Welcome to Iowa Week, arguably my favorite week of the year. The Wisconsin Badgers enter at 4-1 (2-0 Big Ten) and in the driver’s seat in the Big Ten West.
Iowa enters at 5-1 (2-1 Big Ten) with a cupcake schedule left for the rest of the year. It should go without saying that Saturday’s game will decide the 2023 Big Ten West.
Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 6: Wisconsin continues to rise
If you’ve followed Iowa at all this season, you’re likely aware of the Drive to 325 — where offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz must average 25 points per game in order to keep his job. Yes, Brian Ferentz who happens to be the head coach’s son.
The progress on that quest is not great, to say the least. The Hawkeyes average 21.8 points per game through six weeks, including a few average offensive games (by their standards) against some of the worst competition in the country.
Here’s a stat that can define the Hawkeyes’ season: Iowa is undefeated this season when it scores a point — the one loss being a 31-0 beatdown at Penn State. It has found a way to still win football games despite its offense maybe being just as bad as last year’s unit.
On Saturday, that win was a 20-14 triumph over Purdue. And I have a terrific anecdote from the contest:
Hawkeyes quarterback Deacon Hill finished the contest 6/21 passing for 110 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a QBR of 2.0 (meaning only 2% of the time will that performance lead to a win). Of his six completions, five went to tight end Erick All and one went to running back Kaleb Johnson.
That means Iowa, a team that includes wide receivers on the field when running offense, has now completed only 20 passes to wideouts this season. That averages out to 3.33 per game.
For context, Army runs a triple-option. Yet Army has completed 34 passes to wide receivers.
But…
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