Utah State vs. Iowa: Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
Utah State vs. Iowa: Preview, How To Watch, Odds, Prediction
Aggies go to Big Ten country
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Can USU get an upset?
Utah State travels to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes and lets begin with these two gems regarding the Hawkeyes program from head coach Kirk Ferentz.
"I could probably get fired for this but one of my all time favorite wins here was 6-4"
Kirk Ferentz 😭😭😭😭
pic.twitter.com/2fVbfhukok— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) August 30, 2023
This is a very Iowa quote
Kirk Ferentz on Utah State: "Their punter is a good punter."
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) August 29, 2023
The jokes right themselves about Iowa football. They were the punching bag last year with an elite defense but no offense to speak of whatsoever.
There is actually a clause in Brian Ferentz’s contract as the offensive coordinator hat he must score at least 25 points per game to keep his job.
For reference, the Hawkeyes scored just 17.7 points per game. So, one of two things could happen: the offense will stink as usual, or the Hawkeyes will try to run it up against a non-Big Ten opponent.
GAME DETAILS
Game: Utah State at Iowa
Where: Kinnick Stadium; Iowa City, Iowa
When: 12 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Streaming: Fubo TV with a free trial
Radio: KSL Sports Zone
Series Record: Iowa 2-0
Game Notes: Iowa | Utah State
Odds: Iowa (-23)
Make no mistake. This will be a difficult game for Utah State. The Aggies lost so many transfers in the portal this past year with a lot going to power conferences such as the Big 12.
Head coach Blake Anderson understands that challenge with so many new players on the roster which include 39 new scholarship players. The Aggies also lost well over 30 to the portal.
“With us being as new as we are,” Anderson said on KSL Sports Zone, “We’re still trying to figure out our guys. The challenge to go play in this environment against this team would be tough regardless. Considering the amount of new bodies and new staff, it makes it more of a challenge for us.”
The staff line is interesting as Anderson is not only the head coach but also the offensive coordinator and will call plays, plus he is the quarterbacks coach. He has a lot on his plate this year.
For Utah State, their key player to look for is quarterback Cooper Legas. Most people remember him subbing in for Logan Bonner who got injured in the Jimmy Kimmel Bowl.
His first play was a deep touchdown pass.
Legas played in 10 games, with eight starts, as Bonner had another serious injury. He has experience but the quarterback will be the starter going into the season and taken all the reps.
That is great news as this Iowa defense is elite and a potential defensive back All-American candidate with Cooper DeJean. Legas will need to be aware of Dejan but many other defenders on this team.
The Hawkeyes return six starters from a team that allowed 10 points or fewer nine times. Iowa’s defense held opponents to 270.8 yards and 13.3 points per game, ranking second in the country in both categories.
Other players to watch on defense from the Iowa side of the ball is a pair of defensive lineman in Joe Evans and Logan Lee. That two have 40 career starts but Evans is a bit better with 6.5 sacks from last season.
So, how can Utah State make a move against this great defense. It will be very difficult but one thing about Legas is that he is level-headed and a calm player in the pocket.
He will need that to help everyone else stay calm if thins start to get hairy. The Aggies want to play with tempo and run a lot of plays. One key player in that is wide receiver in Terrell Vaughn who had 56 catches and five touchdowns. Watch for him to likely match up with Dejan for a very difficult matchup.
Helping go fast and staying fresh is a trio of backs this year with Robert Briggs, Davon Booth and Rahsul Faison. If those three can have some solid success then that will definitely help keep the pace going.
As for Iowa’s offense, their quarterback situation is not great. The starter is Michigan transfer Cade McNamara but he is not exactly healthy.
“My intention and my goal is to play as many games as I possibly can,” he said. “And I mean, of course, I want to be out there with my teammates. … It’s just kinda down to how the coaches feel and how the medical staff feels.”
Cade McNamara says he's "progressing." While he says his goal is to play, that decision is ultimately up to the coaching and medical staff.
Speaking of which, we'll speak to head coach Kirk Ferentz in about 90 minutes. pic.twitter.com/3cI2A8NaDg— Jack Lido (@JackLido) August 29, 2023
Do not expect McNamara who is fairly mobile but do not expect him to be as mobile as usual on Saturday. Not that the Hawkeyes are a team that uses a mobile quarterback but McNamara having that skill would go a long way.
There are two key players outside of QB for the Hawkeyes that will be key for Iowa beating Utah State.
Running back Kaleb Johnson set a freshman record with 779 yards with six touchdowns, Plus, he was named to the Doak Walker watch list this fall. Johnson is a real threat for this Utah State defense.
Another key player is WR Seth Anderson who transferred in from Charleston Southern where he was named the most outstanding offensive player of the year with seven touchdowns and 42 catches.
This offense should be better than last year and if that’s the case then Utah State could be in trouble in this game. However, with a banged up quarterback and an head coach who literally hates offense could be a net positive for the Aggies to at the very least cover the 23-point spread.
