IU has to match Iowa defense

This weekend, the IU men’s football team (3-5, 1-3) returns to Memorial Stadium after splitting two games on the road.

Iowa (4-4, 2-2), on the other hand, comes into Saturday’s game with back-to-back losses to Penn State at home and Northwestern on the road.

“Coming off two losses, they are 4-4, but they are a prideful program,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “It’s a program that we respect, and it’s a program that we are trying to emulate.”

Though the Hawkeyes have had recent losses, Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz has been known for leading a winning program since taking control in 1999.

Ferentz has played in 10 bowl games during the last 11 years and has won six of them, including the Orange Bowl in 2010.

The Hawkeyes’ two Big Ten wins this year have come at home against Minnesota and on the road versus Michigan State.

The Hoosiers, though, boast one of the best Big Ten offenses this season and hope their firepower can boost them to a win.

IU leads the Big Ten in passing offense with 286.6 passing yards per game, and the team is second in total offense with 443.4 offensive yards per game.

The Hoosiers are also fifth nationally in red-zone scoring by capitalizing on 34 of their 36 trips.

But the IU players know continuing the team’s offensive dominance will be tough against Iowa’s defense.

“Iowa is a traditionally great defensive school, and they are going to play really physical,” senior center Will Matte said. “I love playing them because they bring a good challenge for us up front.”

Iowa’s defense is ranked 30th in the country, allowing 21.1 points per game.
In four of the team’s eight games, opponents have scored fewer than 17 points.

“They are just a tough-hard nosed team, and that’s what you get from Iowa each and every year,” junior tight end Ted Bolser said.

Iowa’s physicality is something that has been stressed by Wilson and the other offensive coaches this week during practice.

“They like to take away bubbles and play zone,” sophomore wide receiver Shane Wynn said. “They are going to get their hands on me a lot, so I just got to be ready to play a physical game.”

The coaching staff has echoed this week that IU’s ability to spread out the Hawkeye defense and attack it might be a key to success on
Saturday.

“It’s going to be a classic Big Ten brawl, and we are going to need our most physical game of the year to beat them,” IU Assistant Offensive Coordinator Kevin Johns said.