Hawkeye Nation has been uneasy this week with many worried about another slow offensive start to the season teamed with another loss to Iowa State.
The cause of all that frustration was yet another loss to Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk game, the third time in four years that the Hawkeyes have failed to beat their in-state rival. But beyond the loss in the points column, it felt like an even bigger loss for the program.
Once again, Iowa’s passing offense was non-existent, throwing for less than 100 yards for the second week in a row. It’s inexcusable for the passing game to be this bad year after year, and somehow, it is. The frustration with the offense in Iowa’s 16-13 loss to the Cyclones last weekend has led to a lot of questions about the program this week. While a win over UMASS would hardly quell many of those concerns, it would at least be a step in the right direction.
The Minutemen are 0-2 this season, with a blowout loss to Temple and a one-point loss to FCS Bryant on their resume. They have all sorts of injuries on offense, with their starting quarterback and two wide receivers already being ruled out for this game. And their defense has been atrocious this season. On paper, Iowa should dominate. But how does Hawkeyes Wire see this game playing out?
