Previewing Iowa With A Hawkeye Insider
Tom Kakert of Hawkeye Report was kind enough to swing by TheWolverine this week and break down Iowa's football team prior to its massive showdown at Michigan this weekend.
Kakert analyzed the club's strengths and weaknesses, while also revealing how he thinks the contest will play out on Saturday.
Projected Iowa Football Starters On Offense
• Senior QB Nate Stanley — After throwing for 2,852 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, Stanley is once again off to a hot start in 2019, compiling 965 yards and eight scoring tosses with no interceptions. He is also completing 64.4 percent of his passes, and is just one of two starting quarterbacks in the Big Ten yet to throw an interception this season (Ohio State sophomore Justin Fields being the other).
• Fifth-year senior FB Brady Ross — He is used more as a blocker than a ball carrier, with just four attempts for three yards and a touchdown on the season. Ross is still a significant part of the offense despite his limited carries, playing at least 24 snaps in three of the Hawkeyes' first four games.
• Redshirt junior RB Mekhi Sargent — He is the top statistical back for an offense that has divided up its carries significantly (three different rushers with at least 33 attempts), leading the team in totes (54), rushing yards (299) and ground touchdowns (two). Sargent has rushed for at least 58 yards in all four of Iowa's contests, and has averaged at least 4.5 yards per carry in each of those outings.
• Junior WR Brandon Smith — He is tied with junior wideout Ihmir Smith-Marsette for the team lead in catches (15) and receiving touchdowns (three), but ranks second in receiving yards (170). Smith's two best outings of the year have come in each of the past two weeks, when he hauled in 51 yards at Iowa State Sept. 14 and 71 last Saturday in a 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee State.
• Junior WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette — His 16.9 yards per catch are the second highest on the team, trailing only redshirt freshman wideout Tyrone Tracy's 20.5. Smith-Marsette has been Stanley's most consistent target this season, reeling in at least four receptions in three of Iowa's four games.
• Fifth-year senior TE Nate Wieting — He has served as the squad's primary tight end following the early departures of Noah Fant and T.J. Hockensen, who were both top-20 picks, but has only caught two passes for 10 yards. Redshirt junior Shaun Beyer has seen less time than Wieting this year (123 snaps to Wieting's 238), but has been a bit more of a receiving option with four grabs for 57 yards.
• Redshirt junior LT Alaric Jackson — He has only played in one game so far — the season-opening win over Miami (Ohio) — due to injury, with junior Tristan Wirfs having manned the left tackle spot in his absence. Though it's not official yet, Kakert revealed that Jackson is "expected back this week."
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