Week One is the perfect time to work out the kinks, earning some needed chemistry and playing time. While No. 2 Ohio State is playing a national contender in No. 5 Notre Dame to kick off their season, Iowa is also facing a national championship contender, albeit a very different one.
The Hawkeyes will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Kinnick Stadium to kick off their season. It certainly isn’t the toughest week one slate, they didn’t elect to schedule a top 25 team like No. 12 Oregon or a returning College Football Playoff team in No. 22 Cincinnati, but SDSU is certainly not a pushover. They aimed for a bit more of an ambitious FCS opponent than say Wisconsin taking on Illinois State, a team that didn’t even muster five wins in 2021.
Expectations are high for the Hawkeyes, fresh off of their Big Ten Championship game campaign. The first team left on the outside looking in of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, Iowa certainly has a chip on its shoulder entering the season. After an offseason of incessant talking points, none of that matters anymore. The season is here, time to put up or shut up. Here are five keys for the Iowa offense against South Dakota State.
Establish the run early
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Just because you are facing an opponent who is, on paper, inferior in stature to you, doesn’t mean you have to abandon your identity. Use this week one game to keep building the chemistry on the offensive line. The run game wasn’t great last year, establish it early with the new o-line and running backs.
Get Spencer Petras in a rhythm
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Despite all of the reports of Spencer Petras’ great progress over the offseason, I don’t think he necessarily needs to come out looking like an all new quarterback for the Hawkeyes. He doesn’t need to come out gunslinging, trying to play like Zach Wilson….
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