It’s been a backward world for Iowa football fans so far this season. They entered the season expecting a high-octane offense and a defense with plenty of question marks.

Instead, the Hawkeye defense has played well, and the offense has scored only one touchdown.

The offense is near the bottom of the nation in nearly every major category, while the defense is in or near the top 25. Here’s some of this week’s important stats:

Total offensive yards per game: 286

Passer rating: 90.25

No Iowa starting quarterback under Ferentz has posted an efficiency rating below 109.5.

Field goals made: 6

Yards allowed per game: 271.5

Phil Parker’s defense is currently 20th in the nation and third in the Big Ten in this category. That mark is better than what either of the famous 2008 or 2009 defenses posted. Iowa hasn’t faced any scary offensive attacks, but it has been encouraging to see the defense tighten up in the second half of both games. And the team’s linebackers have been excellent. Anthony Hitchens leads the Big Ten and is second in the nation with 27 tackles, while James Morris has 20 of his own.

Tackles for loss: 16

The Hawkeyes have gotten big-time performances from a few different linemen. Senior defensive tackle Joe Gaglione has led the way with 4 tackles for loss — tying him for second in the Big Ten.