College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Iowa Hawkeyes season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Iowa Schedule Analysis
– Iowa Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2020 Record: 6-2 overall, 6-2 in Big Ten
Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz, 23rd year, 168-106
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 17
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 27
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 23
Iowa College Football Preview 2021: Offense
– The Iowa offense wasn’t bad, but there’s a whole lot of room for improvement. It didn’t move the chains all that easily, was awful on third downs, and wasn’t nearly efficient enough throwing the ball, but it was No. 1 in the Big Ten in the red zone, took advantage of every opportunity, and it scored a whole lot of points. Now it’s time to be more explosive.
– Spencer Petras has the arm. The 6-5, 231-pound junior quarterback has no problems pushing the ball down the field. However, he’s got to be more accurate and has to come up with more big plays for a passing game that hit just 57% of its throws with nine touchdowns in eight games.
Leading wide receivers Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith are gone, but TE Sam LaPorta is a good one and veteran Nico Ragaini is a decent receiver to start with. However, new big play targets have to emerge fast.
– It’s Iowa, so the offensive line is going to be solid. However, just two starters are expected to be back – starting with junior Tyler Linderbaum at center – with a whole lot of shuffling being done to get the right starting five in place. This isn’t a massive group, but again, it’s Iowa – the O line will be fine.
The running game wasn’t spectacular, but it was sneaky-good with Tyler Goodson leading the way with 762 yards and seven scores. Mekhi Sargent is done, and the depth is going to be an issue early on.
– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Iowa Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Iowa College Football Preview 2021: Defense
4. Iowa College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– It would’ve been nice if leading tackler LB Nick Niemann and DE Chauncey Golston were still around for their super-senior years, and losing star DT Daviyon Nixon early to the NFL stings, but there’s a good chance that eight of the top 11 tacklers are back on a defense that finished eighth in the nation overall and was a killer against the run.
– There isn’t a ton of bulk on the interior of the line, but there’s a good rotation and size at all four spots up front. Golston was the main pass rusher outside and Nixon was the main man inside, but as always, the line has a slew of 270ish pound active defenders who’ll battle against the run. It would be nice if there was a 320-pound brick wall of an anchor inside, but Noah Shannon and Yahya Black should get the job done.
– The Hawkeyes always play around with their defensive alignment, but watch out for them to get faster and more athletic by using S Dane Belton even more in a bit of a hybrid position. There’s good size and thump from the lineabackers – even with Niemann done – and the secondary has an All-Big Ten talent in safety Jack Koerner and veteran corners.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Iowa Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Iowa College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Iowa College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Best Iowa Offensive Player
RB Tyler Goodson, Jr.
Good as a freshman, the 5-10 200-pound Goodson ran for 638 yards and five scores as part of a good rotation, and last year the All-Big Ten back took over to make the running game more of his job with a team-high 762 yards and seven scores. A decent receiver with excellent quickness, he caught 39 passes for 318 yards in his first two years.
2. C Tyler Linderbaum, Jr.
3. QB Spencer Petras, Jr.
4. OT Cody Ince, Jr.
5. TE Sam LaPorta, Jr.
Best Iowa Defensive Player
DE Zach VanValkenburg, Sr.
Don’t expect a whole lot of flash, and there are plenty of interesting options in the back seven to potentially be labeled as the best Iowa defensive player, but VanValkenburg should be an All-Big Ten performer with his 6-4, 270-pound size, toughness against the run, and decent ability to get behind the line. The stats will be fine, but his steadiness will be big up front.
2. S Jack Koerner, Sr.
3. LB Seth Benson, Jr.
4. CB Matt Hankins, Sr.
5. CB Riley Moss, Sr.
Top Incoming Iowa Transfer
S Xavior Williams, Sr.
It’ll be tough to bust through and be a major part of a secondary that’s already loaded at safety, but the 5-11, 190-pound former Northern Iowa star has to be on the field. A versatile playmaker for the Panthers, he’s a broken up pass machine who earned freshman FCS All-America honors and was a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference pick.
NEXT: Iowa College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Iowa College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Iowa Biggest Key: Offense
The downfield passing game has to show up. That’s not going to be easy with the Hawkeyes needing to unearth a few deep threat options and with top targets Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith done, but stretching the field is a must.
QB Spencer Petras has the arm, and the O line will get him time to work, but averaging just 6.4 yards per attempt and 11.2 yards per catch isn’t okay. At the very least, Iowa has to hit the third down throws – the team was the second-worst in the Big Ten in third down conversions.
There’s no need to bomb away to win, but Iowa lost its first two games last year when the O couldn’t do anything down the field and got one touchdown pass and three picks. Over the last six games, Iowa threw eight touchdown passes with just two picks with a more effective attack.
Iowa Biggest Key: Defense
To be very, very, very nitpicky, do a better job of coming up with third down stops.
The defense should be great. The pass rush was and is fine, the team was great at not breaking when bending, and the run defense has been awesome over the last several years against everyone but Wisconsin, and last year it stuffed the Badgers cold.
There might not be a whole lot of superstar power on this defense, but it’s going to be rock-solid sound across the board – now get off the field.
The 2012 Hawkeye defense allowed teams to convert 43% of their third down conversions. All of the defenses in the seven seasons following that finished the season keeping the conversion rate under 40%.
The 2020 defense allowed 40.3% conversions on third downs. It wasn’t that big a problem against anyone but Northwestern, and as it turned out, that was the game that decided the Big Ten West.
Iowa Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Spencer Petras, Jr.
There was a bit of a buzz as he got a few years to get his feet wet before taking over the reins in 2020, and he was just okay. In eight games he only threw nine touchdown passes, hit just 57% of his throws, and he wasn’t consistent enough at keeping the offense moving. With a rebuilding receiving corps, he has to use his experience and skills to make everyone around him better.
Iowa Key Game To The 2021 Season
Indiana, Sept. 4
It’s statement time to start the season with Indiana coming to Iowa City in the Big Ten/2021 opener. There’s going to be a whole lot of hype around a Hoosier team loaded with veterans, and the Hawkeyes can show right away that they’re the ones to get excited over with a solid win.
After IU comes the showdown at Iowa State. Start the year 2-0, and 5-0 is possible with Kent State, Colorado State, and at Maryland to follow before facing Penn State.
– Iowa Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2020 Iowa Fun Stats
– Rushing Yards Per Game: Iowa 171 – Opponents 108
– 4th Down Conversions: Iowa 6-of-9 (67%) – Opponents 8-of-16 (50%)
– Sacks: Iowa 22 for 153 yards – Opponents 11 for 74 yards
NEXT: Iowa College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
Iowa College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
It all comes down to just how explosive and how dangerous the offense can be.
The defense will be solid and among the best in the Big Ten, and the offensive line will get the job like Iowa offensive lines always do.
Now the offense has to be better at moving the chains and do a whole lot more to make defenses worry about downfield plays. And it has to happen right away with Indiana and at Iowa State to kickoff the season. Win those two, and it’s Game On.
Set The Iowa Regular Season Win Total At … 9
Back-to-back trips to Wisconsin and Northwestern will be a concern, but there’s no Ohio State, Michigan, or Michigan State from the East, and Penn State is at home.
Any team good enough to dream of playing for the Big Ten Championship should beat Nebraska on the road, take out Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota at home, and then hope to catch a few breaks. This team has the potential to get all of that.
Steady is nice, and steady will get Iowa another great season with – after missing out last year – a strong bowl bid. Steady will get Iowa close, but it’ll need some surprises – again, from the offense – to get to make this a special year.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Iowa Schedule Analysis
