Iowa football: Run game is one of three keys to beating Penn State

Mother nature vs Iowa/Penn State

This is sort of an outside of the box matchup, but the weather is expected to be nasty Saturday and whichever team can overcome the weather most effectively has the best chance of winning this game. This matchup is less about how the teams do against each other, but how do they manage their ball clubs within the realms of the weather.

The Iowa football team showed it had the grit and talent to win last week in windy conditions. Despite coming off a two-week scoring binge with two three-hundred yard passing performances from Nate Stanley, the Hawks stuck to the ground game. The result was just 86 yards passing from Iowa’s sleeper Heisman candidate on 50% passing.

Fortunately, the Hawks were able to effectively run the ball and rely on their stout defense to stop Maryland. It will be a similar formula against Penn State. Here is a glimpse into the weather forecast as of today:

With the rain, ball protection will also be extremely important. Nate Stanley has thrown one interception in every game except for the Iowa State game, and most of them have been pretty costly. Slippery conditions impact the grip, which will impact the accuracy. Furthermore, the rainy weather could have an impact on Iowa’s trio of running backs that have yet to fumble this season.

If the Iowa football team can stop the run game, score quick, and win the battle vs mother nature, there is a good chance we are talking about the big win in Happy Valley come Sunday. Time will tell.