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Iowa Football: 3 key for Hawkeyes’ offense to get back on track against Nevada
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It can’t get worse for Iowa football, right? Right?
The Hawkeyes very well could be sitting at 0-2 following their 10-7 loss to Iowa State. The week prior, Iowa needed safeties from Jack Campbell and Joe Evans to secure their 7-3 win over FCS FSC South Dakota State.
In 2 games, the Hawkeyes have averaged 158 yards of offense. They also rank dead last in rushing (55 yards per game) and scoring (7 points per game) among all Big Ten programs.
Can Iowa’s flaws be fixed against visiting Nevada (2-1) this weekend? The Wolfpack, after all, enter as 23.5-point underdogs and surrender more than 400 yards per game. They gave up 55 points in a loss last week to FCS Incarnate Word. So maybe the Hawkeyes can hit double-digits?
Here are 3 things the Hawkeyes should consider against their Mountain West opponent on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.
Put Spencer Petras on a short leash
It couldn’t be more obvious, right? Everything starts and ends with the quarterback.
Petras struggled in 2021, never playing with any sort of consistency. Despite that, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz elected to give him another shot under center. Things have soured fast in 2 games to begin the new campaign.
In Week 1 against the Jackrabbits, Petras finished 11-of-25 passing for 109 yards and an interception. A week later against the Cyclones, things went from bad to worse. Petras went 12-of-26 for 92 yards with an interception and also turned the ball over on a sack-fumble, leading to the eventual game-winning 8-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Dekkers to Xavier Hutchinson.
Through 2 games, Petras has completed just 45 percent of his throws for just over 200 yards and has yet to find the end zone. Last season, his best game came against Maryland when he threw for 259 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s not as impressive as it sounds since Maryland’s pass defense ranked 13th in the Big Ten.
Ferentz isn’t ready to pull the plug on Petras yet, but if the offense can’t get rolling in the first 15 minutes Saturday night, he has to see what back-up Alex Padilla can bring to the table.
Establish a No. 1 receiver
If a clear go-to target were to emerge from the depleted receiving corps, perhaps the Hawkeyes’ offense could hide the quarterback concerns a while longer. But there hasn’t been a single wide receiver worth talking about through 2 games.
Currently, tight end Sam LaPorta has a team-high 10 catches for 64 yards. Wide receiver Arland Bruce IV has 6 catches, and he does lead the team with 77 yards. But the remaining 4 receivers with targets have combined for 7 catches and 60 yards.
In 3 games, the Wolfpack’s secondary has allowed 917 passing yards and 7 touchdowns. They also have struggled to stop teams on third down, allowing opponents to convert 44% of the time.
Whether Petras, Padilla or someone else is under center, the Hawkeyes need to find an established No. 1 pass-catching weapon to build chemistry before the start of conference play. If it’s ever going to happen, this should be the game. LaPorta or Bruce should be more than capable of moving the chains, especially in third-and-short situations. But it’d be better if a No. 1 option emerged who could produce at least 50 yards per game.
Win time of possession
Teams that find ways to control the clock usually walk away with the victory. That might be Iowa’s best chance of winning.
In Week 1’s matchup against the Jackrabbits, the Hawkeyes won time of possession (30:11-29:44). It allowed Iowa to finish with 10 first downs compared to South Dakota State’s 6.
A week later, the Cyclones controlled the clock, holding the ball for over 38 minutes. That led to Iowa State running more plays (80-53), picking up more first downs (21-11) and scoring more points.
Iowa State also was more impressive on third downs, converting on 50% of snaps compared to Iowa’s 28%.
Little things like winning the time of possession and converting on third downs can go far in winning games. It’s proven that if the Hawkeyes can own the clock, they can own the outcome.
Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel for the Hawkeyes’ offense to improve. Calling the right plays in the right formation could go far in helping the offense get back on track.
Making sure to limit the Wolfpack’s chances of scoring by chewing up the clock might benefit the Hawkeyes in the best way possible as well.
Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Tradition who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.