Really breaking down the Maryland game ... what are y'all thinkin'?

[cheerscoach]

If Iowa has a good game plan on stopping the jet plays, then they will be fine. They will struggle to run between the tackles.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

that is the other interesting component to this game...
they are saying there will be 30 mph wind gusts during this game....
that probably means we won't be able to kick the ball out of the end zone.
which would mean Maryland will have opportunities to return kicks...

and Maryland has a decisive advantage in kick returns during conference play so far...
Maryland averages 27.4 yards per kick return with 1 touchdown so far this year...
meanwhile Iowa has no touchdowns on kick returns and average 34.0 per return.

also.... I hope our punt game doesn't get all screwy... especially in this one...
Maryland averages a booming 41.4 yards per punt to Iowa's measly 37.6 yards per punt...
pretty scary stuff if you think about it.

another determining factor will be penalties...
Maryland has been penalized 31 times in 3 games...
which mean they are probably committing a penalty on every play... just not getting called for it.... this would explain why folks say Maryland is extremely aggressive on defense.

so this will be an opportunity for the Refs to stick it to the Hawkeyes....
and one more thing.. people on twitter are saying its an Iowa thing to lose a game like this... and they expect Maryland to upset the Hawkeyes.

this thing has got my blood pressure rising already.

Special teams ought to be a concern. I agree that punting and return teams will be significant in the game.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

and Maryland has a decisive advantage in kick returns during conference play so far...
Maryland averages 27.4 yards per kick return with 1 touchdown so far this year...
meanwhile Iowa has no touchdowns on kick returns and average 34.0 per return.

Given some of the considerations you're mentioning ... this is why I expect that Iowa will go out of its way to play "keep-away" against the Maryland O. I expect that the Hawks will do their very best to try to do long sustained drives ... and be very deliberate about how they use the clock. The more our O as the ball ... the less their explosive O will have the ball.