BadgerBlitz.com brings back its All-Out Blitz weekly series, where you can find everything you need to know about Wisconsin's next opponent. We look at UW's sixth opponent, and third conference foe in Iowa, which the Badgers will face Saturday afternoon at home in Camp Randall (3:00 p.m. CT, FOX).

QUICK PROGRAM FACTS

Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz (191-116, 25th season at Iowa)

Iowa All Time Record: 689-570-39 (.546)

2023 Record: 5-1

Rankings: N/A

Series vs. Wisconsin: 45-49-2

Iowa is a run-first program, but the biggest storyline surrounds ex-Badger Deacon Hill’s first matchup against his old team. He was thrust into the role two weeks ago after Cade McNamara tore his ACL against Michigan State. Hill is playing the first meaningful snaps of his career, and is still learning how to lead an offense. In his two games, he’s completed 17 of 48 passes for 225 yards, two touchdowns, and has thrown an interception in each game.

He’ll look for his safety blanket in tight end Erick All, who leads the team with 19 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns. Saturday will be a unique challenge for this Wisconsin defense, which has yet to play an offense that leans on its tight ends.

Hill will try his best to minimize mistakes against a defense that’s on a turnover streak. After not getting any takeaways in the first two games, they’ve gotten 10 in the past three.

Leading the spree is Ricardo Hallman, who has four interceptions in that span, including a 95-yard pick-six last week against Rutgers.

But the best player on Wisconsin’s defense is still Hunter Wohler. He has two interceptions himself, and is up to 50 tackles on the season.

To help alleviate the pressure off of the passing game, the Hawkeyes will lean on their rushing duo of Leshon Williams and Kaleb Johnson.

Williams narrowly leads in yards, with 285 rushing yards on 5.7 per carry, but Johnson is the preferred back. He missed three weeks with an ankle injury, then returned last week against Purdue and ran for 134 yards on 7.9 per carry. He even ripped off a 67-yard touchdown on their second drive.

The Badgers defense will look to build on their dominant performance against the Rutgers’ running game, which they held to just 64 rushing yards. Wisconsin knew that the Scarlet Knights would come out and try to establish the run, which is one of the reasons they were able to defend so well. The same will be true for the Hawkeyes, albeit to a slightly lesser extent.

The inside linebacker duo of Jordan Turner and Jake Chaney will look to contain the Hawkeye tailback duo, the way they did against Kyle Monangai and the Rutgers backs.

Braelon Allen will enter with a hot hand, and look to take his revenge against the team that held him to just 45 yards on 2.5 per carry in last year’s matchup. With the exception of the 27-yard performance against Washington State, he’s averaging 113 rushing yards per game.

Ever since Chez Mellusi suffered an injury against Purdue, Allen’s returned to the dominant role that he’s known for the past two years. His 21 carries last week were a season-high.

Jackson Acker slid into last week’s lineup and handled the backup role well, rushing 13 times for 65 yards.

Allen and Acker will face off against another tough Big Ten front, led by one of the best linebacker duos in the country. Jay Higgins, who’s third in the nation and leads the Big Ten in tackles with 74, and has even recorded 42 in his last three games. Nick Jackson, a graduate transfer from Virginia, filled in seamlessly alongside Higgins and currently sits at third in the Big Ten with 53 tackles. They also helped to limit the Purdue offense to 96 rushing yards on 40 carries last week.

If their rushing defense has similar success against Wisconsin, they’ll have to rely more on Tanner Mordecai, in his first true rivalry game as a Badger.

His 145 passing yards last week against Rutgers were a season low, but he did finally begin to show real trust in a receiver. Will Pauling finished with a team-high 68 receiving yards and eight receptions, catching 47% of Mordecai’s completions.

Mordecai’s chief priority will be to keep his eye on defensive back Cooper DeJean, who’s perhaps the best player on the Hawkeyes. He’s one of the biggest special teams threats in the country, and has also caught an interception in each of the last two games.

The offensive line may also have their hands full against a pass rush that’ll enter Saturday with a hot hand, after allowing two sacks against Rutgers edge rusher Wesley Bailey.

Against Purdue, the Hawkeyes finished with six sacks, three QB hits and 12 tackles for loss, led by senior defensive lineman Logan Lee’s 10 tackles and two sacks.

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