Iowa vs. Michigan State (What to expect)
Posted on 29. Oct, 2010 by admin in Iowa Football
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
To get you all ready for Saturday’s game between No. 18 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan State, I put together a list of things you ought to know before these two face off inside Kinnick Stadium.
At the end, I’ll provide what I think are three keys to an Iowa victory.
No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2, 2-1) vs. No. 5 Michigan State Spartans (8-0, 4-0)
Kinnick Stadium; Iowa City, Iowa
Oct. 30, 2010
2:30 p.m. Central
TV: ABC/ESPN (Sean McDonough, Matt Millen)
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin, Ed Podolak, Rob Brooks)
Weather: 61 degrees
Brendan’s Three Keys to the Game:
1. Better special teams
Special teams woes haunted the Hawkeyes in their 31-30 loss to Wisconsin last week. Mistakes such as having an extra point blocked, a mishandled hold on a field goal attempt, or allowing a punter to run up the middle for 17 yards on a fake cannot happen against a top 5 team, even if the game is at Kinnick Stadium.
2. Don’t get “tricked”
Not to beat a dead horse, but between the fake punt given up against Wisconsin last week and the two fakes on special teams Michigan State has executed to perfection during this program-defining season it’s having, it’s important for Iowa to be alert at all times. Even on defense, the last thing you want the Spartans doing on your field in front of your “Blackout” crowd is to pull off some sort of play that quiets Kinnick Stadium and puts the entire team in a bind it doesn’t bounce back from.
3. Give the Hawkeye faithful a “treat”
I mentioned the crowd. Add to it that defensive coordinator Norm Parker will be in the press box on Saturday, and there’s enough in place for the Hawkeyes to build off of. Not to mention that is the biggest game Michigan State will likely play all season. Even if the game ends in defeat for Iowa, if the players give their all, this game ought to be a treat inside Kinnick Stadium this Halloween weekend.
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