By Jordan Hansen
Welcome to part two of The Daily Iowan’s look into the Florida offense and defense ahead of Iowa’s matchup with the Gators in the Outback Bowl. Today we’ll look at what the Hawkeyes should expect when they have the ball.
If there’s one the thing Florida has become known for over the past few seasons, it’s a suffocating defense.
That was former Gator head coach Will Muschamp’s specialty, and it wasn’t fired when he was. Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard is going to look into the mouth of a talented defensive front throughout the game, and his ability to find its weaknesses will likely decide the game.
In schemes, Florida mostly runs a 4-3, similar to what the Hawkeyes run. Its defensive line is nasty, led by freshman Jabari Zuniga and Caleb Brantley. Florida has rung up 30 sacks on the season, third-most in the SEC.
Injuries, however, have hampered the rest of the defense. Starting linebackers Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone will likely not play against Iowa, though their backups have played admirably this season.
The Gators allow a touch under 300 yards per game (298.3, to be exact), the sixth-best mark in the NCAA. They do, however, allow around 141 rushing yards per game, which might be a place Iowa can expose a bit.
Hawkeye running backs Akrum Wadley and LeShun Daniels Jr. have been asked to carry the load, but it will be critical in the Outback Bowl.
Why?
Well, say hello to defensive backs super-studs Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson. Tabor was a second-team All-American, and Wilson was second-team All-SEC.
Tabor has 4 picks and a touchdown this season. Wilson wasn’t far behind with 3 and a return for a score as well. They’ve combined for 5.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks, and they have been good against the run as well.
On the bright side for Iowa, there’s a good chance tight end George Kittle will be healthy for the bowl game. At the beginning of the season, it looked as if he might become Beathard’s favorite target, but injuries hampered his efforts. Getting him back will give the Hawkeyes another — needed — weapon in the passing game.
The Iowa offense will need to try to pass the ball downfield a bit to open things up. With how good Tabor and Wilson have played, the short-screen game the Hawkeyes have come to rely on might be rendered ineffective.
Offensive coordinator Greg Davis must get creative with how he spreads the ball around. Look for him to try to get Wadley into some space. It worked against Michigan and will need to work against the Gators.
With how good Florida’s front seven is, it will also become increasingly critical the offensive line keeps Beathard clean in the pocket. Negative offensive plays have killed Hawkeye drives all season. They may not be able to recover if they give up too many of those.
Expect a healthy dose of Daniels as well. It’s likely this won’t be a pretty game, though the Hawkeyes have seemed to excel in that area over the past few seasons. Field position will also be critical, because Florida has Johnny Townsend, one of the best punters in the league.
The bottom line? Lots of short running plays. The winner of this game might just be who can push 2- and 3- yard gains into runs of 4- and 5- yards. Buckle up.
