A closer look at Iowa football’s matchup against No. 11 Indiana

IOWA CITY — It’s the kind of matchup college football fans love — the Goliath team that’s captivated the country for a second season and the program confident to take on the challenge.

Is it a simple matchup? No Big Ten game ever is. The Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) have more advantages beyond what’s on paper, including a sold-out Kinnick Stadium behind them.

It’s Indiana’s first road trip of the season, and for most of the Hoosiers, their first time experiencing Iowa fans in full force. Indiana has a lot of strengths and very few flaws on tape, but Iowa can find ways to bring out a few issues the Hoosiers maybe haven’t dealt with it.

“They're playing really good on defense,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday. “They're very aggressive, and they're good at playing with a lead, which they've pretty much been doing all season long.”

It’s still a tough task, just like any Big Ten game is. Here are three ways the Hawkeyes can turn the tide against the Hoosiers Saturday afternoon.

3 Keys to Victory

Don’t blink

The Hoosiers are exceptional at scoring quickly, just ask Illinois. Iowa has to find ways to contain Indiana’s momentum throughout the game. Ferentz pointed out Indiana is capable of turning the tide in all three phases, and multiple players can contribute at any point.

More importantly, Indiana has only trailed for just under one quarter of football this entire season — the first quarter in its season-opener against Old Dominion. Stay ahead of the Hoosiers is key, but not letting them surpass the Hawkeyes is critical.

Take advantage of the Kinnick experience

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said it himself, he’s never been inside Kinnick Stadium. He did say there’s a plan in place to prepare for the crowd noise, but there’s not much that compares to the in-game decibel numbers of 70,000 fans.

That’s where the Hawkeyes could have an extra edge.

“It's going to be exciting. I'm excited for a great opportunity,” Koen Entringer said. “It's going to be fun at Kinnick Stadium. It's always rocking there. You know, the fans got our back. We just got to show out.”

This game has been sold out for months — the Hawkeyes announced it in July. Yes, Iowa sold out its first two games as well, but the built-in anticipation of a conference home opener amps up the excitement, too.

Iowa’s used Kinnick Stadium’s crowd noise to its advantage before. Who’s to say it can’t happen again?

Force another turnover

One interception is nice, but the Hawkeyes will probably need another one. Indiana hasn’t had an interception all season long, with quarterback Fernando Mendoza scoring 14 touchdowns through four games.

Just ask Illinois, he had five touchdowns in that win. It earned him the co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor.

“The quarterback might be the best quarterback in the country,” Ferentz said Tuesday.

The Hawkeyes proved a pick can come from anyone. Linebacker Jaxon Rexroth snagged the season’s first, despite not recording any other defensive statistic against Rutgers. It helps that Iowa finally got that first turnover out of the way, but the defense knows there’s a streak of turnovers to keep up with, not just one every few games.

“The secondary technically haven't got one yet,” defensive back Jaylen Watson said. “So, we’re still trying to do one. But that's what come with us, just doing our job. Not really being too greedy, and they'll start coming our way.”

Prediction

This matchup will be Iowa’s biggest test of the season thus far, and potentially the biggest it’ll have all year. It’s the kind of game that can define the team’s place in program history. Keeping up with Indiana’s pace is the hardest part.

If the Hawkeyes can do that, this prediction will be completely wrong. Indiana wins, 28-24.

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