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Fansided

Iowa football: Five observations from embarrassing loss to Michigan

By Andrew Wade

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Jim Harbaugh waits to take the field to play the Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 10-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Jim Harbaugh waits to take the field to play the Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 10-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 05: Nate Stanley #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes is sacked by Jordan Glasgow #29 of the Michigan Wolverines in the fourth quarter at Michigan Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 10-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 05: Nate Stanley #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes is sacked by Jordan Glasgow #29 of the Michigan Wolverines in the fourth quarter at Michigan Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 10-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Wow, the o-line was garbage

Prior to this game, the Michigan Wolverines defensive line was ranked 86th in the country in sacks with seven and 89th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game at 168.

Considering the Iowa football team is supposed to have the best offensive line in the country and had looked pretty good through the first third of this season despite not having one of their two star tackles, I was pretty excited to see the Hawks dominate the line of scrimmage.

With the announcement that Alaric Jackson would be in the game starting at tackle, this only strengthened my notion.

Boy was I wrong.

The offensive line was in shambles throughout the game as Michigan wrecked the Hawks with a variety of stunts and blitzes that often left two linemen blocking one Michigan defender and another running completely free at Nate Stanley.

Poor immobile Stanley couldn’t catch a break as he got blasted for eight sacks on the day that totaled -65 yards. There were an additional six QB hurries as well.

That’s not all though. Not only could the offensive line not block for Stanley, but they were also getting torched in the running game as well. Even without Stanley’s -65 yards on the day, the Hawkeye rushing attack gained just 66 yards on the ground.

The performance from the offensive line was so bad, it had former Iowa football player Julian Vandervelde wishing he could apologize.

It was that bad.

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