The Breakdown
Toren Young could be in line for a strong day on the ground.
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport
@hawkeyereport
The start of the Iowa football season is finally here!
We break down the Iowa's match-up on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium against Miami (OH). What are the keys for the Iowa offense and defense? What do we know about the Redhawks on both sides of the ball? And we give our prediction and pick to click for the Hawkeyes in their home opener.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Kickoff: 6:40 pm
TV: FS1 – Brian Custer and Robert Smith on the call.
Last Meeting: Iowa defeated Miami (OH) 45-21 in 2016.
The Weather: Mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain. Low wins and temps dropping into the 60’s by kickoff.
The Line: Iowa is a 22.5 point favorite.
History: Iowa is 4-0 against Miami (OH). The Hawkeyes won the last meeting, which was played in Iowa City, 45-21. Iowa also won a hard fought contest, 21-3 back in 2013. The Hawkeyes are 23-4 against schools from the Mid-American Conference.
THE BREAKDOWN
Iowa rush offense vs. Miami (OH) rush defense
There has been one theme for the Iowa offense since the end of the 2018 season and that is the Hawkeye coaches and players focusing on repairing their running game. It wasn’t a bad rushing attack in 2018, but it also wasn’t up to the standard that Iowa sets for itself in their ground game.
Last season, Iowa averaged just under four yards per carry on the ground and 148.4 yards per game overall. Iowa had just a half dozen explosive rushing plays last season, which was a significant drop from last season.
Iowa returns their top three rushers from 2018. Mekhi Sargent led the rushing attack with 745 yards. Toren Young had 637 yards, and Ivory Kelly-Martin, who battled injuries most of the year, had 341 yards rushing. All three spent time in the film room studying how they ran and they feel like it has made a difference.
The key to the run game will be the play of the offensive line. Iowa returns two top building blocks at tackle in Tristan Wifs and Alaric Jackson. The key will be the play of the three linemen on the inside. Redshirt freshman Tyler Linderbaum takes over at center and it appears that Landan and Levi Paulsen will start the first game of the year at guard.
Miami had pretty significant losses on defense, but most of those were on the back end at linebacker and safety. Up front the Redhawks are pretty experienced with a pair of seniors and a third year player back. Last season the Redhawks allowed 159.7 yards per game on the ground and opposing teams averaged four yards per carry.
It’s really hard to say exactly what will happen in the opening game because both teams have changes in their personnel. However, I think it’s been pretty clear that Iowa wants to run the football better this year and they are going to come out of the gate and attempt to do just that. The question is can they make it happen? ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO IOWA
Iowa pass offense vs. Miami (OH) pass defense
Nate Stanley heads into his third year as a starter for the Hawkeyes at quarterback. While he’s back, his receivers look very different. There’s no Nick Easley, T.J. Hockenson, and Noah Fant to throw to this year.
Stanley threw for 2,852 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also completed 59.3% of his passes. His interceptions were up slightly from 6 to 10, but overall a better junior year.
His main targets will be wide receivers. Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette will lead the receivers this season. Smith-Marsette seems poised for a breakout year. The big news this week was that the NCAA cleared Oliver Martin and will be able to play this season. Martin will be their third most experienced wide receivers. Iowa’s other receivers who will play at a key role this season are redshirt freshmen Nico Ragaini and Tyrone Tracy Jr. At tight end, Nate Wieting will go from mainly being a blocker to a pass catcher and blocker. Drew Cook will be in the mix and the other player to watch is Shaun Beyer. If Beyer can stay healthy, he’s a real x factor in the passing game.
Last season Miami allowed 208.5 yards per game and gave up 21 touchdown passes. They picked off eight passes last season gave up 11.8 yards per completion. There’s a Hawkeye connection in their secondary with former Iowa player Manny Ragumba starting at cornerback. His backup is former Hawkeye Cedric Boswell. Their back seven is relatively new as far as starters and it seems like Iowa could exploit that in this game. Miami did get after the quarterback last year with 29 sacks, so that will be something to monitor for the Hawkeyes. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO IOWA
A.J. Epenesa moves into the starting lineup this fall.
Miami (OH) rush offense vs. Iowa rush defense
The Redhawks lost a good chunk of their running game from last year. Their leading rusher and expected starter is Jaylon Bester, who ran for 185 yards last year. Davion Johnson is his backup and he ran for 164 yards in 2018.
Miami rushed for 159.8 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry last season. They also had 25 rushing touchdowns, but like we mentioned, it’s pretty much a whole new cast. The Redhawks do have three starters returning along the offensive line, which should help with their transition to new running backs.
Iowa’s rush defense was very good last season. The Hawkeyes allowed 109.5 yards per game, 3.3 yards per carry, and just 9 rushing touchdowns. Iowa continues to be very tough when opposing teams get near the goal line against the run.
Iowa lost four starters along the defensive line, but they return for players who move into the starting lineup who played quite a bit. The defensive line is led by defensive ends A.J. Epenesa and Chauncey Golston. They will have Cedrick Lattimore, who is poised for a strong senior year, paired with Brady Reiff at tackle. Kristian Welch will take over at middle linebacker and Djimon Colbert, who is the leading returning tackler, handling the other linebacker position.
While there is questions about Iowa’s depth along the defensive line, the Hawkeyes should be in good shape to continue to stuff the run game of opposing teams. ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Miami (OH) pass offense vs. Iowa pass defense
The big question heading into this game is which Miami quarterback will play? They list three potential starters at the position and there’s a real possibility that they could play all three on Saturday. All three have very little experience and in one case, they could play a true freshmen in Brett Gabbert, who is the younger brother of Blaine Gabbert. Jackson Williamson may get the start and I think we also see A.J. Mayer.
Playing three quarterbacks is probably a recipe for a struggling passing game. Jack Sorenson is their leading returning wide receiver. Last season he had 53 receptions for 742 yards and 2 touchdowns. Luke Mayock is their second leading receiver with 22 catches for 319 yards last year. Another name to watch Maurice Thomas. At tight end, the Redhawks have a good one in Andrew Homer, who had 16 receptions for 231 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s a Phil Parker coached defense, so you know going in that they are going to make it tough for opposing teams to throw on. Teams averaged just 184 yards per game in the air last year against the Hawkeyes and Iowa allowed only 19 touchdown passes.
Iowa returns both starting cornerbacks this year in Matt Hankins and Michael Ojemudia and starting safety Geno Stone. Last year the secondary intercepted 20 passes and broke up 48 others. In other words, they are around the ball a lot in the secondary. A big help to that was also the pressure from the front four that resulted in 35 sacks. The leader of the sack brigade, A.J. Epenesa, returns. Last year he had 10.5 on the season.
The unknowns in the secondary are new starters Kaevon Merriweather and D.J. Johnson. Merriweather held off a challenge to start at free safety, but he’s going to have to play well to hold on to the job. Johnson fills the “Cash” role on defense and has to fill the massive shoes of Amani Hooker.
Given that we have no idea about who will be throwing the ball for the Redhawks, it’s hard to side with them in this area of the game. If you are playing more than one quarterback that usually means your passing game will probably struggle. ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Special Teams
The Hawkeyes will have a new look in the kicking game this year. Michael Sleep-Dalton is a graduate transfer who won the punting job in camp. He averaged 43.8 yards per punt last season at Arizona State. At placekicker, Iowa will be looking to find a replacement for Miguel Recinos, who was very steady and consistent the last two years. It appears that Caleb Shudak and Keith Duncan, who both had very good camps, will share duties early in the season. Ihmir Smith-Marsette was excellent in the return game last year and he will handle kickoffs and likely punt returns to begin the season.
Miami returns their field goal kicker in Sam Sloman. He was 10-13 in field goals last season with a long of 44 yards. Kyle Kramer returns as the Redhawks punter. Last season he averaged 41.9 yards per punt. Maurice Thomas was a very good kickoff return man last season for Miami, averaging 26.7 yards per return, including one touchdown. Jack Sorenson takes over at punt return. He had a pair of returns last season for just four yards. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO IOWA
Toren Young could be in line for a strong day on the ground.
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport
@hawkeyereport
The start of the Iowa football season is finally here!
We break down the Iowa's match-up on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium against Miami (OH). What are the keys for the Iowa offense and defense? What do we know about the Redhawks on both sides of the ball? And we give our prediction and pick to click for the Hawkeyes in their home opener.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Kickoff: 6:40 pm
TV: FS1 – Brian Custer and Robert Smith on the call.
Last Meeting: Iowa defeated Miami (OH) 45-21 in 2016.
The Weather: Mostly cloudy skies with a chance of rain. Low wins and temps dropping into the 60’s by kickoff.
The Line: Iowa is a 22.5 point favorite.
History: Iowa is 4-0 against Miami (OH). The Hawkeyes won the last meeting, which was played in Iowa City, 45-21. Iowa also won a hard fought contest, 21-3 back in 2013. The Hawkeyes are 23-4 against schools from the Mid-American Conference.
THE BREAKDOWN
Iowa rush offense vs. Miami (OH) rush defense
There has been one theme for the Iowa offense since the end of the 2018 season and that is the Hawkeye coaches and players focusing on repairing their running game. It wasn’t a bad rushing attack in 2018, but it also wasn’t up to the standard that Iowa sets for itself in their ground game.
Last season, Iowa averaged just under four yards per carry on the ground and 148.4 yards per game overall. Iowa had just a half dozen explosive rushing plays last season, which was a significant drop from last season.
Iowa returns their top three rushers from 2018. Mekhi Sargent led the rushing attack with 745 yards. Toren Young had 637 yards, and Ivory Kelly-Martin, who battled injuries most of the year, had 341 yards rushing. All three spent time in the film room studying how they ran and they feel like it has made a difference.
The key to the run game will be the play of the offensive line. Iowa returns two top building blocks at tackle in Tristan Wifs and Alaric Jackson. The key will be the play of the three linemen on the inside. Redshirt freshman Tyler Linderbaum takes over at center and it appears that Landan and Levi Paulsen will start the first game of the year at guard.
Miami had pretty significant losses on defense, but most of those were on the back end at linebacker and safety. Up front the Redhawks are pretty experienced with a pair of seniors and a third year player back. Last season the Redhawks allowed 159.7 yards per game on the ground and opposing teams averaged four yards per carry.
It’s really hard to say exactly what will happen in the opening game because both teams have changes in their personnel. However, I think it’s been pretty clear that Iowa wants to run the football better this year and they are going to come out of the gate and attempt to do just that. The question is can they make it happen? ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO IOWA
Iowa pass offense vs. Miami (OH) pass defense
Nate Stanley heads into his third year as a starter for the Hawkeyes at quarterback. While he’s back, his receivers look very different. There’s no Nick Easley, T.J. Hockenson, and Noah Fant to throw to this year.
Stanley threw for 2,852 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also completed 59.3% of his passes. His interceptions were up slightly from 6 to 10, but overall a better junior year.
His main targets will be wide receivers. Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette will lead the receivers this season. Smith-Marsette seems poised for a breakout year. The big news this week was that the NCAA cleared Oliver Martin and will be able to play this season. Martin will be their third most experienced wide receivers. Iowa’s other receivers who will play at a key role this season are redshirt freshmen Nico Ragaini and Tyrone Tracy Jr. At tight end, Nate Wieting will go from mainly being a blocker to a pass catcher and blocker. Drew Cook will be in the mix and the other player to watch is Shaun Beyer. If Beyer can stay healthy, he’s a real x factor in the passing game.
Last season Miami allowed 208.5 yards per game and gave up 21 touchdown passes. They picked off eight passes last season gave up 11.8 yards per completion. There’s a Hawkeye connection in their secondary with former Iowa player Manny Ragumba starting at cornerback. His backup is former Hawkeye Cedric Boswell. Their back seven is relatively new as far as starters and it seems like Iowa could exploit that in this game. Miami did get after the quarterback last year with 29 sacks, so that will be something to monitor for the Hawkeyes. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO IOWA
A.J. Epenesa moves into the starting lineup this fall.
Miami (OH) rush offense vs. Iowa rush defense
The Redhawks lost a good chunk of their running game from last year. Their leading rusher and expected starter is Jaylon Bester, who ran for 185 yards last year. Davion Johnson is his backup and he ran for 164 yards in 2018.
Miami rushed for 159.8 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry last season. They also had 25 rushing touchdowns, but like we mentioned, it’s pretty much a whole new cast. The Redhawks do have three starters returning along the offensive line, which should help with their transition to new running backs.
Iowa’s rush defense was very good last season. The Hawkeyes allowed 109.5 yards per game, 3.3 yards per carry, and just 9 rushing touchdowns. Iowa continues to be very tough when opposing teams get near the goal line against the run.
Iowa lost four starters along the defensive line, but they return for players who move into the starting lineup who played quite a bit. The defensive line is led by defensive ends A.J. Epenesa and Chauncey Golston. They will have Cedrick Lattimore, who is poised for a strong senior year, paired with Brady Reiff at tackle. Kristian Welch will take over at middle linebacker and Djimon Colbert, who is the leading returning tackler, handling the other linebacker position.
While there is questions about Iowa’s depth along the defensive line, the Hawkeyes should be in good shape to continue to stuff the run game of opposing teams. ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Miami (OH) pass offense vs. Iowa pass defense
The big question heading into this game is which Miami quarterback will play? They list three potential starters at the position and there’s a real possibility that they could play all three on Saturday. All three have very little experience and in one case, they could play a true freshmen in Brett Gabbert, who is the younger brother of Blaine Gabbert. Jackson Williamson may get the start and I think we also see A.J. Mayer.
Playing three quarterbacks is probably a recipe for a struggling passing game. Jack Sorenson is their leading returning wide receiver. Last season he had 53 receptions for 742 yards and 2 touchdowns. Luke Mayock is their second leading receiver with 22 catches for 319 yards last year. Another name to watch Maurice Thomas. At tight end, the Redhawks have a good one in Andrew Homer, who had 16 receptions for 231 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s a Phil Parker coached defense, so you know going in that they are going to make it tough for opposing teams to throw on. Teams averaged just 184 yards per game in the air last year against the Hawkeyes and Iowa allowed only 19 touchdown passes.
Iowa returns both starting cornerbacks this year in Matt Hankins and Michael Ojemudia and starting safety Geno Stone. Last year the secondary intercepted 20 passes and broke up 48 others. In other words, they are around the ball a lot in the secondary. A big help to that was also the pressure from the front four that resulted in 35 sacks. The leader of the sack brigade, A.J. Epenesa, returns. Last year he had 10.5 on the season.
The unknowns in the secondary are new starters Kaevon Merriweather and D.J. Johnson. Merriweather held off a challenge to start at free safety, but he’s going to have to play well to hold on to the job. Johnson fills the “Cash” role on defense and has to fill the massive shoes of Amani Hooker.
Given that we have no idea about who will be throwing the ball for the Redhawks, it’s hard to side with them in this area of the game. If you are playing more than one quarterback that usually means your passing game will probably struggle. ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Special Teams
The Hawkeyes will have a new look in the kicking game this year. Michael Sleep-Dalton is a graduate transfer who won the punting job in camp. He averaged 43.8 yards per punt last season at Arizona State. At placekicker, Iowa will be looking to find a replacement for Miguel Recinos, who was very steady and consistent the last two years. It appears that Caleb Shudak and Keith Duncan, who both had very good camps, will share duties early in the season. Ihmir Smith-Marsette was excellent in the return game last year and he will handle kickoffs and likely punt returns to begin the season.
Miami returns their field goal kicker in Sam Sloman. He was 10-13 in field goals last season with a long of 44 yards. Kyle Kramer returns as the Redhawks punter. Last season he averaged 41.9 yards per punt. Maurice Thomas was a very good kickoff return man last season for Miami, averaging 26.7 yards per return, including one touchdown. Jack Sorenson takes over at punt return. He had a pair of returns last season for just four yards. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO IOWA
