Special teams more critical than ever
IOWA CITY — After Iowa’s 31-0 loss to Penn State on Sept. 23, head coach Kirk Ferentz showed his football team a video from another team who also lost a game that weekend.
John Harbaugh, coach of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, shared in a press conference what he told his team after a loss to the heavy-underdog Indianapolis Colts. A loss in which everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
“They don’t crown the champion in Week 3. They never have,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not going to happen this year, either. So, whatever you think about a team right now is fine. That’s where it’s at right now. It’s all about where it goes from here, and our guys understand that.”
Baltimore responded with a 28-3 win at Cleveland last week; Iowa responded with a 26-16 win against Michigan State in a game that required resiliency and special-teams heroics from Cooper DeJean.
“The basic moral of the story was how do we respond? How do we bounce back?” said Hawkeyes linebacker Jay Higgins. “Alright, we lost the game … it doesn’t mean the season is over.”
For Iowa, where does it go next? A pivotal Big Ten West matchup looms Saturday against old nemesis Purdue. And here are three selected questions from my text message group (free for subscribers) to preview the Homecoming game.
In what ways does the transition from Cade McNamara to Deacon Hill impact how a team scouts Iowa’s offense?
This is a great question, because until this past Saturday, there was no relevant college film on Hill, who threw zero career passes in two years at Wisconsin and only had a handful of early-season snaps for Iowa. Now, defensive-minded Purdue head coach Ryan Walters — whose Illinois defense last year held Iowa to six points – can watch 27 passes from Hill vs. Michigan State and look for tendencies.
One thing Purdue will combat better than Michigan State will be the quarterback sneak. The Spartans didn’t look ready for it on a key third-and-1 in the fourth quarter, as the 258-pound Hill easily plunged forward for a first down. Sneaks were off the table for McNamara, who is now out for the year with a torn ACL, as he dealt with a quad-muscle injury. Not so with Hill, whose “Deac Sneak” could be a valuable chain-moving tool.
The Boilermakers must respect the rollout game that Hill offers and, more so than McNamara, the deep ball. Hill has a strong arm and despite his size has decent mobility to keep plays alive longer. Purdue is vulnerable. Its defense ranks 114th nationally with 28 plays of 20-plus yards allowed. By comparison, Iowa ranks first with only six.
Purdue likes to bring a lot of pass pressure; it has 17 sacks this season. McNamara was a sitting duck against Penn State; Hill figures to be a sturdier figure in the pocket.
Iowa won handily last year in West Lafayette; how is Purdue different now as it comes to Kinnick?
The Hawkeyes’ 24-3 win at windy Ross-Ade Stadium proved to be their best performance of the season against the eventual Big Ten West champs. That win vs. previous coach Jeff Brohm (who is now 5-0 at Louisville) should give players confidence. Ferentz said on his Wednesday radio show that running back Kaleb Johnson is likely to return from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury, and that’s good for this particular matchup considering Johnson rushed for 200 yards at Purdue last year.
But Purdue is certainly different now. Walters brought in 19 players from the transfer portal, including quarterback Hudson Card from California. Card has a high ceiling and operates Purdue’s “Air Raid” offense, coordinated by Graham Harrell. Card averages 248.8 passing yards a game and is more mobile than previous quarterback Aidan O’Connell.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., a four-year Hawkeye receiver, is Purdue’s top running back. Tracy has a rushing touchdown in all five Purdue games and is coming off a careerbest 21-carry, 112-yard performance. Tracy’s Kinnick Stadium high in yards from scrimmage came in 2019 against Minnesota, when he had 77 receiving yards (on six catches) and 11 rushing.
Look out for another Karlaftis on Saturday – George’s younger brother, Yanni, who got a sack in his first career start Saturday in an impressive 44-19 win vs. Illinois.
The Boilers don’t have an elite receiver like Rondale Moore or David Bell or Charlie Jones in recent years. That could allow defensive coordinator Phil Parker to call more blitzes, with confidence that DeJean and Jermari Harris can be fine in man-to-man coverage.
Will 25 points be enough to win on Saturday?
A sly “Drive for 325” reference! Yes, I do think that will be enough with an Iowa defense that has held 19 straight opponents to under 400 yards. But can the Hawkeyes, with a backup quarterback making his first career start, get to 25 themselves for the third time this season?
One factor in Iowa’s favor is sophomore placekicker Drew Stevens. He has probably been underappreciated; reliable, but unflashy players usually are. Stevens has never missed a PAT as a Hawkeye (35-for-35) and is a stellar 88.9% on field goals (24-for-27). Stevens’ four 3-pointers against the Spartans were a nice reminder that he could become a major weapon for this team. Stevens said Tuesday that he didn’t hit a 53-yarder well, but it still sailed through the South uprights with plenty of ease.
Having bulked up 38 pounds since arriving at Iowa in January 2022, Stevens has increased his range without impacting his accuracy.
“Now that I have the body weight (205 pounds), I don’t have to swing harder,” Stevens said. “A smooth swing will be good from 60, and that’s not counting adrenaline.”
In good weather, Ferentz can consider trying field goals as soon as the Hawkeyes reach the opponents’ 40-yard line. Seriously. Iowa ranks 132nd out of 133 FBS teams in total offense but can try to win games with field position. Winning games with such an offensive deficiency will require prime field position, set up by a defense and remarkable punter Tory Taylor (Big Ten-best 48.2 yards per punt).
“For us, it’s doing all we can. Field position is a big one,” Higgins said. “That’s why we think Tory is so special here. I’m a defensive guy, and anytime these dudes have got to drive 95 yards … that’s how we’ve got to help (the offense) out, to make sure we get more three-andouts.”
Purdue (2-3, 1-1) at Iowa (4-1, 1-1)
Time, TV, line: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Peacock, Iowa by 21⁄ points 2
Where Purdue has the edge: The Boilermakers have a much better offense, as one of only two Big Ten teams to average at least 240 yards passing and 150 rushing, and have played a demanding schedule.
Where Iowa has the edge: Coaching experience is valuable in tight matchups. Walters is leading his team into his firstever Big Ten road game as a head coach. Ferentz has 202 Division I wins and is no stranger to finding ways to win, especially at Kinnick Stadium. Prediction: Iowa 20, Purdue 17 …
While I don’t love this matchup for the Hawkeyes, they can ride the Homecoming crowd and find another way to win. As usual, special teams is the difference and I’ll predict the defense records at least two sacks despite having none vs. Power Five competition so far.
Other Big Ten games
(Record vs. spread: 1-5 last week, 2522 season; all times CT)
Maryland (5-0, 2-0) at No. 3 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0)
Time, TV, line: 11 a.m. Saturday, FOX,
Ohio State by 191⁄ 2
Prediction: The Terrapins should be ranked (I put them No. 22 on my AP Top 25 ballot) after their first 5-0 start since 2001, with every win coming by at least 18 points. But Ohio State is 8-0 all-time against Maryland, averaging an astonishing 57.3 points in those games. Ohio State 44, Maryland 21
Rutgers (4-1, 1-1) at Wisconsin (3-1, 1-1)
Time, TV, line: 11 a.m. Saturday, Peacock, Wisconsin by 13
Prediction: Hawkeye fans should watch this game with great interest, with Iowa’s trip to Madison on deck on Oct. 14. After a Friday-night win at Purdue, the Badgers got 15 days between games to refine their “Air Raid” offense. Rutgers continues to play solid football and can keep it close. Wisconsin 24, Rutgers 14
Howard (2-2) at Northwestern (2-3, 1-1)
Time, TV, line: 2 p.m. Saturday, BTN, no line
Prediction: The fact that Northwestern was tied with Penn State at halftime and will likely reach the three-win mark Saturday is actually pretty impressive after the brutal offseason that saw Pat Fitzgerald get fired. Wildcats quarterback Ben Bryant might not play as he battles an injury. Northwestern 24, Howard 10
No. 2 Michigan (5-0, 2-0) at Minnesota (3-2, 1-1)
Time, TV, line: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC, Michigan by 191⁄ 2
Prediction: Temperatures will be in the 40s in Minneapolis. Both teams take great pride in time of possession. As bad as the Gophers have looked at times, expect P.J. Fleck to squeeze the most out of his team with an off week next before traveling to Iowa City (Oct. 21). Michigan 35, Minnesota 20
Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has covered sports for 29 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Join Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on Twitter.