1. Carrying the burden
Missouri will be without one of its top offensive weapons in wide receiver Luther Burden III, who opted out of the bowl game in preparation for the NFL draft. A likely first-round pick, Burden amassed 676 receiving yards and a team-best six touchdown catches.
Without Burden, quarterback Brady Cook will have to rely on senior Theo Wease Jr., who has a team-high 809 yards on 14.7 yards per catch. The 6-foot-2 Wease will be yet another test for the Hawkeye secondary, which will be without top cornerback Jermari Harris for the third consecutive game. Look for cornerbacks TJ Hall and Deshaun Lee to pick up the slack and prove their value for next season.
2. Quarterback future
After the transfer of Marco Lainez, Iowa will be down to two quarterbacks – Brendan Sullivan and Jackson Stratton – against the Tigers. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said he assumed Sullivan would be the starter, but added there would be some competition leading up to the game.
Sullivan is older than Jackson and has more experience, but still has limited snaps in the Black and Gold. A decent performance against an SEC opponent would guide Iowa’s transfer portal aggressiveness at quarterback. Conversely, if Sullivan isn’t effective against Missouri, could he enter the portal as well? Given Iowa’s history of departures under center it remains a possibility.
3. Running back depth
The Hawkeye offense will look far different without star running back Kaleb Johnson and his 23 touchdowns in the backfield. Nevertheless, offensive coordinator Tim Lester won’t abandon the run game against the Tigers, who rank 40th in the FBS in opponent rushing yards per game. Facing this challenge will be second-year Kamari Moulton and third-year Jaziun Patterson.
“It’s been fun to watch Kamari this year. I think he’s really grown,” Ferentz said. “The same with Jaz. Both of those guys are playing their best football.”
Moulton, who scored two touchdowns in his collegiate debut last season, has flashed potential this year. His 114-yard performance against Maryland contained a 68-yard touchdown scamper, but also a lost fumble when the Hawkeyes were in field-goal territory. Ball security will be of utmost importance against the Tigers, who have 12 forced fumbles on the season, including three from defensive end Johnny Walker Jr.
How Moulton and Patterson perform will give fans an insight into Iowa’s ground game for next season. It’s also worth watching for freshman Xavier Williams and Brevin Doll, who haven’t gotten a touch this season, but who Ferentz said could see action in the Music City.
“Both those guys have done a really good job in practice,” Ferentz said of Williams and Doll. “I think they’ve grown immensely since August. I made that comment a couple of weeks ago to our guys:
‘How do you think these guys would do if we put them in a game?’ Everybody had the same answer. We’re all seeing it the same way.”
“It’ll be a committee,” he continued. “I don’t know if it would be two guys, four guys, but we’ll play the guys we got. We really like the guys we got.”
4. Kicking difference
While Iowa kicker Drew Stevens hasn’t been perfect this season, his Missouri counterpart has had far more struggles. First-year kicker Blake Craig has connected on only 22 of 32 field goal attempts, including a 5-of-14 mark from beyond 40 yards.
Given this lack of success, the Iowa defense should expect more fourth-down attempts from Mizzou, but special teams coordinator LeVar Woods and Co. should be excited. The Hawkeyes have blocked and forced missed kicks this season – such as against Washington and Nebraska – and the Tigers will pose chance to make a difference in the third phase. Three points could make all the difference in this affair.
5. Defensive line potential
With Missouri starting right tackle opting out in preparation for the NFL Draft, Iowa’s defensive line should have prime opportunity in Nashville. The Hawkeye defensive line room contains three seniors in Deontae Craig, Ethan Hurkett, and Yahya Black, but fans should also keep an eye out for younger linemen who could fill their roles for next season.
Junior Aaron Graves is the headliner with 32 tackles and 6 sacks, but fellow third-years Jeremiah Pittman and Max Llewellyn can be key pieces of 2025 as well. How they perform given the opportunity against the Tigers will be an indicator in what Iowa has heading into the new year.