Meet the Opponent: 3 Things to know about the Iowa Hawkeyes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue travels to Iowa City on Saturday to take on the No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes. This will be the second matchup between the two teams during head coach Jeff Brohm’s tenure. The Boilermakers have come out on top on both, with 24-15 and 38-36 wins. Iowa is coming off of a 17-12 loss to No. 7 Penn State at home.
Here’s a quick primer for you on the game:
The Details:
- Who: Purdue (2-4) vs. Iowa (4-2)
- When: Saturday, Noon ET
- Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA
- TV: ESPN2
Here are three things you need to know about the Hawkeyes:
Back-to-back losses
After beginning the season 4-0, Iowa has dropped its last two games. Both losses came against two of the top teams in the Big Ten, Michigan and Penn State. Michigan held them to just three points in a 10-3 game, and Penn State squeaked out the win 17-12.
During its four-game win streak to begin the season, Iowa failed to play any ranked teams, with its toughest matchup being Iowa State. It’s yet to be known what the real Iowa team is, but as of right now they’ve only been able to beat the weaker opponents.
Offensive line struggles
During this two game skid, the Iowa offensive line has been a major part of the problem. After allowing just six sacks through the first four games of the season, quarterback Nate Stanley has been dropped 10 times in the last two games. Similarly to Purdue, Iowa has been trying to find the right combination on the line. They have started five different lineups through the first six games.
Purdue is obviously not as strong up front as Michigan and Iowa State, but should still be able to get some pressure on Stanley. Expect to see George Karlaftis, who has recorded four sacks and has pressured the quarterback all season, to be able to do so again on Saturday.
Stout defense
The most productive area for the Hawkeyes is their defense. Through the first six games they are allowing just a measly 10.2 points per game which puts them at fifth in the NCAA and fourth in the Big Ten. The most points allowed by them in a game this season has been 17, to both Iowa State and Penn State. They allow just 160 passing yards per game, which will make it tough on Purdue quarterback Jack Plummer. On the ground they seem to be a little more vulnerable, giving up 100 rushing yards per game.
The Iowa defense will be a much bigger challenge than the one Purdue faced last weekend against Maryland. It’ll be very similar to the matchup against Penn State. Iowa is big, fast, likes to attack and is ranked right at the top of the Big Ten and the nation in most categories.
