The Hawkeyes’ defense was mostly credited last season for towing Iowa to the top of the Big Ten West Division. Head coach Kirk Ferentz is hoping to see his defense be as effective this season as it was in 2015, when the Hawkeyes saw opponents collect a -0.9 turnover margin per game.
Iowa’s stop unit will be spearheaded by linebacker Josey Jewell and secondary pieces Desmond King, Greg Mabin and Miles Taylor. King was already deemed NFL-ready last season when he compiled 72 total tackles and eight interceptions, so his return to Iowa City this year should be a shot in the arm for the Hawkeyes’ defense.
Team Weaknesses
The passing attack of Iowa was pedestrian last season. The Hawkeyes were 84th in passing yards with only 203.2 per game. Instead, they relied mostly on their running game to gain yards, as evidenced by Iowa’s 27th-ranked 58.35% use of rushing plays. Nevertheless, C.J. Beathard is a decent quarterback who is capable of directing the passing offense better. Beathard passed for 2,809 yards and 17 touchdowns with five interceptions last year.
2015 Team Stats
Category
Stat (Rank)
Points per game
30.9 (#48)
Passing yards per game
203.2 (#84)
Rushing yards per game
179.5 (#47)
Scoring defense
20.8 (#21)
Writer’s Prediction
Iowa finishes the regular season with an 11-3 overall record.
