Iowa Football 2024
Iowa will have more of an offense, the defense will still be great, and changes are supposedly coming to an already good situation. Here are five things to know about the Hawkeyes going into the season.
5. Iowa fans, offensive coordinator Tim Lester would like to introduce you to the forward pass
It won’t exactly be the run-and-shoot, or the fun ’n’ gun or any other firearm related terms for throwing the football lots and lots of times, but it won’t be “Punt, Baby, Punt” like it’s been for so long in Iowa City. New OC Tim Lester isn’t there just to kill time before the defense can go back on the field.
The receiving corps is questionable, but that’s only because it hasn’t been stress-tested - it wasn’t used enough last year, but …
4. The Iowa quarterbacks should be okay
Leading passer Deacon Hill is now at Utah Tech, and former starter Spencer Petras is at Utah State. That’s okay - former Michigan starter Cade McNamara is back after missing most of last year hurt. He’s a good enough veteran to finally get things moving, and Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan should be part of the mix.
3. The schedule couldn’t be nicer
What else could you realistically want in an expanded Big Ten season? You have to play someone really good, and there’s no one better this season than Ohio State. Iowa can’t beat the Buckeyes, so it might as well be a road game to get one out of the way. Everything else is very, very winnable.
Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, and USC are all off the slate.
2. Even for Iowa, the linebackers are seriously amazing
The Hawkeyes are always loaded at the the position, but this group should be among the best yet in the Kirk Ferentz era. Counting his time at Virginia - 464 tackles. That’s how many Nick Jackson has made.
Jay Higgins is back after coming up with 171 stops last season, and Kyler Fisher is a talented option just waiting his turn to hit something.
1. It’s Iowa - the defense owns the program
Just because the other areas improved, that doesn’t mean anything stops.
Yes, the offense will be better - at least it’ll be competent throwing the ball - and yes, the special teams will be great again.
But it’s the defense that will once again keep the Hawkeyes in every game because that’s what this bunch does. Getting 17 points on Iowa will continue to be like pulling teeth.