The Purdue Boilermakers play host to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday afternoon in a crucial Big Ten showdown Ross-Ade Stadium. The Hawkeyes are coming off a win the last time out and are hoping that they can build some momentum going forward. For Purdue, their hopes of winning the division seem to be dwindling but they know that they'll need a win in this one to put the pressure on those around them in the standings. Purdue has won two in a row in the series, including a 17-pint win last season, in addition to having won four of the last five overall. For some reason, they seem to have quite a bit of confidence in this series, which they'll be hoping carries over into Saturday's home game.
Iowa's start to the season has been one of the talks of football and they'll be hard-pressed to grab a win in this one. A three-game losing streak came to an end last weekend at home but considering Northwestern could be the worst team in the Big Ten, it's difficult to take much stock in that win. Going on the road will be tough and considering their recent struggles against Purdue, confidence is likely to be lacking against this familiar foe. Until a fundamental change occurs on the offensive side of things, it's difficult to imagine a situation where the defense has enough in the tank to win this matchup on their own.
The Hawkeyes have four players already ruled out for this weekend, though none of the potential absences are likely to cause issues. Iowa expects to be without a pair of wide receivers, though the two have combined for only a pair of catches on the season. On the defensive side of thing s, neither player is a star either, which will help one of college football's best defenses stay consistent.
4/4 on FGs, including a career-long from 54 yards.@DrewTS7 is your @B1Gfootball Freshman of the Week!#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/kbKIaoYF51
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 31, 2022
Iowa has one of the worst offenses in the country and there's little doubt that they will likely struggle to move the ball in this one. Despite quite a few upperclassmen, the Hawkeyes rank 129th nationally in total yards and 121st in passing and rushing. Spencer Petras (3 touchdowns, 5 interceptions) remains the start though could have a short leash. Without a steady ground game, nor much explosiveness in the backfield, Iowa will have its hands full on the road in this one.
The Boilermakers find themselves at .500 on the season mainly on the backs of their defensive effort. Iowa has the country's fifth-best scoring defense and they will certainly be tested against the pass. Purdue comes in with one of the conference's best passing attacks and Iowa's secondary will need to be stout in this one. Jack Campbell (80 tackles) has been a force at linebacker and the more he can find himself involved, the more Purdue is likely to be flustered.