Defense wins championships and right now, it has delivered a spot in the driver’s seat of the Big Ten West to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Against all odds, accumulating injuries, and a trip on the road in the thick of Big Ten play, the Hawkeyes kept on their winning ways.
Iowa took down Wisconsin 15-6 to take the Heartland Trophy and also grab control of the Big Ten West as they moved to 6-1 overall with a 3-1 mark in Big Ten play.
No one will tell you it has been an easy or necessarily fun task to get to this point, but most people would have taken this record if told it before the season started. Sitting where they are right now, the Iowa Hawkeyes have put themselves back into ESPN’s College Football Power Rankings after Week 7.
No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1)
Their offense gets worse every year, but their defense might be getting even better. Iowa beat Wisconsin 15-6 on Saturday in Madison and took the lead in the final Big Ten West race. This was as Iowa a win as humanly possible: The Hawkeyes gained only 237 yards—82 of which came on a single Leshon Williams touchdown burst—and quarterback Deacon Hill completed 6 of 14 passes for all of 37 yards.
But the Hawkeye defense forced two turnovers and held Wisconsin to 4.3 yards per play and a dismal 2-for-17 on third downs, and that was that. Iowa is now 3-1 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes are defiantly winning in the Hawkeye way. – Bill Connelly, ESPN Sports
Iowa’s defense has been outstanding and it continued against Wisconsin. The Badgers registered just 104 rushing yards on 28 carries. Their passing game was not much better going just 27-for-50 for 228 yards. Iowa forced two turnovers as well and tacked on a patented safety for good measure.
How high Iowa can climb in any rankings or polls remains to be seen by how they can navigate their remaining schedule. But for the time being, they are getting it done one game at a time.
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