After a blowout win that saw the Iowa football team rumble for 351 yards on the ground, it was nice surprise to see 3 Hawks on PFF’s week 5 All-B1G team.
The Iowa football team dominated the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders from start to finish Saturday morning and early afternoon in almost every phase of the game.
The offensive line took it to another level as they were making holes that a semi-truck could run through against an undersized and overmatched Blue Raider defensive line.
Three Hawkeye running backs got double-digit carries and each ran for over 90 yards with Toren Young leading the way with 131 yards. For a team that struggled to run the ball with much effectiveness last year, it is quite clear they are back to being the Iowa football program that we are accustomed to seeing. One that prides itself on building the team through the trenches and winning those battles game in and game out.
So after that fantastic performance Saturday, it was to little people’s surprise that three Hawkeye offensive linemen landed on Pro Football Focus’ Week 5 All-Big Ten team accounting for 60% of the available spots.
Tyler Linderbaum, the redshirt freshman, Landan Paulsen, the forgotten twin, and Tristan Wirfs, the projected top-10 draft pick led the way Saturday and were the three Hawks named.
Here is the Team of the Week in the B1G on the offensive side!https://t.co/SGmuvi1BlC pic.twitter.com/006SbH5ExC
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 30, 2019
In addition to being named to the week 5 team of the week, Paulsen and Linderbaum landed on the national team of the week as well.
Outside of these three though, no other Iowa football players made the list, which surprised me a bit given how well Brandon Smith and Daviyon Nixon played Saturday.
The three players tie the Hawkeye’s season-high for inclusion on PFF’s Big Ten team of the week. With Michigan and Penn State up the next two weeks, I don’t expect the Hawks to set any season-highs soon.