Published Nov 29, 2023
3 Hawkeyes to Watch vs Michigan
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Nelson Hubbell  •  Maize&BlueReview
Staff Writer
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@Nellybbll

Scoring points has been hard to do for the Iowa Hawkeyes, but they will have to put up at least few against the third ranked scoring defense in the nation.

The Michigan Wolverines are taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship game, the final edition of the East versus West battle.

That means it is time to take a look at three Hawkeyes to watch against Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. on FOX.

QB Deacon Hill

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Deacon Hill has statistically been one of the worst quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and there is an argument to be made that he is in fact the worst. Hill was put in a tough position to take over for now-injured Cade McNamara, as the Hawkeyes have won in spite of his offensive struggles.

Hill has completed 48.3% of his passes for 976 yards, with five touchdowns and six interceptions to accompany. That said, aside from the final game of the season versus Nebraska where he had a 39.3% completion rate, Hill has completed an average of 65.3% of his passes for 152 yards per game.

It is a tall task, but Hill will have to perform like the best version of himself, as Michigan will likely beg Iowa to throw the ball down field by loading the box with defenders.

RB Leshon Williams

Leshon Williams and the Iowa running game has somewhat carried their offense, putting up 779 yards on 155 carries. When healthy, Williams has averaged over 85 yards rushing per game, topping 100 yards three times while averaging five yards per carry on the year.

Williams, Iowa's leading rusher, ran for 111 yards on 16 carries against a very good run-defending Cornhuskers defense. He leads his team in carries and yards rushing, but has somehow only scored one time this season on the ground and once through the air.

The junior from Chicago, Illinois is a patient and balanced runner and will be relied on to carry the bulk of the load for the Hawkeyes against the top rushing defense in the conference.

LB Jay Higgins

Jay Higgins is a senior linebacker from Indianapolis, Indiana and is second in the nation with 141 total tackles this season. That's good for first in the Big Ten, beating the next closest player by 28 tackles, averaging of 11.8 per game this season.

Higgins is a 6'2" 233 pound run thumper that will be tasked with stopping Michigan's rushing attack, a tall task for an extremely balanced Wolverines offense.

If Higgins and Iowa can make Michigan a one-dimensional team by eliminating the run, they will stand a much better chance of keeping the game close.

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