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Let’s be blunt. Iowa’s offense is broken.
The Hawkeyes have scored 14 total points in their last 2 games. Their opponents? Purdue and Wisconsin. Remember: This is the same team that beat Iowa State and Penn State earlier in the year as it rose to No. 2 in the AP Top 25.
Now, let’s zoom out for a minute. Those are 2 solid defenses. Heading into Week 9, Purdue ranked 3rd in the B1G with 300.1 yards allowed per game and Wisconsin led the league with 223 yards allowed per game. We have to keep that context in mind.
We also have to remember this is an Iowa team that was averaging just 310.9 yards per game through its first 8 games, 2nd-worst in the B1G. Against Wisconsin this week, the Hawkeyes totaled just 156 yards — a new season-low.
It’s been all about the defense for the Hawkeyes up to this point. Iowa had the best defense in the league, allowing 11.6 points per game and holding teams to 271.4 yards per game. Basically, the defense could make up for the offense.
Then, Riley Moss went down with an injury. Then, Terry Roberts went down with an injury. Suddenly, the defense was beat up — meaning the offense had to rise to the occasion.
It didn’t. Instead, Iowa had 17 total yards, 5 punts, 3 turnovers and 1 first down in 10:36 of offense in the first half against Wisconsin. That’s not at all what you want to see from a top-10 team.
That was also the first half of play out of a bye week. It’s certainly not ideal, and Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz’s answer might not be music to Hawkeyes fans’ ears, either.
“You continue to learn more about your players as the season goes on — what they can do, what they can’t do. And we’ve got to figure out a better way to plan, to give them a better chance,” Ferentz said. “I don’t think there’s any one specific reason right now. We’re just not executing well enough to get the job done.”
He’s not wrong. But how can he put together a better plan?
“I can’t answer that right now,” Ferentz said. “We just finished the game a half hour ago, so we’ll see what we can do to put a better plan together for the next week.”
Well, why don’t we try to answer that?
Running back Tyler Goodson is in the top 10 in rushing in the B1G and was an All-B1G player in 2020. He’s a valuable weapon who can make a difference. He’s averaging 83.71 yards per game on the ground, which is huge when the passing game is struggling.
But the numbers go deeper than just yards per game. During Iowa’s 6-0 start, Goodson averaged 20.7 carries per game. Over the last 2 games — both losses — Goodson had 12 carries and 13 carries, respectively.
So, there’s at least the start of the game plan: Feed Tyler Goodson.
That’s especially important since no Hawkeyes receiver is in the top 15 in the B1G in receiving yards. The closest they have is tight end Sam LaPorta, who entered Week 9 averaging 47.4 yards per game.
That could go back to quarterback Spencer Petras, who averages 190.4 yards per game in the air — a mark that ranks 7th in the B1G for players with more than 100 passing attempts. So maybe a quarterback switch should be in the cards for Ferentz. After all, backup Alex Padilla played a few snaps, completing 3 of 6 passes for 36 yards.
But, in true Ferentz fashion, he kept his answer simple when asked about a quarterback controversy: “No, no, no.” So there’s that.
It’ll be interesting to see just how the Hawkeyes respond over the next few games. There’s an interesting opportunity ahead at Northwestern next week. The Wildcats have the worst defense in the B1G, allowing 420.9 yards per game — including 229.9 yards per game on the ground.
Goodson could make some noise during that matchup and help get Iowa back in the win column. But Iowa has to give him the ball. We’ll see how the game plan changes as the week goes on.
It has to change, right?
Nick Schultz is a columnist and breaking news writer for Saturday Tradition. A 2020 graduate of Loyola Chicago, he covered the Ramblers' 2018 Final Four run from beginning to end and has worked at NBC Sports Chicago. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickSchultz_7.