Michigan Football: Breaking down each ranked opponent for Wolverines

Iowa at home

It’s been three years since the last time the Wolverines and Iowa faced off and the 14-13 result in favor of the Hawkeyes – at Kinnick – does not sit well with this roster. It’s time for revenge.

The key here, stop Nate Stanley and the passing attack. Stanley is set for his final season as he looks to break just about every record for Iowa. During the bowl game last year, Nate threw one of the most incredible passes which also turned out to be a record-long 75-yard touchdown pass against Mississippi State. They won their bowl game despite facing the 18th ranked team in the country. Over Nate’s career, he has thrown for over 5,000 yards which includes an impressive 2,852 yards in 2018 alone, 252 more yards than Shea Patterson,

The Hawkeyes are getting some consistency in the backfield as well. Mekhi Sargent is returning from a 742 yard rushing season. He and Torn Young will split carries this year much like last season with Tom as the bulldozer and Sargent as the smaller and quicker rusher.

To top it all off, the Hawkeyes defense was a beast last year, allowing only 184 yards in the air and 110 on the ground. The 2019 AP preseason All-America team features AJ Epenesa, a defensive end for Iowa. The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder is a sack machine for this highly ranked defense.

Based on the evidence, this is a trap game at home against the 20th ranked Hawkeyes.