IOWA CITY, Iowa – The matchup at quarterback often goes a long way in determining the winner of a football game, and Don Patterson thinks that could be the case on Saturday when Iowa faces Wisconsin in the much-anticipated Big Ten opener at Kinnick Stadium.

Patterson shared his thoughts on the game during Monday's Allhawkeyes podcast, which lasted for nearly two hours.

The Badgers have won the last four games at Kinnick Stadium, and five of the last six games in the series, but also are coming off a rare loss in September that caused them to drop from sixth to No. 18 in the Associated Press Poll.

Brigham Young University became the first nonconference opponent since 2003 to defeat Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium with a 24-21 victory this past Saturday.

Wisconsin entered the game with a 41-game nonconference winning streak at home, which was the longest active streak in the nation.

The loss severely damaged Wisconsin's hopes of making the College Playoff, but a Big Ten title still is very much in play.

Many considered Iowa to be Wisconsin's biggest threat in the Big Ten West Division, and the winner on Saturday will have an early advantage in that regard.

The matchup at quarterback features Iowa junior Nate Stanley versus Wisconsin senior Alex Hornibrook.

Patterson has a unique perspective as a former Iowa offensive coordinator under Hayden Fry. Patterson has watched Stanley perform numerous times in practice and in games, while he also recruited Hornibrook as an assistant coach at Connecticut.

Patterson said on Monday's podcast that the winner on Saturday will likely be the team whose quarterback performs the best.

Stanley, a Wisconsin native, performed woefully against the Badgers last season, completing just 8-of-24 passes for 41 yards during a 38-14 loss in Madison, Wis. But he wasn't alone as the Iowa offense only gained 66 yards.

Hornibrook was only slightly better, though,as he was intercepted three times, including two pick sixes by former Iowa All-America cornerback Josh Jackson. Hornibrook also threw two touchdown passes in last year's game.

But it was Wisconsin's defense that led the way to victory.

Hornibrook isn't very mobile, but he has the luxury of being protected by one of the top offensive lines in college football.

Iowa's defense ranks among the best in the country after three games and has excelled at pressuring the quarterback.

Wisconsin's defense, on the other hand, struggled against BYU, allowing nearly 200 rushing yards.

The result on Saturday in Madison was a drastic change from last season when Wisconsin crushed BYU 40-6 on the road.

The podcast starts with Patterson's interview, which lasts for approximately 30 minutes. There is some drifting during the final 90 minutes of the podcast, but it is mostly serious football discussion with lots of input from the callers.

We always appreciate Don Patterson's insight and think you will, too.

So give it a listen and enjoy..