Iowa heads into Saturday with a chance to keep building momentum, and the matchup with Purdue sets up as the kind of game where the Hawkeyes can do more than just win - they can make a statement.
The forecast should help. Eastern Iowa is expected to get a clear, pleasant day, with temperatures in the mid 40s for tailgating.
By kickoff, it should still be clear, though the temperature will have fallen into the high 30s. There’s no precipitation in the picture, so the main advice is simple: bring a coat, hat, and gloves and enjoy the day.
On the field, Purdue’s defense is the big concern. The Boilermakers have struggled badly on that side of the ball, allowing more points than everyone in the Big Ten except Rutgers.
They’ve also had trouble getting after the quarterback, sitting tied for last in the league with 11 sacks on the season. The breakdowns have been obvious, from poor tackling to bad angles to busted coverage in the secondary.
Purdue’s offense has shown it can score. The Boilermakers put up 36 against Wake Forest, 38 against UCLA, and 41 against Minnesota, so this isn’t a team that can be dismissed outright.
But the defense has repeatedly given those points back, and that’s what has made Purdue such a difficult watch this season. After the Maryland loss, the Boilermakers also fired their defensive coordinator, and they came out of that defeat looking more than a little discouraged.
Iowa, meanwhile, has something to play for. Purdue does not have that same urgency, and that difference matters here.
The Hawkeyes are favored by 17.5, and the expectation is that they cover. The pick is Iowa 41, Purdue 17, with the Hawkeyes keeping their playoff push alive for another week.
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Iowa Brings Real Night Game Momentum Into A Tricky Purdue Test
Iowa heads into a tricky Big Ten road test at Purdue with a little more energy around its program than usual, and for good reason. The Hawkeyes have leaned on a defense that has been sturdy enough to keep them in games, while Purdue has brought a faster offensive pace that can force opponents to stay alert from the opening snap.
The matchup also carries the kind of familiar edge that comes with a longstanding rivalry, even if the Boilermakers still hold the all-time series lead. It will also be Barry Odoms first chance to see Iowa from the other sideline as Purdues head coach, adding another layer to a game that already has enough tension built in for both teams to feel the stakes. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Arrives In Iowa With An Unusual Problem Before Saturday Night
An unusual travel wrinkle hit Purdue on the way to Iowa City, where the Boilermakers are still set to meet the Hawkeyes on Saturday night. With the FAA grounding all flights across the United States, Purdue had to scrap its planned flight and make the trip by bus instead, adding an unexpected layer to a Big Ten road game that was already going to test the visitors.
For Iowa, the bigger concern is less about the mode of transportation and more about whether the disruption changes anything on game day. The current expectation is that kickoff will stay right where it was, even as Purdue works through the kind of logistical headache teams rarely have to deal with in the middle of a season. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Delivered The Exact Response Fans Needed After UConn
After the frustration of the UConn loss, Iowa got the kind of reset it needed at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, rolling past Northern Iowa 78-40 in a game that looked from the start like a team intent on reasserting itself. The Hawkeyes tightened up defensively, holding UNI to 25.5-percent shooting and forcing 26 turnovers, while Dani Carnegie paced all scorers with 22 points in a performance that gave Iowa plenty to build on.
There was also a little extra familiarity in the matchup, with UNIs Callie Levin returning to face the program she once played for. Iowa, now 3-1, will take the win as more than just a routine in-state result, because it came with the sort of defensive edge and composure fans were looking for after a rougher night against UConn. [Read more 🡒]