How to Watch the Iowa Hawkeyes at Minnesota Gophers

Happy Saturday Hawkeye fans and welcome back to game day!

The bye week did its job. Your #15 Hawkeyes are 5-1 at the halfway mark and back in action this afternoon with Floyd of Rosedale on the line in Minneapolis. Iowa has won 10 of the last 11 in this series and five straight trips up north, but the Gophers come in at 4-2 with a pair of wins over the same two Washington and Michigan teams the Hawkeyes took down and PJ Flack has no doubt had this one circle yet again.

The quarterback suspense ended Tuesday when Kirk Ferentz named Jeremy Hecklinski the starter during his media availability. Heck earned it with his showing in Seattle – 14 of 19 for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-24 win at Washington. He now makes his second career start, away from Kinnick again. Hank Brown is fully healthy and available and Ferentz has made clear both quarterbacks could see the field as the season rolls along.

While Brown is back healthy, both teams got injury news this week and Minnesota’s stings more. The Gophers will be without defensive tackle Riley Sunram and starting tight end Pierce Walsh, with Walsh’s downgrade coming just last night. Iowa has three out of its own – defensive backs Tyler Brown and Kyler Gerardy along with offensive lineman Trent Wilson. The Brown injury keeps Xavier Styles in the starting lineup at safety after his strong first start in Seattle.

On paper, the matchup tilts one direction. Minnesota ranks 129th nationally running the ball at barely 100 yards a game and today it runs into the country’s #7 rush defense, a unit that just held Washington to -3 yards on the ground. If Phil Parker’s group makes Drake Lindsey (nine touchdowns, five picks) one-dimensional in front of the homecoming crowd, the takeaway chances will come. But Lindsey is dangerous as a passer and the Iowa secondary has been soft at times this season.

For the Hawkeye offense, the question is whether they can build on what went well in Seattle or whether that was an exception rather than the new rule. Kamari Moulton is coming off a career-high 208 yards, the line didn’t allow a sack in that one and Minnesota’s run defense just lost Sunram from the middle of it after giving up a combined 557 yards rushing in their two losses.

Expect Tim Lester and the Iowa offense to lean on the run game, looking to build on that showing from Washington and exploiting the softened Minnesota front the same way Purdue did two weeks ago. The question then becomes whether the Hawkeye defense can generate pressure on Drake Lindsey to keep him off rhythm and generate turnovers without giving up big plays and points on the back end.

As we countdown to kickoff, here’s everything you need to know about today’s matchup.

Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 2:30 pm CT
Matchup: #15 Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-1) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-2, 2-1)
Location: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: FS1
Updated Weather Forecast: Mostly cloudy, high in the low to mid 70s, but a chance of rain early evening.
Updated FanDuel Line: Iowa -7.5 O/U 40.5