Tag: Iowa

Preview: Michigan vs. Iowa

Here is an abbreviated preview since this has been a very hectic week.

RUSH OFFENSE vs. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #91 in rushing offense (148 yards/game) and #97 yards per carry (4.1). The leading rusher is QB Bryce Underwood (33 carries, 156 yards, 2 touchdowns). Jordan Marshall, who is banged up, is the top running back with 34 carries for 135 yards and 2 TD. The next guy is true freshman Savion Hiter (24 carries, 83 yards, 2 TD), who may have to step into a starting role this week, followed by Bryson Kuzdzal (8 carries, 26 yards). Iowa is #11 in rushing defense (66 yards allowed/game) and #10 in yards allowed per carry (2.2). The leading tackler is LB Cam Buffington (6’3″, 238) with 27, and he leads the team in tackles for loss with 3. LB Jayden Montgomery (5’11”, 227) is second on the team with 2.5 TFL despite making just 8 tackles so far this season.
Advantage: Iowa

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Big Ten Championship Preview: Michigan vs. Iowa

RUSH OFFENSE vs. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #53 in rushing offense (169.8 yards/game) and tied for #56 in yards per carry (4.44). Ohio State held up fairly well against the run last week, but they did allow a 22-yard touchdown run by Blake Corum immediately after Michigan starting RG Zak Zinter was lost for the season due to a broken leg. It may be interesting to see what Michigan does with the offensive line. Last week it was RT Karsen Barnhart sliding to right guard, with jumbo TE/extra OT Trente Jones sliding in at right tackle. But Michigan has some options with backup offensive guard Giovanni El-Hadi and former starter Myles Hinton, who was injured two weeks ago but may be available this week. The problem with inserting Jones at right tackle full-time is that it may eliminate Michigan’s formations with that sixth offensive lineman. Iowa is #17 in rushing defense (105.6 yards allowed/game) and they give up just 3.09 yards per carry, which is #9 nationally. They have also allowed just 2 rushing touchdowns this season, which is #1. Senior LB Jay Higgins (6’2″, 233 lbs.) has some ridiculous stats with 141 tackles, including a season-high 18 against Penn State in the Hawkeyes 31-0 loss. Fellow senior LB Nick Jackson (6’0″, 237) has 91 stops of his own, followed by senior safety Quinn Schulte (6’2″, 209) with 59. Senior DE Joe Evans (6’2″, 252) leads the team with 9.5 tackles for loss, followed by Jackson’s 8.0 and senior safety Sebastian Castro (5’11”, 206) with 8.0. It’s a very well coached defense, as always, and they’ve won 10 games despite a terrible offense.
Advantage: Iowa

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Michigan 27, Iowa 14

J.J. McCarthy is pretty good. Discussions often begin and end with the quarterback play, and McCarthy played pretty well against a very good defense. I have seen some people being critical, but here are the numbers: 36/50 (72%), 375 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions over the past two weeks against Maryland and Iowa. He’s not putting up Baker Mayfield-type numbers, but he’s completing a ton of passes and mostly taking care of the ball. The only real qualm I have is he holds on to the ball a second too long sometimes. He did it last week against Maryland, and he did it once again against Iowa. It should have been a fumble against the Terrapins, and it was definitely a fumble against the Hawkeyes.

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Preview: Michigan at Iowa

RUSH OFFENSE vs. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #11 in rushing offense (234.3 yards/game) and #6 in yards per carry. Blake Corum has been the workhorse so far, leading the team with 64 attempts for 478 yards and a nation-high 9 rushing touchdowns. Backup Donovan Edwards was rumored to have been coming back to play last week, but he sat out the Maryland game and has not broken out yet this year (127 total yards, 2 touchdowns). I’m cautiously optimistic that he will play against the Hawkeyes. Meanwhile, Iowa is #6 in rushing defense (73 yards allowed/game) and #4 in yards allowed per carry (2.21). They have yet to allow a rushing touchdown. Senior middle linebacker Jack Campbell (6’5″, 246 lbs.) spearheads the defense with 39 tackles and weakside linebacker Seth Benson (6’0″, 232) follows behind with 30 stops. Iowa’s two starting defensive tackles are 289 and 275 pounds, so they’re not big up the middle, but they are relatively quick and athletic. Lukas Van Ness (6’5″, 275) is part of a potent rotation at defensive tackle and leads the team with 5 tackles for loss. Iowa’s defensive backs also do a very good job of triggering on the run and tackling; the defensive backfield ranks #3 through #6 on the team in tackles, and while usually that’s not a good sign for the front seven, in this case they’re all part of a very good defense. Iowa runs a 4-3 (or 4-2-5) with two high safeties, so the defensive backs need to be good tacklers or else teams would run the ball all over them.
Advantage: Iowa

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2021 Big Ten Championship Preview: Michigan vs. Iowa

RUSH OFFENSE vs. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is #9 nationally in rushing with 225 yards/game and tied for #16 in yards per carry (5.25). Hassan Haskins leads the team with 244 carries for 1,232 yards (5.1 yards/carry) and 18 touchdowns. His rushing load has picked up significantly since Blake Corum suffered a high ankle sprain, resulting in Haskins averaging 26.5 carries per game over the final four weeks of the regular season. Haskins has 8 touchdowns over the stretch. Luckily, Corum returned last week to the tune of 6 carries for 87 yards, so a little bit of lightning is back to join Haskins’s thunder. Michigan is #1 in the country in tackles for loss allowed with just 2.0 per game. Iowa averages 4.58 tackles for loss per game, which is tied for 111th in the nation. They’re led by senior defensive end Zach VanValkenburg (6’4″, 267 lbs.) with 11.5 TFLs. Nose tackle Logan Shannon (6’0″, 289) and defensive tackle Logan Lee (6’5″, 277) man the middle with technique and quickness more than brute strength. The defense is led by junior middle linebacker Jack Campbell (6’5″, 243), who has 124 tackles. He’s paired with 6’1″, 229 lb. weakside linebacker Seth Benson, who has 89 tackles. Senior safety Jack Koerner (6’0″, 204) is third on the team with 75 takedowns. It’s a relatively stationary defense, but they’re good and well coached. They’re #14 in rush defense (106 yards allowed/game) and #8 in yards allowed per carry, at just 2.97. They won’t stop you in the backfield, but they will gang tackle you shortly beyond the line of scrimmage.
Advantage: Michigan

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