Iowa Football: Hawkeyes Face Big Test at Michigan
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The non-conference slate is officially in the rearview mirror and with it goes any and all opportunities for tune-ups and getting healthy.
The Hawkeyes closed things out with a dominant showing against Northern Iowa on Saturday, doing what seemed like plenty of tuning up and ostensibly getting healthy as they rested DJ Vonnahme, Kamari Moulton and LF Phillips Jr.
In the absence of RB1 and RB1-b, the Hawkeyes ran for 422 yards. That is not a typo. Iowa had a trio of backs all top the century mark – the first time that’s happened in 40 years. Xavier Williams found paydirt three times on just six carries while averaging 25.2 yards per attempt en route to 151 yards on the ground. Braeden Jackson was well behind him at jUsT 11.4 yards per attempt as he rushed 11 times for 125 yards and one TD. He also caught a 24-yard TD pass. Nathan McNeil was the laggard among the trio with 11 yards on 12 carries for 9.3 yards per attempt and he made his way into the endzone twice.
It was a dominant performance on the ground in a game where you expected Iowa to look dominant on the ground.
Perhaps more important than how the Hawkeye OL leaned on Northern Iowa was the way we seemingly answered our questions at quarterback. While Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown went into the day with an OR next to their names, Brown again got the start and for the third straight week he looked the part.
After completing 70% of his passes in the Cy-Hawk win over Iowa State, Hank Brown came out and had a perfect day, literally. He completed all 12 of his passes for 153 yards with a pair of TDs and no turnovers. On the year, Brown has now completed 72.6% of his passes for 473 yards and three TDs with no turnovers while adding 34 yards and one rushing TD as well.
The numbers don’t jump off the page, but in a system that asks the offense to just be competent, Brown has proven to be exactly that. Competent, efficient and capable of stretching the defense with a big arm when warranted.
He was rewarded on Monday afternoon by seemingly being named the starter this week against #18 Michigan. While not officially official, Brown was listed atop Iowa’s week four depth chart and that “OR” is notably absent.
Now the real work starts as the Hawkeyes enter Big Ten play ranked #17 in the nation, unbeaten and staring down the barrel of one of the most daunting three-game stretches any team in the country will face this season. That begins with a road trip to the Big House on Saturday against the #18 Wolverines before returning home next Saturday to play host to #7 Ohio State (Not to get totally sidetracked here, but I could do an entire column on the absurdity of OSU dropping from 1 to 7 after losing by 1 to the now #1 Texas Longhorns while LSU fall from #7 to #10 after losing to now #4 Ole Miss – make it make sense!), wrapping up with a short week trip out west to play the Washington Huskies who currently sit at #26 in the AP and #23 in the Coaches Poll.
The Wolverines opened as 4.5-point favorites over the Hawkeyes according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is set at just 38.5 points.
That checks out given both defenses are top-20 nationally in scoring defense and top-10 in total defense. While the Hawkeyes have crept into the top-60 in scoring offense and sit 49th in total offense through three games, this should be the biggest test they’ve faced.
The closest thing the Hawks have seen was the Cy-Hawk battle with the Cyclones. Iowa State sits at #9 nationally in total defense and #12 in scoring defense – two spots behind and four spots in front of Michigan respectively. Iowa managed just 16 points and 284 total yards in that one. Safe to say this one will be low scoring heading on the road.
For their part, the Wovlerines have certainly struggled offensively out of the gate. Despite spending millions to acquire QB Bryce Underwood. Michigan comes into the week at #62 nationally in scoring offense (27.3 ppg) and 98th in total offense. Underwood is completing 62.5% of his passes and has three TDs to one interception on the year. He is also Michigan’s leading rusher at 156 yards on the season – five more than third stringer Xavier Williams ripped off last week.
Here’s a quick look at the details for Saturday’s showdown.
Date: Saturday, September 26th
Time: 2:30 pm CT
Matchup: #17 Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0, 0-0) at #18 Michigan Wolverines (3-0, 0-0)
Location: Michigan Stadium – Ann Arbor, Michigan
TV: CBS
Preliminary Weather Forecast: mostly sunny with temps in the upper 60s
FanDuel Opening Line: Michigan -4.5, O/U 38.5
Series History
Saturday will mark the 65th meeting all-time between these two programs. Not a shocker, the Wolverines hold a commanding lead in the all-time series at 45-15-4.
While the Hawkeyes have had some success against Michigan under Kirk Ferentz, that has waned a bit in recent years. The Wolverines are currently on a four-game winning streak in the series.
It’s worth noting, the two teams haven’t played in the regular season since 2022 when Michigan beat Iowa 27-14 in Iowa City. The two programs squared off a year late in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis with the Wolverines pummeling the Hawks 26-0.
The Hawkeyes last defeated Michigan a decade ago when Keith Duncan gave them a 14-13 win in Kinnick. Iowa hasn’t won in the Big House since 2010 when they beat the Wolverines 38-28.
Under Ferentz, Iowa is 7-9 overall against Michigan and 2-4 in Ann Arbor. They’re 0-2 in the two most meaningful matchups in that span – the 2021 and 2023 Big Ten Championship Games in Indianapolis.
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