The Iowa football team has had ups and downs in various phases of the game this season.

By Danny Payne
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There are some terms football coaches use publicly that have little to no value and are immediately written off as coach-speak. The phrase “ebbs and flows” does not fit that description.

The No. 5 College Football Poll (No. 3 AP)Iowa football team has undergone its fair share of ups and downs this season. Let’s explore where the Hawks stand in three categories, one from each phase of the game.

We’ve decided to break the majority of this down by month, so please keep in mind that the Hawkeyes played four games in October and will play their fourth November contest against Nebraska at 2:30 p.m. Friday on ABC. A refresher on Iowa’s schedule is available here.

Yards per punt return — 12.69 (third in the Big Ten)

At the surface, this number may look as if head coach Kirk Ferentz’s re-dedication to special teams this past off-season benefited the Big Ten’s worst punt-return unit in 2014.

This was the case early on, as Desmond King and Company averaged nearly 19 yards per return way back in nonconference play. In those four games, Iowa was third best in the conference. Iowa managed to return seven punts, the eighth-most in the league.

However, since Big Ten play began on Oct. 3, Iowa has managed to return only six punts (tied for last in the Big Ten) for an average of 5.7 yards per return, a mark that ranks 12th in the league.

Of course, it’s not the biggest aspect of football, but with King’s outstanding ability, the Hawkeyes aren’t doing themselves any favors forcing him to be a fair-catcher instead of a punt returner.

Third-down conversions — 46.8 percent (second in the Big Ten)

Unlike punt returns, Iowa’s third-down conversion rate is flowing. Quarterback C.J. Beathard and Company have been the Big Ten’s best team at keeping drives alive this month, converting third downs at nearly 10 percentage points higher than the season average.

In October, however, the Hawks struggled mightily in this department, only converting 36.9 percent of their third downs.

It is worth noting that number still put the Hawkeyes in the top half of the Big Ten, and the league rate was down — leader Michigan State converted 50.8 percent of its third down tries.

Turnovers — 21 (8 recovered fumbles (fifth in the Big Ten), 13 interceptions (first in the Big Ten))

Whether it’s because of the offenses they’ve faced, their performance, or a combination of the two, the Hawkeyes haven’t been creating turnovers as they did in the early going.

In October, Iowa forced 13 turnovers — 6 fumble recoveries (tied for the league lead) and a conference-leading 7 interceptions. In November, it has recovered only 1 fumble and picked off only 1 pass. Those numbers are good for ties at the eighth and 10th spot, respectively.

Luckily for the Hawkeyes, the offense is rolling, so it hasn’t needed a ton of help. But, as Iowa enters the postseason following Nebraska, turnovers will be key, especially considering the obvious opportunity to score points off turnovers that creating turnovers allows.

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