There are two sides to No. 16 Iowa. And depending on which side you look at, you’ll come away with drastically different perceptions of the Hawkeyes’ strength.
If you were to look at Iowa with only its offense in mind, you’d come away believing that the Hawkeyes are the bottom feeders of the Big Ten. With the second fewest points per game, the fewest passing yards and touchdowns, the worst passing efficiency and the fewest yards per play, it’s clear that Iowa really, really struggles to move the ball. And generally, an inability to pass efficiently, or move the ball downfield, or even just score is a death sentence for a football team.
But there’s another side to the Hawkeyes, and it’s the side that’s almost exclusively the reason for their 10-2 record and berth in the Big Ten Championship this Saturday: their defense. And if you were to only focus on Iowa’s defense, you’d come away believing it should be a juggernaut.
In almost every statistic that the Hawkeyes’ offense looks so dismal in, their defense looks stellar. They allow the second fewest yards per attempt, the fourth fewest points per game and they have allowed just two rushing touchdowns all year.
With Iowa’s strength — and weakness — so readily apparent, No. 2 Michigan’s coaches and players know what they’re in for, and they’re looking for ways to neutralize it.
“On normal downs they’re not overly complex, but they are so, so, fundamentally sound,” Michigan quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell said Wednesday of the Hawkeyes’ defense. “In the coverage structure, up the front, explosive plays are so hard to come by with these guys. You’re gonna have to be patient and take what they give you.”
Up to this point in the season, scoring has not been a problem for the Wolverines’ offense. In contests where it faced teams with highly-touted defenses, like Nebraska, Penn State and Ohio State — Michigan’s offense has taken control. Even against the Nittany Lions, when they put up their fewest points of the season 24, the Wolverines still managed a total that Iowa has only surpassed twice all season.
That’s what makes Saturday’s championship game unique for Michigan — it’s the first time all year when its defense won’t be tested, but its offense very much will be. But even so, Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter believes that the game won’t be won solely by finding ways to exploit the Hawkeyes on defense, but also by winning what he sees as a defensive battle.
I do think we’re playing against their defense,” Minter said Wednesday. “A goal of ours in those types of games is to be the best defense on the field.”
Complementary football is something that the Wolverines have preached all season, but against Iowa it will truly define the outcome. Minter sees exploiting Iowa’s offense as a way of mitigating its defensive strength. The Hawkeyes have already punted more than any other team in the nation, by continuing that trend and forcing them to punt from deep within their territory, Michigan’s defense can help fuel its offense.
The Wolverines’ defense will have the opportunity to shine. Because for every statistic the Hawkeyes’ defense ranks highly in, or every game that unit has won for its team, the same could be said about Michigan’s defense that has 16 interceptions, four pick sixes and allows the fewest points per game in the country.
So while Iowa’s imbalance from one side of the ball to the other may seem to take pressure off of the Wolverines’ defense, almost the opposite is true.
With Michigan’s offense facing a defense that may at points spin them in circles, its defense is looking to do the exact same thing. And while the game may not end up being a defensive battle because of Michigan’s offensive potency, Minter and the defense think their performance could set the tone for the rest of the game.
