Really it all comes down to the Minny Game...right?

HaydenHawk56

HaydenHawk56

Well-Known Member
Illinois is not beating Michigan.
Iowa is not losing to Nebraska (they are a complete trainwreck) at home....especially if they beat Minny.

Looks like the Minny game is going to be Siberia in terms of weather-temps...could take the crowd right out of it.

Right now, I'm thinking be a big Michigan Fan in terms of Illinois and Ohio St game.

Iowa take care of business.

I think Iowa can beat Michigan, not that they would/will.....Ohio St I think still has to much fire power.
 
Statistically, Minnesota's defense will be the third toughest of the defenses they've played.
Mn has slightly better stats than ISU. And significantly better than Wisconsin. 148 yards against Wisconsin is dismal.

Hawks averaged 9.25 points and 202 yards against teams that have defenses statistically comparable to MN.

I don't see how they win this game without outright scoring contribution from the defense AND a few gimme field goals created by turnovers in field goal range.

MN does lean on their run game. Not one runningback has put up numbers against Iowa. Including some exceptional ones. But it doesn't afford for a lot of sacks and interceptions.
 
dagdaj said:
Statistically, Minnesota's defense will be the third toughest of the defenses they've played.
Mn has slightly better stats than ISU. And significantly better than Wisconsin. 148 yards against Wisconsin is dismal.

Hawks averaged 9.25 points and 202 yards against teams that have defenses statistically comparable to MN.

I don't see how they win this game without outright scoring contribution from the defense AND a few gimme field goals created by turnovers in field goal range.

MN does lean on their run game. Not one runningback has put up numbers against Iowa. Including some exceptional ones. But it doesn't afford for a lot of sacks and interceptions.
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Much of Minnesota's defensive success is the opponent quality. Here are the opponents:
N Mex State 38-0
W Illinois 62-10
Colorado 49-7
Michigan St 34-7 (1st 4 games 6.0 points per game given up.)
Purdue 10-20
Illinois 14-26
Penn State 17-45
Rutgers 31-10
Nebraska 20-13 (Last 6 games 19.0 points per game given up)

Teams in red have losing records. Also note the drop off in points per game after the Michigan State game.
 
eyekwah said:
Much of Minnesota's defensive success is the opponent quality. Here are the opponents:
N Mex State 38-0
W Illinois 62-10
Colorado 49-7
Michigan St 34-7 (1st 4 games 6.0 points per game given up.)
Purdue 10-20
Illinois 14-26
Penn State 17-45
Rutgers 31-10
Nebraska 20-13 (Last 6 games 19.0 points per game given up)

Teams in red have losing records. Also note the drop off in points per game after the Michigan State game.
Click to expand...

Yah...I don't disagree. I mean...those teams that beat Iowa, all got to play Iowa. Which can be very good for your defensive stats.

Stats are...obviously stats and don't tell much of a story.
 
I think our D is adjusting to the lack of rest on the sidelines between possessions

We seem to be bringing in quality reserves thirsting for blood now

I only noticed obvious fatigue one time late in the third quarter

The offense should be running the clock down to 2/3 seconds every play, however infrequently
to give the Lads that much more rest

First time I have been more pumped to see the D on the field than the offense, every game now
 
HawksMN said:
MN isn't really very good. They lean on the Prophet for their offense.
Slow the Prophet to a hundred and a quarter or less on 40 carries, and Iowa wins this one.
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How old is that dude? If he actually goes to class, he's gotta have 3 doctorates by now. I suppose you're going to tell me that Tanner Morgan is still there too.
 
Minny's offensive results are like Purdue's: inconsistent and tough to predict. Held to 10 pts by Purdue and 20 by Nebraska; but scored 34 vs Sparty and 31 vs Rutgers. Morgan seems to run hot/cold this year and week-to-week; ya never know what you're gonna get. The Iowa D will slow down Abrahim, but he's probably the best RB they'll see this year other than the Michigan back. Morgan is the wild-card.
 
Grady said:
Minny's offensive results are like Purdue's: inconsistent and tough to predict. Held to 10 pts by Purdue and 20 by Nebraska; but scored 34 vs Sparty and 31 vs Rutgers. Morgan seems to run hot/cold this year and week-to-week; ya never know what you're gonna get. The Iowa D will slow down Abrahim, but he's probably the best RB they'll see this year other than the Michigan back. Morgan is the wild-card.
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Worth noting that Ibrahim did not play in the Purdue game.
 
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Looking through Ibrahim's numbers and even against Illinois, who has one of the better defensive lines, he put up 127 yards on just 15 carries. I think Iowa is going to have their hands full trying to stop him as he's the best running back Iowa will face since Blake Corum of Michigan (133 yards).

Hopefully Iowa is treating this game like it's a championship game (it kinda is). The winner of this game will be in great position to win the West, especially for Iowa since it owns the tiebreaker over Purdue.
 
I have watched a couple Minny games and IMHO their defense is not as good as Wisky's D. Unlike Wisky, they have a almost competent offense.

I think this is going to feel more like the Purdue game. On the road, hostile crowd, we will frustrate the hell out of their offense, but they will score a couple times. Say, 13 points total. Our offense will do just enough to score 21 points with like 275 yards of total offense.

If this game was in IC, I think we would be clear favorites. But, we do have a couple nice road wins this season. I like our chances even with the bad offense.
 
ssckelley said:
Looking through Ibrahim's numbers and even against Illinois, who has one of the better defensive lines, he put up 127 yards on just 15 carries. I think Iowa is going to have their hands full trying to stop him as he's the best running back Iowa will face since Blake Corum of Michigan (133 yards).

Hopefully Iowa is treating this game like it's a championship game (it kinda is). The winner of this game will be in great position to win the West, especially for Iowa since it owns the tiebreaker over Purdue.
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Agreed. Altho I don't expect to see it given the weather forecast, this is the game to pull out all the stops. If the Hawks have any trick plays, this is the game. Consistent misdirection plays? This is the game. Something you've never shown this year, like an unbalanced OLine, ANYTHING...this is the game.
 
dagdaj said:
Statistically, Minnesota's defense will be the third toughest of the defenses they've played.
Mn has slightly better stats than ISU. And significantly better than Wisconsin. 148 yards against Wisconsin is dismal.

Hawks averaged 9.25 points and 202 yards against teams that have defenses statistically comparable to MN.

I don't see how they win this game without outright scoring contribution from the defense AND a few gimme field goals created by turnovers in field goal range.

MN does lean on their run game. Not one runningback has put up numbers against Iowa. Including some exceptional ones. But it doesn't afford for a lot of sacks and interceptions.
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Minny's defense is certainly very good, but I have the feeling that Iowa struggles more with Wisky's attacking, confusing style of defense than it does with Minnesota. I could be wrong, but Wisky's defense gives us fits every year. I went to the game in Camp Randall right after Iowa beat anOSU, and I think Stanley and the boys had fifty-something yards of offense that year.
 
Grady said:
Agreed. Altho I don't expect to see it given the weather forecast, this is the game to pull out all the stops. If the Hawks have any trick plays, this is the game. Consistent misdirection plays? This is the game. Something you've never shown this year, like an unbalanced OLine, ANYTHING...this is the game.
Click to expand...

You prolly fuddle around with maybe three or four drives, let them get nice and cold, then roll out 7 o-linemen, La Porta wide, and just try to run it down their throats. Give them something to worry about during halftime.
 
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