Week 6: Iowa at Michigan State

A season showing promise after a 3-0 start has quickly shriveled up for Iowa, which has dropped its last two in games, both decided by five or fewer points. Kirk Ferentz is still developing players at key spots, and this week and next will help those players prepare before the toughest portion of the Hawkeyes’ schedule begins (Wisconsin, Illinois and Penn State).

Iowa’s front seven well deserve the respect it’s been given, but now it must try to contain the nation’s best back through the first five games. Only California has managed to hold Javon Ringer to fewer than 100 yards rushing; the other four teams the Spartans have faced have all failed to keep him under 135 yards. This week Iowa will test its fourth ranked run defense against Ringer.

Michigan State is not as one dimensional as it appears on paper, and because of Iowa’s strength upfront this game could feature a healthy dose of Brian Hoyer and the Spartan passing game. However, to be successful, Hoyer must be more efficient than he has been in the first five games in which he’s completed a paltry 46.5 percent of his attempts.

Notes:

The Spartans blew a 17-3 lead to Iowa last year and lost 34-27 in overtime. Coincidentally, Iowa blew the same lead to Northwestern last week.

With 103 yards rushing Javon Ringer will reach the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year.

These two teams lead the Big Ten in red zone defense – the only two conference defenses to have allowed opponents to score on fewer than 60 percent of their red zone opportunities.

Key Player (Hawkeyes) – Ricky Stanzi, QB

The Spartan defense is most vulnerable against the pass (229.6 yards allowed per game) suggesting Stanzi can take advantage with a big game on Saturday. In last week’s loss the sophomore completed 70 percent of his attempts (21 of 30) for 238 yards.

Key Player (Spartans) – Javon Ringer, RB

Ringer has scored nine touchdowns in three home games this year; if he gets three on Saturday it will be plenty against a Hawkeye defense that has allowed three rushing scores all season.

Michigan State by 10