Primetime College Football: Hawkeyes vs Wildcats
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features the University of Iowa Hawkeyes take on the University of Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.
The Hawkeyes come in undefeated having beat Eastern Illinois, 37-7, and Iowa State, 35-7, but not really tested. Iowa is led by Kirk Ferentz, who owns an 83-55 mark in his 12 years at the top. Iowa isn’t the flashiest offensive team but has been a surprise on offense. The Hawkeyes have averaged 457 yards in two both games this year all maned by senior quarterback Ricky Stanzi, 29-64 for 433 yards 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. However Stanzi is not alone in the offense attack as sophomore running back Adam Robinson, 265 yards and 4 touchdowns, looks to be one of the top backs in the Big Ten.
Coach Ferentz has 8 defensive starters returning including ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member and Orange Bowl MVP Adrian Clayborn and have held their first two opponents to 216 ypg and 14 total points. The Hawkeyes also have more talent on defense than just Clayborn like teammate senior defensive tackle in Karl Klug,10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and senior linebacker Jeremiha Hunter,14 tackles.
Arizona head coach Mike Stoops,who was an All-American safety at Iowa in 1984, brings his Wildcats into this game 2-0 and has amassed a record of 35-39 in his six-plus years at the school. The Wildcats have averaged 503.5 total yards and are 10th in the nation in passing, 344 ypg with junior quarterback Nick Foles completing 83.1 percent of his attempts.
Foles, who permanently took over the starting job from Matt Scott midway through last season’s 27-17 loss in Iowa City, will look for help from senior running back Nic Grigsby, 160 yards 5 touchdown. Foles favorite target is junior wide receiver Juron Criner, 12 catches 236 yards one touchdown.
Arizona has been downright stingy on defense as well, as it has yet to allow a touchdown this season and is 15-1 since 2008 when holding opponents under 120 rushing yards, and 3-9 otherwise. The Wildcats defense already has 4 players with double digit tackles, led by junior linebacker Paul Vassallo, 14 tackles, and senior safety Joseph Perkins,13. The team is averaging 6 tackles for a loss and already created 5 turnovers.
The all-time series between these two teams in tied at 6-6. The Hawkeyes have won four of the last five meetings with the most recent victory going to the Wildcats who won in Tucson back in 1998.
PICK: University of Iowa Hawkeyes



