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Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
A look at four players who will impact the outcome of the game on Saturday
Iowa football hosts the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday in their biggest game of the season up to this point. The Iowa Hawkeyes are 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in conference play, although a loss to the tenth-ranked Badgers would make it very hard for Iowa to repeat as Big Ten West champs.
The same goes for a Wisconsin team with two conference losses after falling to Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks. The Badgers are looking for revenge after Iowa came to Camp Randall a year ago and won a slug fest, 10-6. Although Wisconsin won in each of the prior two meetings between the teams.
The Heartland Trophy is on the line, as well. The Hawkeyes already won their first two trophy games, but this would be a season-defining win for an Iowa team looking to get back to how they played in 2015.
That being said, there are a lot of future NFL players on both sides of the ball who will have a significant impact on the outcome of the game. Plenty of NFL scouts will be at Kinnick Stadium in the morning to see how players perform in one of the biggest games of the season for each team.
Here’s a look at four players who will have a big part in determining who wins on Saturday.
WR, Jazz Peavy
2016 Stats: 21 Receptions, 357 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
There is a lot of focus on Wisconsin’s ground game, and rightfully so. The Badgers want to pound the ball with Corey Clement and 61 percent of their plays are runs. However, wide receiver Jazz Peavy is a vital part to their success on offense and can’t be forgotten.
The junior wide receiver is the most versatile player on Wisconsin, as he’s used in both the pass and run game. In fact, Peavy is the only player on the Badgers with double-digit receptions and carries in 2016. Along with his 21 receptions and a team-high 357 yards and three touchdowns, Peavy has gained 124 yards on 10 carries.
Sure, 10 carries in six games means that Peavy is averaging fewer than two carries per game, although Wisconsin has been able to catch teams off-guard when they call end-arounds with him. It’s evident by his impressive 12.4 yards per carry.
Plus, it worked against Ohio State a week ago. Peavy helped stretch the field and added a speed dynamic to the offense against a Ohio State defense committed to stopping Clement. Peavy carried the ball a career-high six times for 70 yards — 11.7 yards per carry. Iowa’s main goal on defense is to stop Clement from running through their defense, which could open quick runs by Peavy where he gets to the sideline.
However, the Badgers need Peavy in the passing game more than anything. As good as the Badgers’ running game is, Alex Hornibrook will have to step back and pass every once in a while, and Peavy is one of Wisconsin’s top receivers.
He is the only receiver with more than one touchdown grab and leads the team in receiving yards, while only being two receptions behind Troy Fumagalli for the team lead, too. Also, Wisconsin’s offense is significantly more productive during the games he’s a factor in the passing game.
During the four games that Wisconsin scored at least 23 points in, Peavy averages 4.5 receptions, 84.8 receiving yards and he’s scored all three of his touchdowns. In the two games Wisconsin failed to reach 20 points, Peavy combined to record a measly three receptions for 18 yards.
Credit is due to LSU and Michigan for containing Peavy, although it’s evident that Wisconsin needs his explosive play-making to help Alex Hornibrook. The freshman quarterback hasn’t had the smoothest season thus far, although Peavy is a receiver he can lean on and count on making big plays off of short throws.
As versatile as Peavy is, look for Wisconsin to keep implementing him in the run game when Iowa full-on commits to stopping Clement. If Peavy gets going on Saturday, it will help the passing game and make Wisconsin very hard to stop on offense, and Iowa needs to keep the game low-scoring.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
OLB, Vince Biegel
2016 Stats: 9 Tackles, 2 Tackles For Loss, 1 Sack
Vince Biegel could have been an NFL player this year if he left Wisconsin a season early. Instead, he opted towards returning for his senior season and being one of the top rated defensive players in the nation. After once again being the anchor to one of the toughest defenses in the nation, Biegel missed the past three weeks with a foot injury.
Despite missing the Badgers’ two biggest games of the season against Michigan and Ohio State, a bye week in between gave him time to heal and miss fewer games. The Badgers still held two high-powered offenses in check without their star linebacker and rank ninth in the nation in points allowed per game. Therefore getting Biegel back is a scary thought for any team playing Wisconsin.
Sure, T.J. Watt with his team-leading 5.5 sacks or Jack Cichy with his 50 tackles and seven tackles for loss are great players, but Biegel is the unquestioned leader of this defense. The fact that they didn’t seem to lose a beat without him says a lot about the coaching staff and depth of the defense, but there’s no doubt missing their leader had at least a little impact.
Biegel doesn’t put up huge numbers, but he’s one of the best pass rushers in the nation. As a sophomore, he recorded 12 tackles for loss and then 9.5 a season ago, while playing in a mere eight games both seasons. With Iowa owning a banged up offensive line that might be missing a couple of starters, Biegel and the rest of Wisconsin could have a field day if the Hawkeyes aren’t careful.
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Watt and Cichy posed their own set of problems but adding Biegel to the mix gives Iowa a daunting task. Plus, they didn’t even know if he would suit up until Thursday. Granted they were likely scheming like he would play all week, but it’s still a different mindset when he’s listed as active.
Biegel still might not be 100 percent but he must be significantly healthier if he’s playing. The linebacker has never played a full season, though. Therefore, he and Wisconsin know how to handle coming back from a semi-serious injury.
Vince Biegel makes the concerns Iowa’s run game and protection have that much more daunting. He might not play every snap or be in midseason form, but he’s back and Iowa now has another pass rusher to keep an eye on.
Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
WR, Riley McCarron
2016 Stats: 24 Receptions, 289 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
Riley McCarron stepped up when Matt VandeBerg went down with a season-ending injury and might have to do the same this week, as well. McCarron has become the unquestioned top option in Iowa’s pass game, although the Hawkeyes aren’t certain that tight end George Kittle will play, who is the undoubted second option.
Even if Kittle does play, he might not be 100 percent. That give McCarron an even bigger role in the offense. He has fared well after his role expanded a few weeks ago. He leads the team in all three major receiving categories and has at least four receptions and 60 yards in each of the past three games.
The slot receiver position has not been downgraded in the game plan since VandeBerg’s injury, instead Iowa expected McCarron to step up and make plays.
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Iowa will try to establish a ground game early to help open up the pass, like they did against Purdue a week ago. Although, especially with Vince Biegel back from injury, that might not be an option. Wisconsin is holding teams to 3.4 yards per carry and only giving up 106.2 rushing yards per game. In fact, only three teams have gained more than 100 yards on the ground against them — all three teams ranked in the AP Poll top-five at the time.
It’s a testament to Wisconsin’s ability to stop the run, as well as their pass rush. Wisconsin has 17 sacks (2.8 sacks per game) in 2016. They will try to pressure C.J. Beathard since Iowa has a banged up offensive line. If Iowa’s offensive line performs like they did against Northwestern, when they gave up six sacks, then Iowa won’t have a chance to win.
Either way, C.J. Beathard won’t have a lot of time in pocket and will need to make quick throws. Jerminic Smith and Jay Scheel won’t have major roles as downfield threats, rather Iowa will likely try to throw screen passes to McCarron.
Even though Wisconsin’s secondary is still very good and has eight interceptions, it might be Iowa’s best chance of moving the ball if their running game stalls. While McCarron isn’t expected to single-handedly break long touchdowns on screens, he can’t drop easy passes.
It’s no secret that McCarron has had a problem with drops this season, even on screens when no defender is near him. The Hawkeyes can’t waste chances against a defense that doesn’t give many. Besides, with a limited George Kittle, McCarron is the only proven receiver on the roster who can run short routes effectively.
Both teams want to make this game a ground and pound game. However, with both defenses knowing that, there will be a lot of pressure on the running backs and quarterback. Iowa likes to run screens to help speed the game up and stretch the field. Their passing relieves pressure off of the ground game, and that starts with Beathard’s connection with McCarron.
Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
DB, Desmond King
2016 Stats: 29 Tackles, 1 Interception
Teams simply don’t want to challenge Desmond King this year. Some quarterbacks think going after him is their best option but quickly learn that King is one of the best cornerbacks in the nation and has a chance to intercept any pass. After an eight interception season in 2015, King finally intercepted his first pass this season a week ago, returning it for a touchdown.
It came at the end of a blowout and the touchdown was meaningless, but King finally intercepted his first pass. King hasn’t been bad this season, but the lack of throws that go his way makes it harder for him to intercept a pass. Psychologically, it had to be in the back of his mind, as a lot of people were wondering when he’d finally intercept a pass.
Now, he can enter the biggest game of the season with an interception to his name in 2016 and even more confidence. As often as Wisconsin runs the ball, they do eventually let Alex Hornibrook throw, and it doesn’t always work well. He has six interceptions to five touchdowns through his first five games. In fact, Hornibrook is averaging an interception every 16 pass attempts.
Wisconsin will likely try to avoid King, but that takes away their top receiver Jazz Peavy on most plays. King’s presence shrinks the field on passing downs for opposing teams. It’s an even bigger advantage for Iowa this week as they take on a young quarterback who has had a hard enough time not turning the ball over and consistently completing passes.
That being said, King’s biggest impact on the game might be in the return game this week. King ranks third in the Big Ten in both kick return average and punt return average. Also, he’s been close to breaking one for a touchdown every week.
After recording his first interception of the season a week ago, maybe this is the week he scores the first return touchdown of his career. That would be a huge boost for an Iowa offense that might have troubling moving the ball. In an expected low-scoring game, touchdowns on special teams or defense could prove to be the difference maker.
Also, Iowa can’t waste good field position King gives them. There have been too many times King returns the ball near midfield and Iowa punts. This could turn into a field position battle, and the Hawkeyes need to come away with some sort of points if they start near midfield.
It’s an advantage not many teams have. In fact, Wisconsin’s best kick returner, Dare Ogunbowale, ranks just ninth in the conference in kick return average, and the Badgers don’t have anyone in the top-10 in punt return average. It’s an often overlooked aspect of the game but one that Iowa wins nearly every week.
Desmond King is simply a football player and that’s what Iowa needs from him against Wisconsin. Even though he might not see snaps on offense, he impacts the game on both defense and special teams every week. The Hawkeyes need their stars to step up this week, and there’s no bigger star than King.
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