Sept. 10, 2007
IOWA-SYRACUSE GAME DATA
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IOWA CITY — An interesting college football game will be played in central Iowa on Saturday.
The visitors – we’ll call them the Hawkeyes – have decisively beaten their first two opponents. Their defense has been stifling and has yet to allow a touchdown, yielding only a field goal in two games. Their offense has not been overwhelming, but has scored 51 points while showing a strong running game in the first win and a crisp passing game in the second.
The home team – we’ll call them the Cyclones – has not fared so well. The Cyclones are winless after losing two games at home in which they were favored. One was to an opponent – known as the Panthers – that offers 22 fewer scholarships than do the Cyclones. Is financial aid to athletes overrated?
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The Hawkeyes have been sharp and focused in each of their victories. They were well prepared and ready to play both games. They did not make costly mistakes. They need to improve in some areas – most notably on special teams – but this is a young team that has been fun to watch and seems to be getting better. Let’s hope we can say that next week.
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That’s the match-up for the game at Ames – the visiting team coming in with confidence and seemingly getting better. The home team still looking for its first victory, surrounded by questions and, perhaps, some self-doubt.
We’ll hear all week how the Hawkeyes should be favored to win this game. Some pundits will predict off-the-wall scores that will make it look easy. But don’t buy into that way of thinking. This intrastate rivalry will be a tough test for the visiting team from Iowa City.
There’s no doubt the Hawkeyes looked good in beating Syracuse 35-0 in a night game at Kinnick Stadium. All kinds of good statistics came out of that victory.
Iowa’s defense held the Orangemen to no first downs and one yard in the first half. It sacked the quarterback six times and had 13 tackles for minus yardage. The offense converted 14 of 20 third and fourth downs and unveiled a passing game that was absent a week earlier.
With the score at 35-0 in the third quarter, Iowa had more points than Syracuse had yards. Reserves played most of the fourth quarter for both units.
The Hawkeyes were doing this to Syracuse at the same time Iowa State was losing to Northern Iowa. That makes it easy to draw dangerous comparisons and conclusions.
Iowa cannot assume the Cyclones will turn the ball over four times, as they did against UNI. Nor can the Hawkeyes assume they will block two kicks (both by Ken Iwebema), as they did against Syracuse.
I don’t know why Iowa State lost its first two games. But I do know the Cyclones have some outstanding players at the skill positions, most notably quarterback Bret Meyer and wide receiver Todd Blythe. I do know that both seniors have put up record numbers over the past three seasons.
And most of all, I know that two years ago the Hawkeyes beat Ball State 56-0, then went to Ames, made all kinds of mistakes and blunders, and suffered an embarrassing 23-3 defeat. An intense intrastate rivalry can jump up and bite you on the bottom, as it did the Hawkeyes that day.
And remember that Iowa has beaten two teams that are a combined 0-4 two weeks into the season. Northern Illinois lost 34-31 to Southern Illinois last week when the Salukis scored two touchdowns in the final minute. That development did not help Iowa’s strength of schedule.
The Hawkeyes have been sharp and focused in each of their victories. They were well prepared and ready to play both games. They did not make costly mistakes. They need to improve in some areas – most notably on special teams – but this is a young team that has been fun to watch and seems to be getting better. Let’s hope we can say that next week.
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