Iowa Football vs. Michigan State: 3 Things to watch and a prediction
By Joe Kipp
Iowa Football will host Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Kinnick Stadium. Here are three things to watch and a prediction.
The Iowa football team (0-2) will play their second home game against the Michigan State Spartans (1-1) in each team’s third game of the Big Ten season on Saturday. The Iowa Hawkeyes have a slight edge in the all-time series (23-22-2), though the Spartans could tie things up with a win.
The Hawkeyes lost each of their first two games by a combined five points, thanks to some sloppy turnovers and penalties. Against Purdue in the season opener, Iowa’s running backs lost two fumbles. The next week against Northwestern, Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras threw three interceptions.
Iowa comes into this game with less expectations than when the season started. However, dropping another game to fall to 0-3 would be a devastating mark on coach Kirk Ferentz’s résumé. Here are three three things to keep an eye on, along with a game prediction.
1. Can the Hawkeyes win the turnover battle?
Giving the ball away has been the downfall for the Hawkeyes so far. On the flip side, the Iowa defense has been one of the biggest reasons the team has been in games so far. Through two weeks, the defense is averaging 2.5 takeaways per game. By contrast, the Iowa offense averages 2.5 giveaways per game. If the offense can play a clean game, Iowa should win.
2. Does Iowa go back to the running game?
For whatever reason, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz has refused to call running plays frequently this season. Against Northwestern last week, Spencer Petras threw the ball 50 times, the most for an Iowa quarterback in a single game since 2014. The Hawkeyes have one of the Big Ten’s most dynamic running backs in Tyler Goodson. Will he be utilized like it against the Spartans? Goodson saw just 13 carries last week.
3. What can we expect from Petras?
Through two games, first-year starter Petras has been average at best. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound quarterback has already thrown three interceptions in two games, and is only completing 53.9 percent of his passes. Can he reign it in and protect the ball against an opportunistic Michigan State defense? The Hawkeyes will need Petras to play a clean game in order to get their first win of the season.
Prediction: Iowa wins 23-20
The Hawkeyes aren’t going to lose this game. If there’s one thing Ferentz’s teams are historically known for, it’s never giving up. Expect a few takeaways from the Iowa defense with a much cleaner game from the offense. Iowa wins by a field goal thanks to a big day from All-American kicker Keith Duncan.