WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m.
TV: FOX – Brian Custer and Robert Smith on the call.
Last Meeting: Iowa defeated Nebraska in Lincoln, 27-24.
The Weather: Partly cloudy skies, temps in the mid-40’s and winds around 10 mph.
The Line: Iowa is a 13.5 point favorite.
History: Nebraska holds a 28-19-3 edge in the overall series, which began in 1891. The Hawkeyes have won five straight in the series and six of the last seven. Nebraska has a 10-8 edge in games in the series played in Iowa City. Kirk Ferentz is 6-5 against Nebraska in his tenure as head coach at Iowa.
THE BREAKDOWN
Iowa rush offense vs. Nebraska rush defense
The Hawkeyes run game continues to be very impressive in the 2020 season. Iowa rushed for 175 yards in the win over Penn State and they were led by Mekhi Sargent, who cracked the century mark for the first time since the Nebraska game two years ago. Overall, Iowa is averaging 181.6 yards per game and an impressive 5.0 yards per carry.
Iowa’s leading rusher so far this season is Tyler Goodson, who is averaging 90 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. Sargent is averaging 61.8 yards per game and 6.4 yards per carry. Ivory Kelly-Martin is also chipping in on the ground this year. Even with a shifting offensive line in recent weeks, the Hawkeyes haven’t missed a beat with the ground game.
The Cornhuskers have been very generous when it comes to trying to stop the run. They are allowing 223 yards per game on the ground and 4.7 yards per carry. Nebraska has already allowed 11 rushing touchdowns this season. Outside linebacker JoJo Dormann leads the way with 31 tackles. Former Iowa recruiting target Will Honas is second on the team with 30 tackles, also from the linebacker position. Safety Marquel Dismuke has 29 stops this season. Nebraska does play aggressively and they have 24 tackles for loss this season. The raw numbers really favor Iowa in this game. The Hawkeyes should be able to have another strong performance on the ground. ADVANTAGE: IOWA
Iowa pass offense vs. Nebraska pass defense
It’s been baby steps along the way for Spencer Petras. The Iowa signal caller has had his fair share of struggles so far this season. However, he did play relatively well in Happy Valley, completing 18-28 passes for 186 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass in the game. For the season, Petras has completed 55.6% of his passes and is averaging 189 yards per game in the air.
His favorite target thus far this season has been tight end Sam LaPorta, who has 17 receptions for 165 yards. Nico Ragaini has 15 receptions, also for 165 yards. Tyrone Tracy has 13 catches for 148 yards. Then come seniors Brandon Smith and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who have 12 and 11 receptions each. They also have all three of Iowa’s touchdown passes this season.
The Nebraska pass defense has done a relatively decent job this year, allowing 226 yards per game in the air. However, they are allowing a 65% completion percentage on the season and 8.1 yards per reception. The Cornhuskers have three interceptions on the season with safety Myles Farmer owning a pair of them. They have also broken up eight passes this season. Nebraska’s pass rush has generated seven sacks on the season, with Honas having three of them. It’s hard to give Iowa too much of an edge because the passing game has been very average, but perhaps a slight edge to Iowa this week. ADVANTAGE: SLIGHT TO IOWA
