For many players, coaches, fans, and media alike, the season has flown by thus far. A true example of that is the realization for everyone that the Hawkeyes play their final home game of the season on Saturday against Michigan State.
This game will also be senior night, and this senior class has made a significant impact on the team.
While the Spartans come into this game winless in the conference, they are going to be super hungry to get their first win and spoil senior night.
However, if the Hawkeyes can improve on things that disappointed over the last few weeks, they should be just fine. Here are the keys to victory for the last game in Kinnick this season.
Play like a Phil Parker-led defense
Phil Parker is known nationwide as one of the top (if not the top) defensive coordinators in the country. Iowa has pretty much always had great defenses under Coach Parker, and for most of this season, that has not changed.
However, the defense has struggled mightily the past three games, giving up 373 yards to Oregon and 360 yards to USC.
Winning this game starts with the defense tightening up the yards allowed. We've seen some stellar games out of this defense, and getting back to that type of lockdown, disciplined defense will pay dividends in a game like this.
The Spartans have absolutely nothing to lose, aside from playing spoiler. They can do that if they can have their way on offense. If the defense can make life difficult for them, the team should be in a great spot.
The passing game clicks like never before
There is no denying that the offense we have seen this season far surpasses any we have seen over the last four seasons.
However, the aerial attack is still struggling, and even Mark Gronowski knows it. If given time and allowed to go through the full progressions, the passing offense has shown some bright spots this season.
While the Spartans have a solid passing defense that allows only 214.2 yards per game, they have been blown out by dual-threat QBs this season.
If Gronowski can make the defense nervous that he'll take off and run, and then beat them with his arm, it is going to be a long day for this defense.
Look for guys like Reece Vander Zee or Jacob Gill to establish their presence in the secondary in this game.
The seniors make big plays
After this game, the next time we see the Hawkeyes at Kinnick, we will see many new faces. Both offense and defense are led by some talented seniors, who have been through the ringer of tough days of Hawkeye football.
The good news is they can finish out their last game in Kinnick on a high note, in emphatic fashion, against the struggling Spartans.
This kind of motivation can go a long way in a game like this, and while this team has certainly played hard in every single game, knowing that it is the seniors' last home game will make them play even harder.
If the stat sheet leaders at the end of this game show many seniors near the top, the Hawkeyes will have won.
For how much the Spartans have been struggling, this game should not be an issue for the Hawkeyes unless their defense and offense perform as they did in the previous two games.
However, with the motivation being with the Hawkeyes, I expect coaches, fans, and players alike to be happy at the end of this game.
Final score prediction: Iowa 27, Michigan State 10