In Reply to: We are #11 in the country at rush defense posted by mh on November 06, 2024 at 11:59:33
This should be an extremely slow-paced game, as the Hawkeyes rank 115th in my tempo metric, while the Bruins are even more methodical at 125th. If you’re a fan of more old-fashioned statistics, consider that Iowa is 124th in plays per game (60.6) while UCLA is 126th (60.0).
Iowa’s team is fairly straightforward in that it typically loses the game when it doesn’t run the ball well. Their two lowest rushing yardage outputs came in a 28-point loss to Ohio State (116 yards on 4.3 yards per carry) and a 12-point loss to Michigan State (133 yards on 5.8 yards per carry — numbers skewed by a 75-yard Johnson rush near the end of the game).
UCLA typically doesn’t allow big rushing games despite having faced a very difficult schedule to date. It limited LSU to 102 yards on 3.6 yards per carry and Penn State to 85 yards and 2.8 yards per tote, and even No. 1 Oregon (153 yards on 4.3 yards per carry) didn’t run wild.
If Iowa is forced to move the ball through the air more than usual, good luck. The Hawkeyes have thrown for 155 yards against just one FBS team (Troy) and no Power Conference teams.
On the flip side, UCLA’s offensive performance is certainly an encouraging sign, but will it continue here in a difficult matchup? Phil Parker’s defense has tightened the screws since an uncharacteristically leaky start to the year, holding its last two opponents to 12 ppg and 212 total yards per game.
The book on the Bruins offensively is that they have talent but aren’t able to block well, especially not against Big Ten teams. They’ve flipped that script lately with back-to-back impressive games but still rank just 133rd in line yards and 126th in stuff rate overall.
The Hawkeyes have racked up 11 TFLs in their last two games and are playing their best defensive ball of the year, so they’ll put that improved Bruins offensive line to the test.