Gophers look to end streak, bring home Floyd of Rosedale at Iowa

Read Time:5 Minute, 12 Second

When the University of Minnesota steps onto the turf inside Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City Saturday, Head Coach P.J. Fleck and the Gophers should have two things on their mind.

First, extend the team’s winning streak to two games. The second will be to bring home the Floyd of Rosedale for the first time since 2014.

The Gophers are riding high following a 24-17 win over Illinois last Saturday on Homecoming. Minnesota was up 24-10 after senior linebacker Jonathan Celestin rumbled 31 yards for his first-career pick-6 in the second half before the Illini were able to score with 23 seconds left to cut the lead. It appears the offense has started to find a bit of a rhythm since sophomore quarterback Demry Croft has taken over the reins, despite the passing game taking a bit of a step back Friday.

The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, are coming in with a bit of a limp after falling to Northwestern 17-10 in overtime last Saturday in Iowa. With Big Ten leading tackler Josey Jewell expected to be back after missing last week due to a nagging shoulder injury, the Hawkeyes defense could pose more problems than one for the Golden Gophers.

Tale of the tape

While the Gophers are riding a two-game winning streak, they boast a two-game losing streak in the series, in which they lead 62-46-2 in 110 meetings. After a 51-14 thumping of the Hawkeyes on Nov. 8, 2014, the Gophers have dropped two-straight meetings. Last season they fell 14-7 at home. To make matter more difficult for Head Coach P.J. Fleck, Kinnick Stadium has been far from friendly for the Gophers to play. Since 2000, Minnesota has won just five games in Iowa City. In fact, there last road win of the series (Nov. 20, 1999) also marked the last time that Minnesota was ranked in the Top 25 heading into the contest.

Just by browsing overall statistics, the offenses for both squads have fairly similar production. While Iowa holds an edge in total yards per game (350.3) and in passing yards per game (218.7), the Gophers hold a slight edge in total points per game (27.3) and rushing yards (188). One constant for the Iowa offense has been first-year starter Nate Stanley at quarterback. Despite only completing 57.7 percent of his passes, the 6-foot-5 sophomore has posted a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16:3. He has, however, been sacked 11 times this season.

Defensively, it hasn’t been a typical season-long performance from a University of Iowa squad. Despite holding opponents to an average of 18.4 points per game, opposing offenses certainly have had the ability to march the field. In nearly every major defensive category, the Gophers have a vice grip in the –head-to-head comparison. Per game, Minnesota has allowed an average of 133.9 rushing yards and 183.1 passing yards.

A ‘new’ captain of the boat

In his first game as the primary starter for Coach Fleck, Croft had a game to forget against Illinois, going 5-of-15 for a mere 47 yards and a pair of interceptions. He did manage to continue to build his chemistry with stellar sophomore Tyler Johnson with a first-quarter touchdown pass.

While he struggled, there is no doubt that the offense has taken a jump with the dual-threat quarterback at the helm. Arguably the biggest beneficiary of a defense having to stay “frosty” against a running quarterback is, well, the running game.

The Gophers ran for 334 yards in the win over the Illini, the highest total this season for Coach Fleck’s offense. Seeing more than a handful of snaps for only the second time this season, senior running back Kobe McCrary had the carries count, carrying the ball 24 times for 153 yards and a fourth-quarter score to break a 10-10 tie in the fourth quarter. Junior running back Rodney Smith was also having a strong performance, rushing for 103 yards before suffering being put through concussion protocol. He would not return. Fellow junior Shannon Brooks was already out of the contest due to injury. However, both Smith and Brooks are reported to be back for Saturday’s contest against Iowa.

If the Gophers are going to stress the Hawkeyes defense, they may have a better time of pushing the passing game. The Hawkeyes have struggled to defend the pass this season, allowing 235.4 yards per game. Much of the struggles is due to Iowa wanting to send minimal pressure, attempting to force opposing quarterbacks to attempt to read coverages. However, they do like to utilized a bevy of line games and stunts to get the offensive line reading and moving on the run.

Key Players for the Hawkeyes

RB Akrum Wadley

Despite having to share the backfield for much of his career, there is no denying that the catalyst for the Iowa offense is running back Akrum Wadley. A shifty runner with quick, nimble feet, Wadley has the ability to take a small gain and turn it into a home run.

Wadley has elite balance, being able to bounce off tackles and run inside. He’s a reliable threat in nearly every facet of the offense and should be expected to have a majority of the touches out of the backfield Saturday.

LB Josey Jewell

While this season’s linebacker class may not be a deep class in terms of pure athletes, there is a bunch of very good football players. His tests at the combine certainly may not wow scouts or analysts by any means, but Josey Jewell may have the best instincts in college football. He simply has a nose for the football.

He reads his keys well and displays great ability to “stack and shed” his opponents. Jewell also is an underrated blitzer, showing good timing before making his initial burst. If he can withstand the pain of his nagging shoulder, the Hawkeyes defense could receive a much-needed shot in the arm.

Iowa and Minnesota are set to kickoff Saturday in Iowa City at 5:30 P.M.