Just glancing at Iowa's offensive stats - 2 TEs lead them in receiving

[Tbonewannabe]

It looks like they have 2 TEs that are their primary receivers and they have 3 RBs getting the bulk of the carries. It looks like their QB is a pocket passer so he doesn't have any rushing stats.

Stanley (QB) 2638 yards, 58.6% completion, 23 TDs 9 Ints, 22 rushing yards total on the year with 1 TD.

Compared to Fitz who didn't play in the first game so it skews his numbers down a little.

Fitz 1615 yards, 52.6% completion, 15 TDs, 7 Ints, 1018 rushing yards, 12 TDs.

Basically it looks like the QBs are pretty equal but just get the yardage in different ways. Fitz has more TDs but it is due to his rushing TDs.

Iowa passing yardage total = 2732 yards
MSU passing yardage total = 2107 yards

Iowa passing TDs total - 24

MSU passing TDs total - 21

Iowa rushing TDs total - 19

MSU rushing TDs total - 25

Iowa RBs
Sargent - 748 yards, 9 TDs
Young - 630 yards, 5 TDs
Martin - 341 yards, 2 TDs

MSU RBs
Hill - 691 yards, 4 TDs
Williams - 502 yards, 3 TDs

Biggest difference here is Fitz is our primary runner. Iowa ran for 1944 yards total and MSU ran for 2717 yards total.

Iowa receiving
Hockenson (TE) 717 yards, 6 TDs
Fant (TE - sitting out of the bowl) 519 yards, 7 TDs
Easley (WR) 390 yards, 3 TDs
Marsette (WR) 332 yards, 2 TDs
Smith (WR) 328 yards, 2 TDs
Sargent (RB) 152 yards, 1 TD

MSU receiving
Guidry (WR) 389 yards, 3 TDs
Mitchell (WR) 385 yards, 4 TDs
Thomas (WR) 240 yards, 2 TDs
Johnson (WR) 233 yards, 1 TD
Hill (RB) 164 yards, 3 TDs - Bama makes 4
Mixon (WR) 137 yards, 2 TDs
Austin Williams (WR) 137 yards, 3 TDs

Looking at the receivers, it looks like Iowa leans heavily on their 2 TEs one of which isn't playing in the bowl game. They have 3 primary receivers with the starting RB also getting thrown to.

MSU is a lot more diversified but have thrown to the TE very little with the leading TE is Farrod Green with 74 yards and zero TDs.

[Hawkeyegoofball]

It looks like they have 2 TEs that are their primary receivers and they have 3 RBs getting the bulk of the carries. It looks like their QB is a pocket passer so he doesn't have any rushing stats.

Stanley (QB) 2638 yards, 58.6% completion, 23 TDs 9 Ints, 22 rushing yards total on the year with 1 TD.

Compared to Fitz who didn't play in the first game so it skews his numbers down a little.

Fitz 1615 yards, 52.6% completion, 15 TDs, 7 Ints, 1018 rushing yards, 12 TDs.

Basically it looks like the QBs are pretty equal but just get the yardage in different ways. Fitz has more TDs but it is due to his rushing TDs.

Iowa passing yardage total = 2732 yards
MSU passing yardage total = 2107 yards

Iowa passing TDs total - 24

MSU passing TDs total - 21

Iowa rushing TDs total - 19

MSU rushing TDs total - 25

Iowa RBs
Sargent - 748 yards, 9 TDs
Young - 630 yards, 5 TDs
Martin - 341 yards, 2 TDs

MSU RBs
Hill - 691 yards, 4 TDs
Williams - 502 yards, 3 TDs

Biggest difference here is Fitz is our primary runner. Iowa ran for 1944 yards total and MSU ran for 2717 yards total.

Iowa receiving
Hockenson (TE) 717 yards, 6 TDs
Fant (TE - sitting out of the bowl) 519 yards, 7 TDs
Easley (WR) 390 yards, 3 TDs
Marsette (WR) 332 yards, 2 TDs
Smith (WR) 328 yards, 2 TDs
Sargent (RB) 152 yards, 1 TD

MSU receiving
Guidry (WR) 389 yards, 3 TDs
Mitchell (WR) 385 yards, 4 TDs
Thomas (WR) 240 yards, 2 TDs
Johnson (WR) 233 yards, 1 TD
Hill (RB) 164 yards, 3 TDs - Bama makes 4
Mixon (WR) 137 yards, 2 TDs
Austin Williams (WR) 137 yards, 3 TDs

Looking at the receivers, it looks like Iowa leans heavily on their 2 TEs one of which isn't playing in the bowl game. They have 3 primary receivers with the starting RB also getting thrown to.

MSU is a lot more diversified but have thrown to the TE very little with the leading TE is Farrod Green with 74 yards and zero TDs.

With Fant out of the picture, that puts more pressure on Hockenson. Hock is the stronger blocker (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAWGR4PdTSg[/url]) and would be set in line on the 22 formation - Fant would be flexed and take the safety with him, allowing Hock to find a hole in the middle of the field, plant and catch. That is not going to be there on Jan 1.

If you have two really good TEs, you design around and feature them, which Iowa did this year. If you look at the film, a lot of the 'bigger' catches that were made were due to Fant drawing so much attention an leaving other skilled players with manageable 1-1s. Now, with Fant out of the picture, things change.

Still, Hockenson has talent to make plays at key times (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF_tpb_ejEs).

For the Outback, I would look for more Nick Easley (slot receiver) on play action as well as a greater emphasis on the ground game.

As a primer, Iowa will lull an active and aggressive defense to sleep, seeing the same thing over and over - then catch them with play action. The challenge with playing Iowa in a bowl game is that they rope-a-dope you. I don't think anyone in their right mind would argue that Iowa is more talented than Mississippi State across the roster, but the danger is that they are patient and pick their spots - typically off play action...so it requires straight discipline far more than athleticism. Great athletes can tend to try to make up for technical lapses...and can get burned in the process for scores.

Make no mistake - Iowa is going to want to shorten this game and is more than happy to see a low double digit final score finalized in the last minute of the game. They lost 4 games by 21 points this year, and the Wisconsin game final score (28-17) is misleading because Iowa was playing hell bent, aggressive defense to get the ball back and gave up a final TD with under a minute to play to expand the final margin to 11 (from 4). Otherwise, you're looking at 4 games by 14 points.

That's Iowa.

[Tbonewannabe]

With Fant out of the picture, that puts more pressure on Hockenson. Hock is the stronger blocker (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAWGR4PdTSg[/url]) and would be set in line on the 22 formation - Fant would be flexed and take the safety with him, allowing Hock to find a hole in the middle of the field, plant and catch. That is not going to be there on Jan 1.

If you have two really good TEs, you design around and feature them, which Iowa did this year. If you look at the film, a lot of the 'bigger' catches that were made were due to Fant drawing so much attention an leaving other skilled players with manageable 1-1s. Now, with Fant out of the picture, things change.

Still, Hockenson has talent to make plays at key times (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF_tpb_ejEs).

For the Outback, I would look for more Nick Easley (slot receiver) on play action as well as a greater emphasis on the ground game.

As a primer, Iowa will lull an active and aggressive defense to sleep, seeing the same thing over and over - then catch them with play action. The challenge with playing Iowa in a bowl game is that they rope-a-dope you. I don't think anyone in their right mind would argue that Iowa is more talented than Mississippi State across the roster, but the danger is that they are patient and pick their spots - typically off play action...so it requires straight discipline far more than athleticism. Great athletes can tend to try to make up for technical lapses...and can get burned in the process for scores.

Make no mistake - Iowa is going to want to shorten this game and is more than happy to see a low double digit final score finalized in the last minute of the game. They lost 4 games by 21 points this year, and the Wisconsin game final score (28-17) is misleading because Iowa was playing hell bent, aggressive defense to get the ball back and gave up a final TD with under a minute to play to expand the final margin to 11 (from 4). Otherwise, you're looking at 4 games by 14 points.

That's Iowa.

I think it will be a great game for someone that appreciates football. For anyone that wants to see a 74-72 type game, those people will probably quit watching in the 1st quarter.