IOWA CITY, Iowa– The Hawkeyes will be kicking off their 2024 football season in about three months. Iowa is riddled with storylines entering the season. Kirk Ferentz returns for his 26th season at the helm while trying to help lead an overhaul of a disastrous offense. They’ll also be slated to have one of the best defenses in the country while trying to reinvent the magic from punter Tory Taylor.
That challenge will begin on August 31 when they host the Illinois State Redbirds. In the first year of the new Big Ten, Iowa’s schedule is manageable to put together a potential double-digit win season. It would be the fourth double-digit win season in the last five full regular seasons.
College Football News recently released its preview for the Hawkeyes. Most Sportsbooks have Iowa’s win total set at over/under 7.5, but CFN has it set at 8.5 because all they do is find a way to win.
“Everyone wants Iowa to be more interesting. Come up with more offense. Complete a downfield pass. Quit trying to win games 3-2… But why?” College Football News’ Pete Fiutak wrote. “The Hawkeyes have 11 straight winning seasons under head coach Kirk Ferentz, three 10-win campaigns in the last four full seasons – not counting 2020 – and they at least got to shoot their shot in two of the last three Big Ten Championships.”
“Iowa’s formula under Ferentz works. It’s not pretty, it’s not always fun, and the punt, baby, punt style gets mocked and ridiculed mercilessly – whatever. You know what’s interesting? Winning lots of college football games no matter what.”
The Hawkeyes return Luke Lachey to the tight end room. The highly-touted NFL prospect missed the majority of the 2023 season after suffering a season-ending injury in Iowa’s third game of the season. New offensive coordinator Tim Lester is emphasizing different aspects that Iowa hasn’t previously shown before. He’ll be charged with making the pieces work.
Iowa will be heavily relying upon wide receivers Kaleb Brown, Seth Anderson and look for a few others to step up in the room. Lester wants to emphasize a short/medium passing game with aggressive wrinkles sprinkled into it.
“The one thing I know everybody wants to know is what we’re going to be about, and I can tell you right now that we’re going to be a physical football team,” Tim Lester said during his opening press conference. “We’re going to be disciplined, and we’re going to be aggressive in everything we do, from run game to pass game to keepers to RPOs to tempos.”
“One thing I’ve learned in my time as a former quarterback, quarterback coach, offensive coordinator, head coach at pretty much every level, it’s about putting your players in the best position to succeed.”
The Hawkeye offensive line had a strong spring and there’s no question that they’ll be one of the key components to making it all work. Iowa also added former Northwestern quarterback Brenden Sullivan to its room after Deacon Hill’s departure. Starting quarterback Cade McNamara should be fully-cleared by summer to begin his off-season work.
Scoring points obviously provides the best chance for Iowa to win, but it’s also just as important for the Hawkeyes to string together sustainable drives. Last season, there was never a feeling that Iowa would be able to pick up a third down. There was never momentum on the offensive end that they could put together an eight or nine play drive to provide the defense with some rest.
It became the expectation that they would go three-and-out or get one first down before putting Taylor back out to punt. Iowa’s defense will be the stronghold once again, but the offense has a real chance to begin trending in the right direction. Iowa’s 2024 success will rely upon that.
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