Iowa at Minnesota (What to expect)
Posted on 28. Oct, 2011 by admin in Iowa Football
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
To get you all ready for Saturday’s game between Iowa and Minnesota, I put together a list of things you ought to know before these two face off at TCF Bank Stadium.
At the end, I’ll provide what I think are three keys to an Iowa victory.
Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2, 2-1) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-6, 0-3)
TCF Bank Stadium; Minneapolis, Minn.
Oct. 29, 2011
2:30 p.m. Central
TV: BTN (Eric Collins, Chris Martin, Dionne Miller)
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin, Ed Podolak, Rob Brooks)
Weather: 52 degrees
Brendan’s Three Keys to the Game:
1. Sense of urgency
Last season, Minnesota put up 10 points on Iowa before the Hawkeye offense ran a play from scrimmage, and it proved to be the start of a lackluster effort by Iowa that afternoon. If the Hawkeyes want to bring Floyd of Rosedale back to Iowa City, they have to play with that same sense of urgency the Golden Gophers showed a year ago when all they had on the line was pride. If Iowa acts like it wants to play a football game on Saturday, it should come out with a win.
2. Solid special teams play
One of the few strengths Minnesota has this season is having the best kickoff coverage of any team in the Big Ten. Special teams played a role in the Golden Gophers’ upset of the Hawkeyes last season when they successfully executed an onside kick that led to a touchdown putting Minnesota up 10-0 in the first quarter. In rivalry games like this one, special teams could prove as a difference-maker, so whether it’s winning field position battles or coming away with points when settling for field goals, Iowa will need to perform well.
3. Win turnover battle
Last week, the Iowa defense was unable to create any Indiana turnovers sans a second half goal-line stand. This week, the defense ought to be able to get takeaways against an anemic Golden Gopher offense. Conversely, the offense and return men on special teams can’t turn the ball over themselves. As long as the Hawkeyes don’t allow Minnesota to hang around long enough where one play late in the fourth quarter proves to be the difference in winning and losing, then Iowa should be able to win Saturday’s contest with some ease.
Recent Comments