Iowa football: Three matchups that matter in game vs Rutgers

The Iowa football team faces Rutgers in a Big Ten battle this morning. Here are the top three matchups to watch out for in this contest.

The Iowa football team begins Big Ten play against Rutgers after taking out Miami (OH) in the season opener 38-14. The last (and only) time Iowa played Rutgers was in 2016 and it was a completely different looking team. This year I also hope they finish with a better outcome.

The Hawks barely squeezed by Rutgers last matchup getting the win by a score of 14-7.  With new faces this year, Iowa will look to prove they have what it takes to get the win.  Here are the three the best matchups to watch for against Rutgers.

Raiqwon O’Neal versus AJ Epenesa

The first matchup of this upcoming game that a lot of people will be looking out for is Rutgers redshirt freshman left tackle Raiqwon O’neal Up against five-star junior defensive end AJ Epenesa.

Their sizes are fairly even when it comes to height, as O’neal stands at 6’5” 304 lbs, while Epenesa stands at 6’6” 280 pounds.  The first game of the season Epenesa struggled to get to Miami (OH) QB Brett Gabbert mostly because he was doubled up a majority of the game. Meanwhile, Raiqwon O’Neal’s first college start last Saturday was stellar as he held his ground most of the game and Rutgers QB McLane Carter was only sacked once.  Epenesa will again have his hands full with this young man O’Neal, but I think its time he shows what he’s made of and overpowers this freshman lineman.  Look for this to be a great matchup in Saturdays Big Ten showdown.

Rutgers WRs vs Iowa DBs

The next matchup to look out for is the Iowa football team’s defensive backs against Rutgers wide receivers.  Last week Rutgers had two guys finish over the century mark on yards.  Bo Melton had 127 and Raheem Blackshear (a running back) finished with 126.  That being said, Matt Hankins, Michael Ojemudia, Geno Stone and Kaevon Merriweather all need to step up this Saturday.  Last week in the first half against Miami (OH) they gave up too many big plays and costly third-down conversions.  Its time for these four guys to get it together and play some hard-nosed defense.

It’ll be interesting to see what they can do in the first Big Ten matchup of the season.

Damon Hayes vs Ihmir Smith-Marsette

The final matchup to keep an eye on in Saturday’s game is Iowa’s top receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, against Damon Hayes, Rutgers senior defensive back.  Smith-Marsette put up some decent numbers a year ago finishing with 23 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns while also being Iowas return specialist.

Coming into his junior year, ISM is looking to be a focal point of this offense. Last week against Miami of Ohio, he had 4 catches for 35 yards and 1 touchdown.

The biggest object standing in Smith-Marsette’s way on Saturday will be Damon Hayes. A year ago, he finished as Rutgers top defensive back, recording 126 tackles, four interceptions and 17 passes defended. He’s been compared to NFL stars like former Georgia star Deandre Baker and Chiefs star Kendall Fuller.

Last versus UMass Hayes had four tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass defended.  I am looking forward to watching this matchup because both players have a lot of potential at the next level.

These are my top three matchups to look for in Saturday’s game between Iowa and Rutgers. The Iowa football team will look to stay undefeated as they face their first Big Ten matchup, and if they can win these three matchups, it shouldn’ t be a problem.