GoldandBlack – First Look: Iowa

Here’s an early look at Purdue’s sixth opponent in 2021, the Iowa Hawkeyes:

Time: Saturday, Oct. 16, 3:30 ET

Location: Kinnick Stadium

Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 70,585 (Tickets Info ) (Vivid Seats)

Schedule/records: Iowa (6-0 overall, 3-0 Big Ten); Purdue (3-2, 1-1)

Series notes: Purdue leads the all-time series 49-39-3. Purdue has won three of the last four games, including last year’s 24-20 season-opening victory with Brian Brohm on the sidelines while Jeff Brohm battled Covid-19. Jeff Brohm is 1-1 in games played in Iowa City, winning 24-15 in 2017 to help earn a bowl bid, and dropping a 26-20 decision in 2019. In fact, the Boilers have won two of their last four in Kinnick Stadium and are 20-22-2 in games played in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes had won four meetings in a row before Purdue’s recent success. The Boilermakers won 20 in a row vs. Iowa from 1961-80. Since then, Purdue is 10-23-1 vs. the Hawkeyes.

TV: ABC

Early line: Iowa is given an 81 percent chance of winning, per ESPN. The line will be available Sunday afternoon.

A couple of quick storylines:

After a 6-0 start, the No. 3 Hawkeyes won one of the biggest games played in Kinnick Stadium in years with a dramatic come-from behind 23-20 win over No. 4 Penn State. It’s the highest ranked Hawkeye team Purdue has seen since ’85, when quarterback Chuck Long and coach Hayden Fry had the Hawks ranked fifth prior to a trip to Ross-Ade Stadium.

Iowa has a bye week after it plays Purdue, and then travels to Wisconsin.

Currently, the Hawkeyes are second in the nation (behind Georgia) in scoring defense (as of Oct. 8), giving up just 13.0 points per contest. But Purdue isn’t far behind, giving up just 15.4 per contest. They are seventh in the FBS in total defense, allowing just 271 yards per contest.

Offensively, quarterback Spencer Petras is completing 61 percent of his passes with nine TDs and two interceptions. Junior running back Tyler Goodson leads Iowa in rushing with 518 yards and a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. Not surprisingly, Iowa has another stellar tight end, as Sam LaPorta leads the team with 23 receptions and a pair of scores.

In last year’s game, David Bell had three touchdown receptions, but the difference might have been the fact that running back Zander Horvath gained 129 rushing yards (6.1 per carry) and actually wore the visitors down in a near-empty Ross-Ade Stadium.

Purdue had several key players return for the Minnesota game, and it is hoped that tight end Payne Durham, corner back Cory Trice and possibly (but not likely) Horvath will be available. King Doerue’s career-best 95 yards rushing against Minnesota has to give the Boilermakers some hope they can move the ball on the ground.

We will have more after Brohm’s Monday press conference.

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