Shockingly, Kirk has thrown the defense under the bus more than the offense this year. Despite Kirk's critiques, it's time to objectively grade the highly touted Hawkeye defense.
Defensive Line: C. The stout DL has been a strength at Iowa over the years. Despite last week's 6 sack performance against Purdue, Iowa ranks 105th in college football with just 9 sacks in six games. Most QBs have had all day in the pocket and have been able to complete a ton of passes as a result. That's with a veteran DL, starting two 5th year seniors and two 4th year juniors. The Hawks rank 54th in rushing defense, which is solid, but nowhere near where Iowa has been over the past few years, including ranking 12th last year.
Linebackers: A-. The most pleasant surprise on D this year has been the linebacker play. The Hawks lost a couple of 3 year starters and replaced them with a seldom used senior in Higgins and a grad transfer in Jackson. The two stepped up in a major way, with Higgins ranking 3rd nationally in tackles and Jackson ranking 29th. Both are playing at an all-Big 10 level. The only knock on them thus far has been their pass coverage, as Jackson has been torched for quite a few big plays.
Safeties: C-. The safeties have been the most disappointing unit on defense. Schulte has been around forever and X is a 5 star guy who was MVP of last year's bowl game. Rather than a strength, these guys have been non-factors throughout most of the season. Through 6 games, X has just 23 tackles and 1 int. Schulte has 0 interceptions and ranks 9th on the team in tackles for loss. These guys need to step up for the DBs to reach the elite level they were at last year with Merriweather in the mix.
Cornerbacks: A-. This is a tricky one because DeJean is playing at an all-American level while his counterpart, Harris, has struggled. The Hawks rank 28th in passing defense, which is fantastic, but nowhere near the top 5 pass defense they had last year. Similarly, the Hawks rank 20th in interceptions, which again is great, but when you lead the nation in interceptions over the past 5 years, and have an all American CB on the roster, 20th isn't what Phil is shooting for. Since DeJean is hitting his stride, look for the interception number to rise to the top 10 level by the end of the year.
Punter: A. While the Iowa offense's repetitive 3 and outs are proof that punting is not winning, Tory Taylor is a delight to watch. Taylor holds the unfortunate distinction of leading the nation in total punts (not something any team wants), but he has also managed to rank 7th in yards per punt, with a booming 48 yard average. Couple that with his pinpoint accuracy on those punts inside the 20 and you may be looking at the next punter drafted in the NFL.
Defensive Line: C. The stout DL has been a strength at Iowa over the years. Despite last week's 6 sack performance against Purdue, Iowa ranks 105th in college football with just 9 sacks in six games. Most QBs have had all day in the pocket and have been able to complete a ton of passes as a result. That's with a veteran DL, starting two 5th year seniors and two 4th year juniors. The Hawks rank 54th in rushing defense, which is solid, but nowhere near where Iowa has been over the past few years, including ranking 12th last year.
Linebackers: A-. The most pleasant surprise on D this year has been the linebacker play. The Hawks lost a couple of 3 year starters and replaced them with a seldom used senior in Higgins and a grad transfer in Jackson. The two stepped up in a major way, with Higgins ranking 3rd nationally in tackles and Jackson ranking 29th. Both are playing at an all-Big 10 level. The only knock on them thus far has been their pass coverage, as Jackson has been torched for quite a few big plays.
Safeties: C-. The safeties have been the most disappointing unit on defense. Schulte has been around forever and X is a 5 star guy who was MVP of last year's bowl game. Rather than a strength, these guys have been non-factors throughout most of the season. Through 6 games, X has just 23 tackles and 1 int. Schulte has 0 interceptions and ranks 9th on the team in tackles for loss. These guys need to step up for the DBs to reach the elite level they were at last year with Merriweather in the mix.
Cornerbacks: A-. This is a tricky one because DeJean is playing at an all-American level while his counterpart, Harris, has struggled. The Hawks rank 28th in passing defense, which is fantastic, but nowhere near the top 5 pass defense they had last year. Similarly, the Hawks rank 20th in interceptions, which again is great, but when you lead the nation in interceptions over the past 5 years, and have an all American CB on the roster, 20th isn't what Phil is shooting for. Since DeJean is hitting his stride, look for the interception number to rise to the top 10 level by the end of the year.
Punter: A. While the Iowa offense's repetitive 3 and outs are proof that punting is not winning, Tory Taylor is a delight to watch. Taylor holds the unfortunate distinction of leading the nation in total punts (not something any team wants), but he has also managed to rank 7th in yards per punt, with a booming 48 yard average. Couple that with his pinpoint accuracy on those punts inside the 20 and you may be looking at the next punter drafted in the NFL.
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