Iowa Hawkeyes versus NIU: Four Storylines to watch

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IOWA CITY, IA- NOVEMBER 25: Tight end Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs after a reception in the fourth quarter in front of safety Nathan Gerry #25 and linebacker Josh Banderas #52 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, on November 25, 2016 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

Iowa Hawkeyes football season is back and this season is shaping up to be one to remember. Here are the top four storylines to watch for Saturday.

The Iowa Hawkeyes had a very Iowa-like season in 2017. They lost to a few teams they shouldn’t have (hello Purdue) and knocked out some of the big dogs (anyone remember the Ohio State beat down?). At the end of the season they sat with a 8-5 record and a laundry list of what could have been.

Looking back, the Hawkeyes could have very easily been 12-1 or 11-2. Losing to Penn State on a last second play really hurt as did losing to the Northwestern in overtime. Iowa came out flat against Michigan State but still managed to stay in the game and there’s no reason Purdue should have beaten Iowa in Kinnick.

Regardless, that was last season, and I am ready to look forward to the 2018 season. Despite losing a number of key players, Iowa still remains very talented and extremely well coached. Most importantly, Iowa still has dark horse Davey O’Brien contender, Nate Stanley leading the offensive attack.

The beauty of college football is that there are always questions about how a team will look going into the first game of the year. Fortunately for us Iowa fans, we are about to get some answers as Iowa is set to take on a tough North Illinois University team Saturday morning. As you get psyched for the game, here are four storylines to follow.

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