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Michigan State football: What to watch against Iowa

chris solari, detroit free press
·2 min read

EAST LANSING — Free Press sports writer Chris Solari looks ahead to Michigan State football’s homecoming game against Iowa on Saturday.

Next up for the Spartans: Iowa Hawkeyes

Matchup: Michigan State (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) vs. Iowa (4-2, 2-1).

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Spartan Stadium, East Lansing

TV/radio: NBC, WJR-AM (760).

Line: Hawkeyes by 6½.

Know the foe

Sep 30, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara (12) scrambles from the endzone as offensive lineman Rusty Feth (60) and offensive lineman Logan Jones (65) block Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye (52) and Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (41) during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. McNamara would incur an injury on the play and leave the game. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawkeyes delivered Kirk Ferentz his 200th career win at Iowa with a thorough 40-16 takedown of Washington on Saturday in Iowa City. The current dean of Big Ten coaches, Ferentz needs only five more victories to tie Ohio State legend Woody Hayes' conference record of 205. After enduring one of the most anemic offenses in the nation a year ago, Iowa has rebounded after Ferentz was forced to fire his son, Brian, last October. The Hawkeyes rank 94th in total offense at 357.5 yards per game (up from 234.6 and 130th ranked last season) and scoring (up from 15.4 points a year ago). Their run game is now 13th in the nation at 228.8 yards per game, after being ranked an un-Iowa-like 107th in the nation last year after running for 115.9 a game.

Former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the first quarter of the Hawkeyes’ 26-16 win over MSU a year ago, is 86-for-136 for 794 yards passing with five touchdowns and three interceptions, though he has been sacked eight times already. Running back Kaleb Johnson leads the ground attack with 937 yards on 118 carries and 12 of the Hawkeyes' 14 rushing touchdowns. Ferentz’s defense remains among the best in the nation after last year’s elite showing offset the offensive issues. Iowa is ranked 29th nationally this season in total defense (316 yards allowed per game) and 24th in points allowed (17.7 per game). Iowa also is boosted by having the fewest penalties and yards penalized a game (2.7 flags and 25.8 yards) as well as a solid punting game (44.6 yards per kick) despite replacing Big Ten first-teamer Tory Taylor (an NFL draft pick) with Rhys Dakin.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football: What to watch against Iowa