Iowa knows a thing or two about peaking at the right time.
The Hawkeyes have won 15 of their past 16 games in the month of November and will look to improve on that impressive record Saturday when they face Rutgers in Big Ten Conference action in Iowa City, Iowa.
After falling 12-10 to Minnesota in its final game of October, Iowa (7-2, 4-2) flipped a switch with the arrival of the new month to beat Northwestern 10-7 last Saturday at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
“If you’re in college football, the month of November really defines you,” Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said. “You find out what’s what and who’s who, and that’s usually how you get remembered. So somehow, some way, you got to find a way in November.”
Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano called Iowa’s track record in November “astounding,” making it that much harder to escape Iowa City with a victory.
“We certainly are going into one of the toughest places to play in America against a team that’s leading the Big Ten West,” Schiano said. “We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
Rutgers (6-3, 3-3) hits the road looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 35-16 loss to Ohio State. The Scarlet Knights outgained the Buckeyes 361-328 but had trouble putting up six points, settling for field goals on three drives in which they worked inside the Ohio State 5-yard line.
It won’t be any easier to find the end zone on Saturday, as the Hawkeyes allow the fourth-fewest points per game (13.7) among FBS teams.
Jay Higgins and Cooper DeJean headline Iowa’s defense, and both are among the best in the nation at their respective positions.
Higgins was named a semifinalist for the Dick Butkus Award, given to the country’s top linebacker. Meanwhile, DeJean is in the running for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented to college football’s best defensive back.
Rutgers’ defense has been stout, too, ranking 20th in the nation in scoring defense (17.9 points allowed per game) and 10th in total defense (282.4 yards allowed per game).
The Scarlet Knights are 0-3 all-time vs. the Hawkeyes.
–Field Level Media
