Iowa defeated Wisconsin, 10-6 on Oct. 3 in Madison, Wisconsin.

By Ryan Rodriguez
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Iowa’s defense might be its biggest strength

Going into the season there was a lot of doubt surrounding the Iowa defense, a unit that was young and relatively inexperienced at a number of different spots. That doubt only increased when star defensive end Drew Ott was hurt with an elbow injury.

But through their first five games, the Hawks have their defense to thank for a lot of their success.

Joel Stave wasn’t great, but Iowa’s defense limited the Badgers to a pair of field goals and just 86 yards on the ground. In fact, they are the only team in Division-I football that has yet to concede a rushing touchdown.

The defense has done a good job of bending without breaking in 2015, and Oct. 4 was perfect example.

The Big Ten West is not very good

The Hawks did manage to pick up a checkmark in the win column, but lord was this one ugly. For a matchup between what were supposed to be the two powers in the Big Ten West, it looked more like a midget game at times than a clash between two of the conference’s best.

Trying to pick who will win the West has been a bit of a crapshoot this year, and Week 5 didn’t make it any easier.  Neither team was overly impressive, and at times, both looked downright disjointed.

And considering the Hawks and Badgers were supposed to be the best the West had to offer, it almost makes you shudder to think what the final standings could look like by the end of the year.

Nate Meier is a beast

One of the biggest pleasant surprises this year has been the emergence of defensive end Nate Meier as one of the team’s best pass rushers.

The senior recorded five tackles and a fumble recovery in the win and was in quarterback Joel Stave’s kitchen all afternoon.

His final season, the second as a full-time starter, has been a revelation for Iowa in 2015, with Meier solidifying an ever-changing defensive line. Coming into this year, Meier had just three total career sacks.

Through five games in 2015, he’s already up to five.

When fully healthy, the duo of Meier and Drew Ott could be a nightmare for opposing offensive lines in the future.

Jordan Canzeri is the feature back

Senior running back Jordan Canzeri was arguably Iowa’s most consistent offensive weapon against the Badgers, going off for 125 yards on 26 rushes. In fact, if it wasn’t for a lone fumble (which Iowa recovered), Canzeri was damn near perfect.

That’s good new for a team that’s been relying heavily on Canzeri since halfback LeShun Daniels, Jr. suffered a nagging ankle injury in week two.

If there were any doubts about Canzeri’s ability and durability as a featured running back in a Big Ten offense, they were surely put to rest after his performance.

And, much like on the defensive line, a bill of clean health will only solidify the spot. A healthy Daniels paired with the Canzeri we’ve seen so far in 2015 would be an immense advantage in the backfield for the Black and Gold.

C.J. Beathard is a gamer

Ok, so we’ve all been saying this for weeks before the Wisconsin game, but Saturday was just another reformation of quarterback C.J. Beathard and his ability to keep the Hawks afloat.

Beathard probably had his worst game in a Hawkeye uniform against the Badgers, going just 9-21 for 77 yards and a pick. That said, he also threw a touchdown to tight end George Kittle for the game’s only touchdown.

A team don’t always need an MVP performance from under center to win, and he wasn’t against ‘Sconnie. However, a win is a win.

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