The battle for the Heartland Trophy reignites this weekend in Madison, and the winner will have a major advantage in the Big Ten West heading into the final third of the regular season.
Wisconsin (4-3 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) welcomes Iowa (6-1, 3-1) to Camp Randall Stadium for the 95th installment of the rivalry. UW leads the all-time series, 48-44-2, including winning seven of the last nine contests.
Here are significant stats and key Hawkeyes standouts to know before Saturday's matchup (11 a.m. CT, ESPN), plus in-depth insight from our Q&A with the amazing Tom Kakert of HawkeyeReport.com
2021 STATS
*Record: 6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten
*Points per game: 28.0
*Opponents points per game: 14.6
*Rushing yards per game: 116.6
*Opponents rushing yards per game: 89.7
*Passing yards per game: 194.6
*Opponents' passing yards per game: 211.3
*Third-down conversions: 38.6%
*Opponents' third-down conversions: 37.4%
*Total turnovers created: 21 (16 interceptions, five fumble recoveries)
*Total turnovers given up: 9 (six interceptions, three fumbles)
*Sacks: 15
*Sacks allowed: 18
PLAYERS TO WATCH: OFFENSE
*Quarterback Spencer Petras: 59.5% completion percentage, 1,333 yards, nine touchdowns, six interceptions
*Running back Tyler Goodson: 136 carries, 586 yards, 4.3 yards per carry, five touchdowns;
*Tight end Sam LaPorta: 28 receptions, 332 yards, two touchdowns
*Wide receiver Nico Ragaini: 17 receptions, 234 yards, one touchdown
*Wide receiver Charlie Jones: 12 receptions, 124 yards, two touchdowns
*Center Tyler Linderbaum: Rimington Trophy finalist in 2020; claimed multiple All-America accolades last season; 93.1 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021
PLAYERS TO WATCH: DEFENSE
*Linebacker Jack Campbell: 67 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, four pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries
*Linebacker Seth Benson: 50 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, five quarterback hurries
*Defensive back Matt Hankins: 25 tackles, one tackle for loss, three interceptions
*Defensive back Jack Koerner: 42 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, two pass breakups
*Linebacker Jestin Jacobs: 34 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry, one forced fumble
*Defensive back Dane Belton: 26 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries
*Defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness: 15 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass breakup, two quarterback hurries
*Defensive lineman John Waggoner: 16 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three pass breakups, one quarterback hurry
*Defensive lineman Zach VanValkenburg: 24 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries
1) Iowa enters the game No. 9 in the nation. It started off undefeated in its first six contests before Purdue's upset two weekends ago. What went wrong that week for Kirk Ferentz's program, and how do you feel they could rebound on Saturday?
I think everyone was wondering what would happen with the Iowa football team when the defense didn’t create multiple turnovers. Well, we all saw that against Purdue and it was the Hawkeyes giving the ball away to the Boilermakers. The result was a one-sided loss to Purdue.
The turnover rate that Iowa was at, which was close to three per game being created, just wasn’t sustainable. However, I do think that the Purdue game went as poorly as possible. Iowa should be able to rebound fairly well this week. They have had a week to rest up and heal and one thing they have always done pretty well in the Ferentz era is not let a loss linger.
2) We always ask this about injuries. Who's out, who's back, who's iffy and what impact could that have on Saturday's game?
The most significant injury for the Hawkeyes right now is to cornerback Riley Moss. He is tied for the lead in the Big Ten for interceptions with four and he returned two for touchdowns. He injured his left knee against Penn State and is out for at least one more week.
Iowa will also be without defensive end Deontae Craig this week. They were somewhat thin at the end position with Ethan Hurkett out for the season, so that means more snaps for starters John Waggoner and Zach VanValkenberg. The only reserve with experience is Joe Evans, who is more of a pass rush specialist. They may move defensive tackle Lukas Van Ness to the end position to get some snaps this week.
The good news for the Hawkeyes is they will get Luke Lachey back at tight end, and Wisconsin native Cody Ince will be back as a reserve along the offensive line.
3) Iowa boasts an All-American in Tyler Linderbaum and a solid running back in Tyler Goodson, yet its rushing offense is in the bottom third of the FBS. What has gone well for the Hawkeyes' offense, but where has it struggled?
It’s been a bit of a surprise to see the Hawkeyes struggle on the ground. Last year Iowa hit their goal of averaging 4.5 yards per carry and seemed to have found their footing with the ground attack. But, beyond Linderbaum, who is the best center in the country this season, the rest of the line has been pretty inconsistent.
It didn’t help that the second most experienced offensive lineman, Kyler Schott, missed fall camp and the first couple of games of the season when he had the most Iowa injury ever, a broken bone in his foot after jumping off a hay bale. He’s back and playing guard, but Iowa has been rotating at the guard spots. They are also breaking in two new tackles in Nick DeJong and Mason Richman and while they have had some good moments, they also got beat up pretty good by Purdue.
All of that has added up to just 116 yards rushing per game and 3.1 yards per carry, and that’s not where Iowa needs to be to have a successful offense.
4) Like Wisconsin, Iowa's defense is a key strength of the team. What has made this unit so good early on, and where are there concerns still heading into Saturday?
Honestly, it’s been kind of surprising how good the Iowa defense has been. Certainly it’s been a surprise that they have created 20 turnovers. Even though Phil Parker’s defense has been good in that area for several years, you just can’t count on it and they have doing it without much of a pass rush. It’s interesting that Iowa only has three quarterback sacks against Big Ten teams, so they really aren’t getting a lot of pressure on quarterbacks.
It all starts for Iowa with stopping the run. They are allowing just under 90 yards per game and only 2.7 yards per carry. The Hawkeyes were breaking in three new starters up front and while the pass rush hasn’t been great, they have been good up front against the run. It also helps that Iowa has Jack Campbell in the middle of the defense. He’s a big physical middle linebacker who is a sure tackler. He and Seth Benson have been very good and Iowa will play three linebackers on Saturday instead of a “Cash” so that means Jestin Jacobs will be on the field.
I think the big concern on Saturday will be stopping the run. Two years ago Iowa was pretty good against the run and Wisconsin ran all over them in Madison. The other concern would be not having Moss on the field for a second straight game. Terry Roberts is a solid backup, but Moss was a playmaker.
5) Where do you feel Iowa has an edge over Wisconsin, and vice versa, where do you see the Badgers having an advantage over the Hawkeyes?
Not knowing Wisconsin as well as Iowa that’s a hard question to answer. I think Iowa might have an edge on special teams, which could be a key area in this game. Tory Taylor is a terrific punter and Charlie Jones has been really good in the return game.
I think the defenses are going to end up being pretty much a wash and the Badgers have the edge rushing the football. Iowa has created a lot of turnovers and Wisconsin is coming off creating five of them against Purdue. I think whoever wins that battle wins the game.
6) What's your game prediction, and why?
I think this game will be a whole lot like the game in 2015. Both teams slugging it out and no one running away for an easy victory. I chuckled on Sunday when I saw the over/under at 36.5 points and thought that’s probably too high, which is crazy when you think about it.
I think Iowa will stop the run enough and create a couple of turnovers and sneak out of Madison with a 13-10 win.
