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The Iowa Hawkeye offense is a meme at this point. It’s been a long time since the offense was good, but the 2023 version is a new low for head coach Kirk Ferentz and his son, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, in terms of offense.
And, that’s been reflected in many of the point totals set by Las Vegas, with some incredibly low totals already this year. For instance, the total for the Iowa-Minnesota game earlier this year was a stunning 32.5 points.
But, they’ve made history heading into their matchup with a surprisingly frisky Northwestern team, as the total is set at a stunning 29.5. According to The Athletic, that is the lowest opening total on record.
And, it makes sense. The Iowa offense is simply abysmal. They’re averaging 19.5 points per game, 120th in the country, and are dead last in total offense at just 232 yards a game. In fact, they’re dead last by twenty-six yards. It’s not even close. And, much of their damage on offense was done with Michigan transfers quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Eric All. Both of those players are out for the season, and their replacements, especially quarterback Deacon Hill, are terrible.
This was a big year for the Iowa offense, too. After a pathetic showing last season, Iowa brass put stipulations into the contract of Brian Ferentz, including the Hawkeyes needing to average 25 points per game in order for his contract to remain valid. They are well below that pace, and the contract clause itself is a national laughingstock.
But, on the flip side, the Hawkeye defense is stout, as usual. Phil Parker is one of the finest defensive coordinators in the country, and his unit is 20th in total defense and 6th in total defense. You take their offense and their defense, and you’re going to get some incredibly low totals.
That 29.5 total may not be low enough. The last two Hawkeye games have seen just 21 and 22 points scored in them, and there’s no real reason to expect anymore on Saturday.
Despite all of this, the Hawkeyes sit at 6-2 and more-or-less control their destiny in a pathetic Big Ten West division. A win against Northwestern, who is surprisingly 4-4 and also somehow in the division title hunt after an offseason of turmoil, would go a long way towards winning the division.