Hate Week is here as the Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-2) head to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2) in a battle for the Floyd of Rosedale at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Can Iowa score on offense?
Iowa is essentially
running a service academy offense this season under coordinator Tim Lester. Ballyhooed transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski threw for 10,330 passing yards and 93 passing touchdowns across four seasons with South Dakota State, but seems to have lost all grasp of the forward pass since entering Iowa City. The Hawkeyes rank 128th nationally in passing offense (averaging 142 passing yards per game), which is, ironically, worse than all but one of the service academies (sorry, Army). Gronowski has thrown more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3), and his single-game season high in passing yards is 186 against Rutgers.
The challenge for the Minnesota defense will be keeping Gronowski in the pocket and putting him on the ground if he manages to escape. He is tied with running back Kamari Moulton for the team lead in rushing attempts (67) and has racked up 289 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through a combination of designed and improvised runs. Up until last week, Gronowski had proven most effective in short-yardage situations, especially in the red zone, before he torched the Penn State defense to the tune of 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Moulton has been solid if unspectacular for Iowa, rushing for a team-leading 360 yards and averaging 5.4 yards per carry. He is not the most explosive running back — his longest run of the season was for 22 yards — but he can pick up yards when the offense needs him to. The Hawkeyes will also mix in elusive wide receiver and punt returner Kaden Wetjen on end-arounds and screen passes to attack defenses on the perimeter.
Wetjen is their only real weapon at wide receiver. Iowa has struggled to recruit and develop wide receivers for years, and this team is no different. If not Wetjen, Gronowski will likely connect with leading receiver Sam Phillips or fifth-year senior Jacob Gill when the Hawkeyes do take to the air to move the ball.
Please tell me the Gophers will be able to score
As is the case every year, the Iowa defense is good. The Hawkeyes rank 5th nationally in run defense (79 rushing yards allowed per game), 21st in pass defense (167.7 passing yards allowed per game), and 8th in scoring defense (13 points allowed per game). Defensive coordinator Phil Parker is probably underpaid at this point.
You should know this song well by now, so sing it with me: They are physical, disciplined, and opportunistic, though they haven’t been as opportunistic as Iowa defenses of years past. This year’s Hawkeye defense only has eight turnovers through seven games, and two of them came against Penn State a week ago.
It all starts up front, with a defensive line anchored by senior defensive tackle Aaron Graves. Defensive ends Max Llewellyn and Ethan Hurkett have been disruptive all season long, with a combined 11.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks between the two of them. Minnesota’s offensive tackles will have their hands full.
Iowa has reloaded at linebacker, led by leading tackler and fifth-year senior Karson Sharar.
In the secondary, the Hawkeyes have a pair of dynamic defenders in safeties Koen Entringer and Xavier Nwankpa. Redshirt junior cornerback DeShaun Lee has been more consistent after an up-and-down 2024 season, and senior cornerback T.J. Hall leads the team with eight pass break-ups.
This is an experienced unit that has kept Iowa in every game so far this season.
But who will score more points on Saturday?
I want to pick Minnesota. I really do. But I have no idea which version of the Gophers will take the field at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. I’d love to think that Friday’s dominant win over Nebraska will be a springboard for the rest of the season, but this team is prone to wild swings from week to week. What I do know is that Minnesota is 0-2 on the road this season and has struggled historically in Iowa City. Kinnick Stadium has always been a tough environment, and the Hawkeyes are 3-1 at home this season, with their only loss coming against the now No. 2-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. I hate myself for this: Iowa 24, Minnesota 20.
