It’s easy to make the argument that Iowa’s defensive line has been nearly as good as the secondary.

By Jordan Hansen
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As a whole, Iowa’s defense has been one of the better units in the Big Ten this season.

Outside of the secondary, however, no defensive part has been more valuable than the defensive line.

Overshadowed this year by the surprisingly good play of the linebackers and an talented secondary, Drew Ott, Nate Meier, and the rest of the defensive line are quietly having a great season.

As a group, the defensive line leads the team in sacks, tackles for loss, quarterback hurries and forced fumbles. Iowa’s defense is also the only one in the nation that hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown.

“The no rushing touchdowns is awesome,” Meier said. “Our coaches always harp on us that we have to stop the run, and it’s really a great edge to have.”

Make no mistake; much of the Hawkeyes’ incredible success on run defense — they’re 11th in the nation with 84.4 rushing yards allowed per game — begins in the trenches.

The group’s total tackle numbers don’t jump off the page, but that linebackers Cole Fisher and Josey Jewell both are in the top 12 in the conference for total tackles.

While Fisher and Jewell have exceeded expectations this year, defensive tackles Jaleel Johnson and Nathan Bazata have done an excellent job of plugging holes and allowing the linebackers to clean up the mess. Neither tackle will put up huge stats this year, but it really isn’t their job, either.

“Every down, I go out and try to play with as much effort as I can,” Johnson said. “I try never to give up a play, because one bad play can lead to a touchdown.”

Johnson and Bazata both have been getting a good amount of push, however, and it’s a rare sight to see them move backwards.

No one was really sure what to expect after Carl Davis and Louis Trinca-Pasat graduated, but so far Johnson and the rest of the line want to make a name for themselves now.

“We just have to come out and show the crowd we’re here,” Johnson said. “With Carl and Louis gone, everybody watched those guys and everybody respected those guys and with them being gone, and Nate and I stepping up, we’re just going out there and show that we can play.”

On the outside of the line, Ott and Meier have been putting huge amounts of pressure on opposing backfields. They’ve done a good job containing the mobile quarterbacks Iowa has faced this year, something that has long plagued the team.

In the group, there still are things that need to be improved, namely depth. Parker Hesse and Matt Nelson have both seen significant snaps at the defensive end spots, while Faith Ekakitie — who recovered a fumble at the Iowa 1-yard line against Wisconsin — and Kyle Terlouw have contributed at the tackle position.

They haven’t been overly impressive but haven’t been terrible by any means.

“We’re doing pretty good, but there’s still a bit of improvement we can do,” Ott said. “Technique-wise, there are a few things, and I think we need to get to the ball a little bit better.”

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