Well, apparently they have decided not to simply cancel the season after two weeks of subpar offensive play and a frustrating loss on the road against Iowa State last week. Sigh.
Instead, the Hawkeyes return to Kinnick Stadium to close out their nonconference slate with a home matchup with the Minutemen of UMass. UMass enters the day at 0-2 on the season and riding a 6-game losing streak. Adding insult to injury, the Minutemen are expected to be without starting QB Brandon Rose, as well as 7-8 additional
contributors.
It’s a game where nobody expects things to be competitive. UMass comes in ranked 136th out of 136 teams in The Athletic’s power rankings after finishing 2024 at 2-10.
And yet, it feels like optimism for this Iowa team is at near-decade lows. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Hawkeye fan anywhere who is looking forward to this game beyond the pre-game festivities on Melrose. It seems as though there is almost no way for the mounting consternation around Iowa’s offense to find relief, save for a massive explosion complete with numerous deep passes for TDs.
Even then, the level of competition dictates that an explosion may simply lead to dismissal rather than any sort of relief or feelings of fulfillment. Put simply, this is a no-win matchup for the Hawkeyes.
That said, there is certainly downside. If the offense continues to look lost passing downfield and entirely reliant on the run game, we may well move straight past pessimism and onto apathy. That’s a feeling Hawkeye fans haven’t had in earnest since circa 2014.
The Hawkeyes opened as 34.5-point favorites in this one, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That’s bounced back and forth a bit, but has settled right back where it started. As for an over/under, that started at 44.5 total points but has drifted lower as the week has progressed, hanging out at 42.5 total points on game day.
It’s going to be a hot one in Iowa City after several weeks of fall-like weather in early September.
As we countdown to kickoff, here’s everything you need to know about today’s matchup.
Date: Saturday, September 13th
Time: 6:40 pm CT
Matchup: UMass Minutemen (0-2, 0-0) at Iowa Hawkeyes (1-1, 0-0)
Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA
TV: Big Ten Network
Updated Weather Forecast: Sunny with temps in the low 90s. Temps cool into the low 80s by the conclusion of the game.
Updated FanDuel Line: Iowa -34.5, O/U 42.5
