2-Minute Drill: North Texas Mean Green

IOWA RUSH OFFENSE VS. NORTH TEXAS RUSH DEFENSE

The Mean Green hasn't stopped the run this season. OK, it kind of stopped it last week against Rice, but the Owls just needed a cursory rushing game while they dissected UNT with 373 yards through the air.

The Green has allowed 231.0 rushing yards in its first two games leaving it No. 115 in the nation. Seeing 52.0 rushes in its first two games, UNT is No. 126 in rush attempts against. Basically, SMU and Rice thought it was worth it to run the ball against UNT's 4-3 defense. UNT is 75th in the nation with 15 rush attempts of 10-plus yards against it.

The defensive line is right-sized for Conference USA, but at 264, 308, 252 and 264, it might have a hard time against the Hawkeyes. Free safety Kishawn McClain (12.5 tackles per game) and middle linebacker Blake Bean (11.0) are the top tacklers in CUSA.

After going for more than 200 yards in its first two games, Iowa knew the running game would be challenged last week against Pitt. Still, it was somewhat effective, with 29 carries for 105 yards. You kind of figured quarterback C.J. Beathard would run the ball, but like this? He's Iowa's No. 3 rusher and, through three weeks, leads Big Ten QBs in rushing with 142 yards. His 5.46 yards a rush is Iowa's best among runners with 20-plus carries. Don't expect this to keep up, but don't dismiss it. It's a positive element for Iowa.

Coming off an ankle injury at Iowa State, junior LeShun Daniels was limited to 15 yards on nine carries vs. Pitt. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said this week whoever is healthy will be the main runner, so you're probably looking at 15-plus carries for senior Jordan Canzeri. Maybe this is the week you get a glimpse at sophomore Derrick Mitchell, who, still, has no career carries.

Advantage: Iowa

IOWA PASS OFFENSE VS. NORTH TEXAS PASS DEFENSE

Rice took what it wanted from UNT's pass defense in a 38-24 victory at Denton, Texas, last weekend (it was 38-10 going into the fourth quarter, by the way). The Green allowed 373 passing yards, three TD passes and seven pass plays of 20-plus yards. Opposing QBs have posted a collective 171.74 efficiency against UNT (No. 121 nationally), a 73.0 completion percentage (No. 124) and an 8.6 yards per attempt (No. 111).

The one thing UNT is doing against the pass is pressuring the passer. The Green leads CUSA and is 15th nationally with 3.0 sacks a game. Defensive end Jarrian Roberts (6-2, 252) has 2.5 sacks and had a career-high 4.0 tackles for loss vs. Rice. UNT has a speed factor off the edge. After Beathard took a big number of hits vs. Pitt last week, the Hawkeyes should be hyper aware of protection.

Kind of lost in the hullabaloo last week was a career performance by Beathard. His completions (27), attempts (40) and yards (258) were career highs. He also joined Nathan Chandler (2003) as the only Iowa QBs under Ferentz to win their first four career starts. The last Iowa QB to win his first five career starts was Matt Sherman, who won seven consecutive from 1994-95.

Maybe this is something, maybe this is nothing. Through three games, Iowa has three wide receivers doing pretty much all of the work. Junior Matt VandeBerg leads the Big Ten with 22 receptions (he entered the season with 22 career receptions). VandeBerg has more catches through three games than any other receiver in the Ferentz era (Kevin Kasper had 21 in 2000 and Kevonte Martin-Manley had 19 in 2013 and 2014). Beyond VandeBerg, only three other WRs have receptions and junior Riley McCarron has one.

This might become a problem. As you've noticed, Iowa has slowed down its offense this season. With basically three wide receivers in the rotation, a warp-speed or even quickened pace might be off the table.

Advantage: Iowa

NORTH TEXAS RUSH OFFENSE VS. IOWA RUSH DEFENSE

Senior running back Antoinne Jimmerson (5-9, 220) is one of UNT's all-timers. He's 14th on the school's career rushing list with 1,713 yards. He's seventh in career rushing TDs with 23. Against Rice last week, Jimmerson had two rushes of 20-plus yards and finished with 94 yards on just 13 carries.

The Mean Green's offensive line is in a bit of a rebuild mode. The group started 2015 with just 33 career starts among the starting five. Jordan Murray is the starting left tackle. He's a true freshman, yes, but you need to call Uber for a ride around him. He stands 6-9 and weighs 360. The right tackle is redshirt freshman Chris Miles (6-4, 299).

This is another week of wait-and-see for Iowa senior defensive end Drew Ott. He suffered a dislocated left elbow two weeks ago at Iowa State. Last week vs. Pitt, he played in less than double digit snaps and only in pass-rush situations. His left arm was heavily bandaged and he wore a brace. 'If he can play effectively, we're going to let him play,' Ferentz said. 'That's what he wants to do. Certainly that's what he wanted to do Saturday. But he really couldn't use that elbow effectively, so it didn't look like Drew out there.'

Now, some of these early season numbers will jump off the page, but keep in mind, there's a long road ahead. With that caveat, Iowa's rush defense has allowed just 4 yards in the fourth quarter this season. Iowa is the only school in the Big Ten and just one of four nationally that has yet to allow a rushing TD.

The Iowa player who hasn't been written about enough is junior defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson. There's no stat for changing the line of scrimmage, but Johnson has been doing exactly that.

Advantage: Iowa

NORTH TEXAS PASS OFFENSE VS. IOWA PASS DEFENSE

Former Iowa City High prep Andrew McNulty (6-1, 211) looks like a fun player for UNT. Last week against Rice, he threw for a career-high 303 yards, his first 300-yard passing game. And, truthfully, McNulty did this while running for his life most of the game, taking two sacks and numerous hurries and hits.

After a rough ride in the Green's opener against SMU, McNulty settled in and landed some punches vs. Rice, including a 93-yard TD pass to wide receiver Carlos Harris (5-8, 185), the third-longest pass play in UNT history. Still, McNulty lost a fumble and threw an interception. Rice turned three turnovers into 17 points. This season, the Green has allowed 24 points off turnovers and has a turnover margin of minus-4. If this program is going to swim toward shore this year, that absolutely has to stop.

If Iowa isn't careful with Harris, he can burn it. Harris was the fifth-most targeted receiver in the nation last season. He has 149 career receptions and 1,912 yards.

Iowa has played nearly two games without Ott, its top pass rusher, and it's a factor. At Iowa State, defensive coordinator Phil Parker manufactured a pass rush with defensive line twists and blitzing linebackers. Last week vs. Pitt, the approach was more cautious, which was completely understandable with an NFL-caliber wide receiver like Tyler Boyd (10 catches for 131 yards and a TD) running loose. Today, the front four will likely be relied upon, but Ott's health is the key to Iowa's pass rush (disruption more than sacks) and that's a key to Iowa's long-term prospects.

It'll be interesting to see what Iowa's secondary learned about itself while facing down Boyd. Probably don't expect cornerback Desmond King to keep up the interception-per-game pace.

Advantage: Iowa

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Trevor Moore was a freshman all-America last season, hitting on 15 of 17 field goals. He's off to a slower start this season, hitting on three of five kicks, with all three successful FGs coming inside of 30 yards. Punter Eric Keena has been OK, averaging 43.6 yards a kick with two downed inside the 20 and four of his five punts returned.

Junior Darvin Kidsy (6-0, 183) is UNT's punt and kick return specialist. Last season, he was one of six players in FBS to have a punt and kick return for a TD. This season, he averages 26.3 yards a kick return and 5.3 on punts.

Iowa's special teams had a little bit of everything in last week's win over Pitt.

— If you still somehow were on the fence with kicker Marshall Koehn is a legit weapon, sorry, the bandwagon is full. The 57-yard game-winner was the second 50-plus field goal in his career and his 15th made field goal in last 16 attempts.

Oh, he also has nearly converted two fake field goal runs this season and threw in a rugby-style 64-yard punt against Pitt.

Koehn is a Swiss Army knife. There's a lot going on there.

— Punter Dillon Kidd is one punt from his 49.8 yards a punt qualifying for No. 3 in the nation.

— For the second consecutive week, King came up with a super-clutch return. Against Iowa State, the junior corner had a 34-yard return to midfield that set up Iowa's game-winning drive. After initially bumbling a squib kick, King ran 27 yards to Iowa's 30 with 52 seconds left, which gave Iowa the green light to drive for Koehn's 57-yard game-winner.

Advantage: Iowa

INTANGIBLES

1. Somnambulism

— That's a big, fancy word for sleepwalking. You've all seen the Admiral Ackbar meme (you know, the fishheaded dude from 'Star Wars'), 'It's a trap!' You'd have to put on some pretty scratched up glasses to see that for the Hawkeyes this week. A couple of elements do lend this some credence: 1) North Texas coach Dan McCarney is the same coach who led Iowa State to a 27-9 victory over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in 1998. ISU was a 30-point underdog and it snapped a 15-game losing streak. 2) The Hawkeyes are coming off two incredibly emotional victories.

2. 32-31

— That's the score of the 2012 Central Michigan-Iowa game at Kinnick Stadium. This team is a million miles from that team. Just look at this as an interesting and random artifact.

Final score

 

For a more detailed breakdown of this game, click here.

3. Boot on the neck

— Yes, we've seen some signs of change from Kirk Ferentz this season. Fake field goals, rugby punts, going for the game-winner rather than taking a knee and going into OT. One thing that likely has aggravated you to no end is the fact that Ferentz teams are 28-11 against double-digit underdogs since 2006. In comparison, Wisconsin is 57-1. Iowa should put away North Texas Saturday. It's a 26.5-point favorite. So, Iowa likely wins, but will it cover? Not that it matters, but Ferentz and McCarney are friends from way back, during their days as Hayden Fry assistants at Iowa in the 1980s. You probably don't see a helmet crushing.

IOWA WILL WIN IF ...

The Hawkeyes need to buy into the Ferentz process and the job and all of those things that blot out what likely will be an emotional reversal. The wave of emotion the last two weeks has been a wild ride, but that singular focus on task has carried this program more than you might think. It's also something that's easier to conjure in the grueling late fall days.

NORTH TEXAS WILL WIN IF ...

The Mean Green will need to hit on a half dozen 20-plus plays and cause a basket full of turnovers.

PREDICTION:

Iowa 41, North Texas 17

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com