We take a look at one of the biggest matchups of the Big Ten Championship.
By Jordan Hansen
Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard and the rest of the offense will be in for a tall task when they take the field against Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship on Saturday.
The Spartans bring in a good defense, though it’s not nearly the 2014 squad, which allowed just 88 rushing yards per game. This year’s group ranks seventh in the Big Ten in total defense at roughly 349 yards per contest.
Michigan State’s rushing defense ranks fifth in the conference, allowing 118 yards per game. Led by a powerful front seven, the Spartans have two of the best defensive linemen in the Big Ten, defensive end Shilique Calhoun and tackle Malik McDowell.
Calhoun has registered 8.5 sacks so far this season, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten, and he also is credited with 17 quarterback hurries. Michigan State is excellent at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and has 32 sacks this season.
This will provide an interesting matchup for Iowa and its two young offensive tackles. The Hawkeyes have been susceptible to penalties at times, and it wouldn’t come as much of a shock if either Boone Myers or Cole Croston get called for holding trying to slow down the Michigan State front seven.
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Too many of those mistakes will prove to be crucial in this game. Beathard will need time to step back and pass against a Michigan State passing defense that ranks ninth in the league in yards allowed but second in interceptions.
Of course, as with any other Iowa game this year, it will need to establish the run before finding much success in the passing game. The play-action pass has been friendly to the Hawkeyes and has helped the wide receivers get separation.
However, Michigan State is very adept at dragging down running backs in tackles for loss — racking up 80 on the year, sixth-best in the conference. Avoiding any sort of negative play is critical for Iowa, which needs to dominate the time of possession to keep all-star Spartan quarterback Connor Cook off the field.
Iowa loves to run on the early downs and will attempt to establish that immediately. The Hawkeyes are averaging a tad more than 5 yards per carry on first down and 5.86 on second. The Spartans are allowing just 4.49 and 3.51 yards per rush on those downs.
This sets the stage for some highly dramatic third-down situations, another situation in which Michigan State has been good. Iowa has been converting around 44 percent of its third-down attempts, and the Spartans have allowed opponents to convert 35.80 percent of the time.
Executing those plays — without mistakes — will be the path for Iowa’s winning a conference championship. The Spartans do a fairly good job keeping things in front of them and not allowing big plays, which means the Hawkeyes may have to string together long drives.
Luckily for the Hawkeyes, however, long drives have been one of their calling cards this season.
The Spartan defense is tough, but it’s not impenetrable. Nebraska handed Michigan State a loss this season and did it with a strong performance from quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. and a solid rushing game.
Interestingly enough, the Cornhuskers did not have a rush longer than 21 yards that day. It did, however, open the Spartans up enough to pass on them.
Iowa will likely adopt a similar strategy, and that, if executed with minimal mistakes, could lead to a championship.
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