1. Damien Taylor
While Troy did lose its top rusher and last year’s Sun Belt Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year Kimani Vidal to the NFL Draft, the Trojans have another potent back in Damien Taylor. Hailing from Northport, Alabama, the 5-foot-11 Taylor ran for 346 yards on 67 carries, averaging 2.84 yards after contact and forcing eight missed tackles.
This year, those numbers are even better, as Taylor averages 7.6 yards per rush, tallying 136 yards on 18 carries. His 5.44 yards after contact ranks 14th in the nation among runners with at least 15 carries. Trojan starting quarterback Goose Crowder is coming off an injury from Week 2, so Taylor will most likely receive an extra workload on Saturday.
2. Beware of Brendan and the Bandit
Troy runs a similar 3-4 defense as Illinois State, featuring four linebackers on the field. One of these defenders is Brendan Jackson, a transfer from Gardner Webb over the offseason.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Jackson earned first-team All-Big South honors, collecting 71 tackles and 11.5 for loss. The senior leads the Trojans with 16 tackles this season. While the Troy defense isn’t remarkable as a unit, Jackson is still a force that needs to be kept in check.
Troy’s defense also features a caveat in the Bandit position, a hybrid between a defensive end and a linebacker that can drop back in coverage and rush the passer. Filling this role is Phillip Lee, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida. Lee missed six games last year due to injury but has found a groove this season, posting six tackles.
“We’ve got to key on him, get the block down, and keep doing the same things as last week,” Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson said of Lee.
3. Four-quarter game
It’s been a tale of two halves type of season so far for Iowa coordinator Tim Lester. Against Illinois State, the Hawkeyes struck gold over the final 30 minutes, while against Iowa State, the scheme hit rock bottom down the stretch. With conference play on the horizon, Lester’s offense can’t stall out for multiple drives.
Troy’s defense has been a sieve so far this season, letting up 66 points over two games, so Iowa won’t have any excuses for not putting points on the board across all four quarters. If this team has three or fewer three-and-outs over 60 minutes, then the Hawkeye faithful can have hope as their team heads north to Minnesota.
4. Red zone scoring
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz concluded his Tuesday press conference with a poignant statement. When asked by a reporter how he feels about the new sideline communications, Ferentz said the change was all well and good, but he has more pressing matters to attend to.
“Just trying to figure out how to score a touchdown when we got the ball inside the five [yard- line]. That’s more important right now,” he said before leaving the podium.
Indeed, any good Power Four football team has to convert that close to the end zone and not settle for field goals. Even if the defense drops eight to protect the pass or sends a blitz, the Hawkeyes need to avoid any negative or no-gain plays.
Varying up play design would help as well. Employ motion, get quarterback Cade McNamara out of the pocket, or do anything that makes five yards feel shorter. The Hawkeyes can get by with field goals against Troy, but Ferentz and the Black and Gold faithful won’t be pleased.
5. Running back variety
While Kaleb Johnson is undoubtedly having a career year so far, ranking fourth in the nation in rushing yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns, Iowa shouldn’t have to rely only on him in the run game. Having a bellcow back is a convenience, but it loses its usefulness if there’s an injury. Johnson has 36 carries on the season in six quarters of play and missed three games due to injury last season.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for giving Johnson the rock when the going gets tough in conference play, but against a Troy defense that’s conceding more than 200 yards per game in 2024? That’s counterproductive to the growth of the running back room. Backups Kamari Moulton and Leshon Williams should get considerable reps against the Trojans, not only to give Johnson a break but to develop their own skill and confidence for later down the road should the Hawkeyes need them.