; weren't recruited by Penn State," Petras said. "We feel that we can play with any team. Our program has showed that over the years. 

"As under-recruited as we may be, we still are consistently a pretty good football team. That's something to take pride in. But it really doesn't mean anything if we don't go out there and play well Saturday." 

According to TeamRankings.com, Michigan has played the 54th toughest schedule to date with the Hawkeyes facing No. 65. The Wolverines own victories against Colorado State (107), Hawaii (130), UConn (123) and Maryland (27). Iowa's wins are versus South Dakota State (FCS), Nevada (122) and Rutgers (103) with the loss coming against Iowa State (34). 

The Wolverines lean heavily on their rushing attack led by Blake Corum (119.5 rushing yards per game). They rank second to Minnesota in ground yards per contest among Big Ten teams.

Michigan gashed the Hawkeyes on the ground last year, averaging 6.2 yards per carry in rolling up 211. 

"We've shown some plays from last year's game in practice that we're working on to try to tighten up," Iowa defensive end John Waggoner said. "We're just trying to have our eyes in the right spot and knock these guys back and be able to get off blocks and make plays." 

The Wolverines' rushing force will run into the immovable object that is Iowa's defense. It rates third in the conference against the rush (73.0 yard per game, 2.2 yards per carry). 

"It's a (defensive) system. It's a way of playing. It's the (Norm and Phil) Parker way, Harbaugh said. "It's really good. Everybody knows what to do. Everybody's playing the proper leverage, the proper technique, the proper fundamentals at all times. 

"The challenges it presents, if you are inaccurate with a throw, overthrow, under-throw, tipped ball, it's highly likely it's going to result in a turnover. If you're not as sound as you can possibly be, then you're in for a rough one." 

Michigan dual-threat quarterback JJ McCarthy is completing 80 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He'll be tasked with facing an opportunistic Hawkeye defense that ranks third in the conference with five picks and is tied for first in sacks (12). 

McCarthy's top two targets are Ronnie Bell (17 catches, 253 yards, 1 touchdown) and Luke Schoonmaker (10-117-1). Roman Wilson serves as the big-play threat, averaging 24.5 yards on eight receptions with three scores. 

The Hawkeyes lead the conference in scoring defense (5.8 points per game). Michigan checks in fourth (11.0). The Wolverines allow 109.0 yards a contest on the ground and just 135.8 through the air. 

Junior Colson is an active linebacker who leads the Wolverines and ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 7.5 tackles a game. Tackle Mazi Smith (6-3, 337) is a load in the middle of the defensive line. 

TV ANNOUNCERS: Noah Eagle and Mark Helfrich on FS1.

SERIES: Michigan holds a 43-15-4 advantage in the series that began with a 28-5 Iowa win in 1900. The first meeting between the two teams was played in Detroit and the second in Chicago. 

Iowa has won five of the last eight meetings against the Wolverines. The most recent meeting came last December in Indianapolis with Michigan claiming the win in the Big Ten Championship game. 

Iowa has won the last four meetings against Michigan in Kinnick Stadium. It has faced Michigan 14 times when the Wolverines were ranked in the top five nationally. Iowa has three wins in such games-- 9-7 in 1981, 12-10 in 1985 and 14-13 in 2016. 

BETTING LINES: Iowa opened as a 4-point underdog in the Vegas Insider consensus Sunday night. It jumped to the Hawkeyes +10.5 by Monday morning. The total opened at 44.5 and fell to 42.5 by Monday morning with all of the consensus at that number with the exception of Wynn Bet, which had it at 43.0.

TRENDS

-Michigan is 5-1 Against The Spread (ATS) in its last 6 conference games.

-Under is 4-1 in Wolverines' last 5 games overall.

-Iowa is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 home games.

-Over is 5-0 in Hawkeyes last 5 conference games.

MICHIGAN PLAYERS TO WATCH

-Blake Corum, RB The junior from Virginia is averaging an eye-popping 7.5 yards per carry and leads the country with nine rushing touchdowns. He's caught just two passes for 11 yards, however. 

-JJ McCarthy, QB – A sophomore from the Chicago suburbs, McCarthy is completing 80 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He's also averaging 6.5 yards per rush with a score on the ground. 

-Mike Morris, Edge Morris disrupts offenses with his speed and power. The Florida product has racked up two sacks, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble so far. 

KEYS TO VICTORY

Michigan: Run the ball effectively, taking pressure off a young QB making his first road start. 

Iowa: Stop the run and rattle the young QB making his first road start.

GAME NOTES

-Michigan leads the nation in scoring offense, averaging 50.0 points per contest, while listing seventh in scoring defense by allowing just 11.0 points per game.

-The Wolverines rank top eight nationally in four categories: pass defense (4th), pass efficiency (5th), scoring defense (7th) and total defense (8th).

-Dating to last season, Michigan has totaled 30 rushing touchdowns across its last eight games (17 in first four games of 2022, 13 in final four games of 2021).

-Maryland registered an eight-yard punt return last weekend, marking the first return yards allowed by Michigan's punt coverage unit this year. Eight of Brad Robbins' 11 punts have been downed, fair caught, or rolled out of bounds.

-Pro Football Focus rates Michigan as the No. 1 team in the nation in pass coverage and tackling; second in overall team ranking and total defense; fourth in run defense; seventh in total offense; eighth in receiving grade; and tied-ninth in special teams.

-Iowa’s defense has allowed just 23 points in its first four games of the 2022 season – the fewest points allowed in the last 66 years. The Hawkeyes gave up 20 points in the first four games in 1956. Iowa shut out Nevada (27-0) on Sept. 17 for its sixth shutout since 2016.

-Hawkeye DB/CASH Cooper DeJean is leading the Big Ten and is tied for second nationally with three interceptions, with all three coming in consecutive games (ISU, Nevada, Rutgers). The last Hawkeye to have an INT in three straight games was DB Jermari Harris in 2021. DeJean has started two games at CASH and two at DB this season.

-The Hawkeyes haven’t committed a turnover in either of their past two games. Iowa tied a season high by forcing three turnovers at Rutgers (2 INT, 1 fumble), moving the team to +2 in turnover margin. The Hawkeyes have scored 21 points off turnovers this season.

-Iowa’s defense leads the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 5.8 points per game. The Hawkeyes are fourth in red zone defense (.571), sixth in total defense (236.2), sixth in rushing defense (73.0) and 14th in passing defense (163.2).

-The Hawkeyes are 5-3 against top five opponents in Kinnick since 1999, including winning five of their last six games. One of those wins came against No. 2 Michigan in 2016 – a 14-13 victory.

NOTABLE ALUMNI

Michigan – Chip Davis 

Iowa - Joshua Ferris

HOWE I SEE IT: Michigan last won at Kinnick Stadium in 2005. Its four-game losing streak at Iowa is by an average of 3.5 points per contest. 

The Hawkeyes would have loved playing this one under the lights, but FOX decided it was meant for Big Noon Kickoff (11 A.M. CT). That will make things only slightly less hostile for the visitors. 

The setup makes it that much more important that the Wolverines continue running the ball effectively. If they struggle on the ground against Iowa's stingy defense and play behind the chains, McCarthy will experience the full effect of the Kinnick crowd and how it energizes its team. 

The Hawkeyes boast the toughest defense, by far, of any team Michigan has faced in '22. And the visitors' defense has dropped off from a year ago after losses to the NFL. 

I like how this game shapes up for Iowa. The disrespect and underdog role fuels this program. 

PREDICTION: IOWA 24, Michigan 20