The Alamo Bowl may not be Texas' preferred end-of-season destination, but that's water under the bridge. Fact is, we're in a bowl game, and frankly, we probably ought not take it for granted - neither the opponent nor the game itself. Remember: this is your last chance to see Texas football for the next nine months. Let that sink in...
Onward to our first look at the Iowa Hawkeyes. Statistical overview to start with, followed by commentary:
Margin of victory: +3.3 points
Iowa's opponents have a combined record of 62-54 record against Division 1 teams for the season. As another rough guide, Jeff Sagarin rates their schedule as the 22nd toughest in Division 1 football.
How is Iowa performing statistically? Below are tables of the Hawkeyes' season totals, with national rank in parentheses.
Iowa By The Numbers: Defense
The next, final, step, is to put those numbers into context. The following chart shows the national rank in total offense and total defense for each of Iowa's 2006 opponents. Montana, a Div 1AA team, is excluded.
| Rush YPG | Rush YPC | Rush TD | Pass YPG | Pass YPA | Pass TD | QB Rating | Total Offense | Scoring Offense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 148 (47) | 4.46 (33) | 15 (65) | 237 (27) | 7.1 (58) | 19 (39) | 125.6 (57) | 385.0 (29) | 23.8 (58) |
| Rush YPG | Rush YPC | Rush TD | Pass YPG | Pass YPA | Pass TD | QB Rating | Total Defense | Scoring Defense |
| 138.9 (63) | 3.63 (42) | 13 (49) | 202 (63) | 6.3 (32) | 18 (77) | 117.5 (39 | 340.9 (67) | 20.3 (45) |
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@Syracuse |
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Iowa State |
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@Illinois |
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Ohio State |
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Purdue |
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@Indiana |
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@Michigan |
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Northern Illinois |
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Northwestern |
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Wisconsin |
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@Minnesota |
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Averages |
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Charts? Charts.
Some notes on Iowa:
*My Lord they've played some bad defenses! Syracuse, Iowa State, Purdue, Indiana, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota all have to be filed in the "atrocious" category for defense. Yet, Iowa ranks only 59th nationall in scoring offense? What gives? A couple things: for one, the Hawkeyes have been slaughtered in the turnover department this season, ranking 110th nationally in turnover margin (-10). 11 fumbles and 18 interceptions have hampered what was otherwise a pretty solid offense.
*Iowa's a pretty good example of how easily a good football team can have a pretty bad year. Some bad luck on turnovers and a late-season injury to Drew Tate and suddenly preseason Top 10 Iowa is 6-6. As Texas goes for its umpteenth straight ten win season, this should serve as a nice reminder of how spoiled we've become.
*The three game skid to end the season was pretty nasty, but a lot of that had to do with injuries, which the long break will help Iowa recover from. Texas fans shouldn't be expecting to pound a weak and untalented Iowa team. This is a competitive matchup.
*We'll have much more Iowa coverage as we get closer to game day, but here's your first taste of what to expect.
--PB--