Michigan football is on a four-game winning streak against Iowa but haven't hosted the Hawkeyes since the first game in the streak, back in 2019 -- a riveting 10-3 defensive battle. But since then, the Wolverines have blown Iowa out twice in the Big Ten Championship Game, and jumped out to a big lead and had to hold on in Iowa City in 2022.
The Hawkeyes haven't won in Ann Arbor since 2010, and they're hoping to stay undefeated and ranked with the first win at The Big House in 16 years. But Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz doesn't have to look back that far to recognize that his team hasn't had the firepower to contend with Michigan football. The 26-0 loss in Indianapolis is still fresh on his mind, and he's sure that now, with Auburn transfer quarterback
Hank Brown, UT Rio Grande Valley transfer wide receiver Tony Diaz, and former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester as the offensive coordinator, that the offense will be a little more capable of contending against the maize and blue.
"The last time we got together, we were a little bit depleted offensively. So, obviously, I think we got a little more octane now in the tank than we did then," Ferentz said. "It was not the best matchup from that standpoint, but yeah, they've got really good players to Trevor's point. They're really talented. Their defense, which he's seen -- that's all he's seeing really right now. A lot of guys can rush the passer or they play the run really well. They've got a really impressive defensive front -- and not only their starters, but their backups, and they play them all pretty, pretty fluidly.
"So really good players and linebackers extremely active, especially the middle linebacker; he's all over the place. And then their secondary is extremely aggressive -- one of the more aggressive groups I've seen. They'll hit you. They'll come up and hit you.
"So it's a really physical group that way. Playing outstanding defense and then -- but they're very well coached too. I would throw that in and accentuate that and that's -- now I go back with Utah. Kind of got on my radar when they beat Alabama in that Sugar Bowl, whatever year that would have been. It's been a while, and they were definitely the underdog team in that one. But they just- they were extremely, just played a perfect game and it doesn't happen by accident. So that's really kind of when I started following their progress a little bit, and I'd say the same thing about the defensive scheme."
Of course, it's not solely about the offense going up against the No. 10 Michigan defense -- the Hawkeye defense is also aware that, though disjointed at times, the Wolverine offense led by quarterback Bryce Underwood is still capable of beating top teams.
Ferentz noted Underwood's capability as shown against Oklahoma in Week 2. But it's not just Underwood, either. Whether it's receivers Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan, running backs Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter, or the currently rag-tag collection of offensive linemen, there's a lot of talent and burgeoning experience across the offense.
"Yeah, it really just gets Under- -- but it's got to really try to do the best they can at playing what their job is, their responsibility," Ferentz said. "There's a game at two weeks ago, Oklahoma game, where they let him or somebody else outside. And if you do that, they've all got the ability to get out there and do damage in his case. He can throw it as well as run it. But he's a dangerous runner too so it just really gets down to team execution, because they're really well coached. They've got a good scheme and got good players at all the receiver positions, tight ends, and not to mention obviously their line and quarterback and back. So it's a tough challenge, but it just gets down to team defense and being really believing in our system and then trying to play the best they can."
Michigan and Iowa are set to kick off at 3:36 p.m. EDT at The Big House. The game will be nationally televised on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Kirk Ferentz explains why Iowa is better equipped to challenge Michigan
