After months of waiting, fans will be thrilled to know the 2024 Iowa football season is finally here.
In a matter of hours, the Hawkeyes will take the field to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” in front of 70,000 roaring fans inside historic Kinnick Stadium.
Each season presents a new opportunity for success for head coach Kirk Ferentz and his squad, but Iowa has been under intense scrutiny from the national media for its struggling offense. Additionally, Ferentz will miss the season opener due to a self-imposed suspension for recruiting violations.
With the Big Ten expanding West and adding UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington to the mix this year, the pressure is mounting for the Hawkeyes to succeed in the new era of college football.
But before Iowa enters conference play, it must take care of business in its season-opener against the Illinois State Redbirds, who are coming off a disappointing 6-5 campaign in 2023.
To fully digest this matchup, let’s take a closer look at the Redbirds.
Offense
Illinois State was a solid offensive unit in 2023, averaging 32.8 points per contest under second-year offensive coordinator Tony Petersen. Petersen has Big Ten experience, as he previously served as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator for seven seasons in the mid-2000s.
The Redbirds lost starting quarterback Zack Annexstad and standout tight end Cam Grandy to graduation. Grandy earned consensus first-team All-American honors last season after grabbing 63 receptions and three touchdowns.
Annexstad was the starting quarterback for two seasons and threw for over 2,000 passing yards with 17 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury late in the year.
“This leaves a pair of huge holes for ISU to fill on that side of the ball,” The Vidette Assistant Sports Editor Noah Powell said.
Two quarterbacks are currently battling for the starting job.
One of the quarterback options could be Kansas State transfer Jake Rubley to lead this offense. Rubley saw limited action with the Wildcats but received offers from Missouri, Utah, and Michigan State out of high school. Blair Angulo of 247Sports called Rubley “a potential all-conference contributor and multi-year starter at the Power Five level.”
Head coach Brock Spack could also turn to third-year Tommy Rittenhouse as the starter. Rittenhouse has played sparingly during his college career, but he started the final two games of the season in place of Annexstad. He tallied 467 passing yards and three touchdowns in eight total games played in 2023.
Spack has also hinted at the possibility of a two-quarterback system.
“We have two quarterbacks, and that’s how it’s going to be all season,” Spack told Prairie State Pigskin. “We’ll probably have a two-quarterback system, and I’ve never been a part of that.”
Despite losing some key talent, wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz and running back Mason King return to give the Redbird offense some explosiveness. King paced the offense with a team high 983 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Year honors after transferring from Northern Illinois.
Sobkowicz was an All-MVFC second-team selection after snagging 10 touchdowns and 68 receptions on the season, ranking seventh in the nation last year. Sobkowicz should serve as a solid weapon on the outside for whoever is throwing passes.
Defense
Despite some questions on offense, the Redbirds will likely rely on a strong defense that ranked 27th in total defense and gave up only 20.5 points per game last fall.
Former Illinois State defensive lineman Travis Niekamp enters his seventh season as the defensive coordinator, and his defenses are known for operating out of the 4-3 scheme, along with a dominant pass rush that sacked opposing quarterbacks 3.27 times per contest last season.
Illinois State returns nine of its top 11 tacklers from 2023, including standout senior linebacker Amir Abdullah. The Nebraska-Kearney transfer earned FCS second-team All-American honors from Phil Steele in 2023 and figures to be one of the anchors of this unit.
“Amir Abdullah is likely the best player in the front seven,” Powell added. “He collected 9.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss last year.”
Another name to watch on this Redbird defense is second-year Tye Niekamp. The son of defensive coordinator Travis Niekamp, Tye Niekamp tallied 74 tackles and 1.5 sacks. For his efforts, he was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year, the fourth Illinois State player to receive the honor.
“I can’t talk about this defense without mentioning Tye Niekamp,” Powell said. “He lived in the backfield against FCS offenses last year.”
Illinois State also returns an experienced secondary headlined by incoming senior safety Keondre Jackson, who led the team in total tackles with 76 and three sacks a year ago. Jackson earned all-conference honorable mention accolades in 2023 and should have another productive season with the Redbirds.
The defensive line also brings back several returners who could make an impact this year, including second-year tackle Jake Anderson. Anderson tallied 10 starts with 34 tackles in 2023 and should continue to blossom in Illinois State’s system as he gains more experience.
Special Teams
Kicking was an issue last season for the Redbirds, as starter Ian Wagner missed six extra points but did convert eight out of 10 field goal attempts.
“This group also allowed several blocked kicks last season, so there is some concern with special teams,” Powell added.
Wagner will return for his third season and figures to be the starter, but fellow junior and Iowa City native Josh Jasek also returns after appearing in several games last season.
Final analysis
Illinois State has been a respectable FCS squad during the 15-year tenure of longtime coach Spack, but the program hasn’t qualified for the postseason since 2019 and has missed it six of the last seven seasons.
The Redbirds defense will present an interesting challenge for the new-look Iowa offensive attack, but the Hawkeyes should have enough firepower to take this one at Kinnick Stadium.