For whatever reason, Brady Hoch decided not to utilize his biggest weapon (his mobile quarterback) last weekend, and Iowa got a few lucky breaks down the stretch. This week, the Hawks will get the stronger defense from the state of Michigan, and my leading candidate for most disappointing player in the Big 10, Kirk Cousins, under center.
In my view, here are the three key players for the Hawks this weekend:
1. Mika'il McCall, RB
Kirk Ferentz admitted during his weekly press conference that McCall was ready to go last week, but it was the head coach that needed a little push. Honestly, Ferentz didn't give himself that push because the Hawks didn't need that "change of pace" running back against the Wolverines. This week will be a different story. Sparty's defense is much stronger than their in-state brethren, and Coker up the middle 25 times isn't likely to be nearly as effective. While Coker is a great back, he's not exceptionally great at getting to the edge and making defenders miss- he's a back that runs into contact and bowls people over. Even if it's just for a series or two, the Hawks will need to spread Sparty's defense out to give Coker some room, and while throwing the ball will do just that, having a back that can get to the edge can help as well. I'd like to see McCall get 7-10 touches tomorrow and remember what it's like to be on the field before you hit the road the rest of the season.
2. Tyler Nielsen, LB
The move to the middle did him some good. Maybe it was the switch, maybe he just woke up, but for the first time this season, it looked like the Iowa defense had a player with a "killer" instinct tracking in the Wolverine backfield. Nielsen was able to run down Denard Robinson on a couple of key occasions and force him into poor decisions. Kirk Cousins is nowhere near as mobile, and could be on his back more than once this weekend thanks to Mr. Nielsen. His leadership from the LB position will be key.
3. Norm Parker, Defensive Coordinator
Just when I was ready to write Norm off, he finally decided to break from the same old game plan just enough to pull off a win. Now, give Michigan 20 more seconds on the clock, and it might be a different story. Parker will need to continue to mix it up, especially as the second half wears on, to keep Sparty guessing just enough to get the job done. I used to think Iowa's defense just got fatigued late in games and couldn't finish. I'm starting to buy into the thought that other teams knew what was coming, and were able to adjust. Throw in a blitz or two. Bring the DB's 3 yards closer to the line. Bring in a nickleback once in a while. I'm not suggesting a complete overhaul, just a wrinkle here and there.
Prediction: It will be a tall task to come up with another upset this weekend, but that being said, I didn't see last weekend coming either. The game opened at Iowa +3 in Vegas, and has been bet down to +2.5. I'll agree with the bookies, and take Iowa plus the points.
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