Iowa football: Know your 2019 opponents, Middle Tennessee State
By Ryan Sikes
The Iowa football team will be hosting Middle Tennessee State in Week 4 of the regular season. They will need to account for junior wide receiver Ty Lee.
The Iowa football team will welcome the Middle Tennessee State (MTSU) Blue Raiders to Kinnick Stadium in week four of the 2019 regular season. It will mark the first time that the two teams meet each other and the Blue Raiders will receive $1.55 million to play in this game.
MTSU finished the 2018 campaign with a record of 8-6. The team lost their final two games against UAB in the Conference USA Championship game and Appalachian State in the New Orleans Bowl, respectively. Redshirt senior quarterback Brent Stockhill has graduated, so the team will need to replace his 70.3 completion percentage and 3,544 passing yards.
Asher O’Hara figures to get the nod under center in 2019. He completed 9-of-20 passes last year for 114 yards and one interception. O’Hara was a three-star recruit from Rolling Meadows, Illinois and was ranked as the sixth best dual-threat quarterback in the country. These types of quarterbacks have given the Hawkeyes fits in previous matchups.
Chaton Mobley is projected to be the starting running back for the Blue Raiders in 2019. The former linebacker recruit redshirted his freshman year to work on switching to the running back position. He carried the ball 123 times last season for 617 yards and four touchdowns. Mobley was also a big threat in the passing game out of the backfield to the tune of 153 yards on 19 catches.
The Iowa football team’s secondary will need to strongly game plan for senior wide receiver Ty Lee who caught 71 balls for 883 yards and seven touchdowns. Redshirt freshman receiver Zack Dobson is also expected to take the next step in the Blue Raiders offense. He caught 15 balls for 171 yards and four touchdowns in 2018.
MTSU’s defense ranked 50th in the country in total defense and will return several starters, anchored by junior safety Reed Blankenship. He led the team with 107 total tackles to go along with eight tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, and seven pass deflections. Up front, the Blue Raider defense return junior linebacker DQ Thomas who recorded 70 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks in 2018.
Khalil Brooks is another linebacker the Iowa offense will need to account for. The former two-star cornerback has flourished since changing positions in his freshman year. Last season, he had 67 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.
The Iowa football team will have their hands full in back-to-back weeks facing two potential top-notch defenses in Iowa State and MTSU. This game, by no means, should be considered a gimme. Kirk Ferentz will need to have his team ready to go and has all the makings of a trap game should the Iowa football team leave Ames with a victory.