Iowa football: Northwestern game will be missing plenty of offensive guys

When the Iowa football team’s game vs Northwestern kicks off Saturday, quite a few offensive players will be out. Here’s the latest on the injury report.

It could be worse for the Iowa football team. It could be like when they took on Iowa State with 1/2 of their secondary gone plus 1/2 of their star power on the offensive line. That being said, missing number one wide receiver Brandon Smith and middle linebacker Kristian Welch will be huge losses for the Hawks.

In Smith’s place will be a mix of guys starting with Tyrone Tracy Jr, but I expect to see Calvin Lockett and Oliver Martin in the mix as well throughout the course of the game.

For Welch, it sounds like the plan is to split snaps between two freshmen, second-year redshirt freshman Dillon Doyle and true freshman Jack Campbell. Both played well last week against Purdue and should fill in admirably yet again this week against a more inferior offensive team in Northwestern.

From Northwestern’s perspective, the big injury was to starting quarterback TJ Green. Replacing him has been a mix of former five-star recruit Hunter Johnson and Aiden Smith. And let me tell you, the results have been ugly. Those two have combined for two touchdowns and nine interceptions while leading an offense that is the 3rd worst in the nation in terms of points scored.

It also doesn’t help, however, that arguably the team’s best-receiving threat Ben Skowronek and last year’s starting running back Isaiah Bowser has missed time this season as well. Really, the only bright spot in Northwestern’s offense has come from Bowser’s backup Drake Anderson, who is averaging a healthy 4.7 yards per rush in 87 attempts. His three touchdowns account for over 25% of Northwestern’s offensive production.

Against a team like Northwestern an injury to Iowa’s deepest position (WR), even if it is their best player at the position, and an injury to a defensive player on one of the nation’s top defenses going against a terrible offense shouldn’t have much of an impact on the outcome of the game.

Now, if the Iowa football team could just leave this game without any new injuries so they can be ready for Wisconsin in a few weeks, that would be ideal.