Iowa wants to make Saturday’s game against Ohio State boring, but that’ll require tackling in space
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Football in its most basic form is pretty simple.
You tackle the person carrying the football.
The game has certainly evolved over the past century from three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust to where now some teams throw on nearly every down.
Offenses are more complex, as are defenses in trying to keep up.
Analytics are also popular now as teams look for a competitive edge from a scouting and preparation standpoint.
But even with all the progress and modernization that has helped to change how football is played and coached, it still comes down to tackling the person carrying the ball.
And should Iowa struggle to make tackles in Saturday’s game against third-ranked Ohio State, the 20.5 point spread favoring the Buckeyes might prove to be too low.
Ohio State likes to play in space where its talented skill players often win their individual matchups, sometimes even when being outnumbered two or three to one.
“They do a lot, and they do a lot of it well,” Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins said of the Buckeyes. “Obviously, they have playmakers at every position offensively. So, we’re just going to try and keep the game as boring as possible.
“Really, it just comes down to tackling. A lot of their big plays come from extra-effort plays from their receivers, long runs from running backs, just missed tackles and you can’t have that on the perimeter.
“So, we know all eleven guys need to rally to the ball and get these ball carriers to the ground as quickly as possible.”
Ohio State’s offense relies heavily on making big plays, while Iowa’s defense under Phil Parker is known for not allowing big plays, although it has allowed a few this season.
The Buckeyes are in the rare position of having two running backs with over 3,000 career rushing yards and they both thrive on breaking and eluding tackles.
Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins leads Ohio State with 390 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and is averaging 8.3 yards per carry, while TreVeyon Henderson has rushed for 276 yards and is averaging 8.9 yards per carry.
Higgins was asked on Tuesday what stands out about Judkins and Henderson.
“Their balance as runners, and obviously, going through the holes,” Higgins said. “They both work really well together as far as play calling and they can do some of the same things on the perimeter. They run hard and fight for every yard. There’s never a play where they’re just going not let themselves get tackled.
“So, we know it’s going to come down to gang tackling. We understand we can’t have big plays trying to contain those guys.”
In addition to having two dynamic running backs, Ohio State also has an explosive one-two punch at wide receiver in freshman Jeremiah Smith and senior Emeka Egbuka.
Smith, a former five-star recruit from Florida, leads the Buckeyes with five receiving touchdowns, while Egbuka leads the team with 21 catches.
Smith has a 70-yard reception this season, while Egbuka has a 68-yard catch. Smith also has scored a touchdown on a 19-yard reverse.
“They have the receivers to turn it into a passing game if they want to,” Higgins said.
Higgins and his defensive cohorts will also have to keep an eye on Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who isn’t a dual threat, but he has three rushing touchdowns this season.
The 6-foot-4, 237-pound Howard transferred from Kansas State where he started 28 games.
He is capable as a runner of turning broken plays on third down into first downs. His size also makes him difficult to tackle.
Higgins mentioned the importance of gang tackling because Iowa wants to play the game in traffic, while the Buckeyes would prefer to play in space.
Iowa has multiple defenders who excel at making tackles in space, from Higgins to fellow linebacker Nick Jackson to safety Sebastian Castro, all three have won more than their share of tackles in space, and in traffic.
In fact, Jackson, who played his first four seasons for Virginia, is just 89 tackles shy of becoming the FBS all-time tackles leader, while Higgins tied Iowa’s single season record with 171 tackles last season.
The Ohio State defenders will also face an explosive running back in Iowa junior and Hamilton, Ohio native Kaleb Johnson, who has rushed for 685 yards and scored nine touchdowns in 3 ½ games this season.
Iowa is averaging 272.0 rushing yards per game, but it hasn’t faced a defense as good as the one it’ll face Saturday in the Horseshoe.
“When you play a team like this, those gaps that look pretty good all of a sudden shrink fast,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said of the Buckeyes. “So, it’s going to take everybody’s best performance, and certainly Kaleb can help us out. But he’s doing a really nice job.”
Ohio State will likely load the box and dare Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara to throw downfield, which Iowa has tried very little of this season under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester.
McNamara didn’t have to throw much downfield in the 31-14 win over Minnesota because the running game was so dominant.
But should the running game sputter against the Buckeyes, McNamara would have to make some vertical throws. He also might have to scramble from the pocket and use his legs to be effective.
McNamara suffered season-ending knee injuries in each of the past two seasons, so it’s uncertain how he would respond to heavy pressure in the pocket.
Kirk Ferentz is 0-6 against Ohio State in Columbus, and missed tackles have certainly contributed to Iowa’s misery.
Iowa also committed six turnovers and was crushed 54-10 in its last game against Ohio State in 2022 in Columbus.
The Iowa players are used to competing in big games, and in hostile environments, but they’ve also struggled against elite competition.
Iowa lost to Penn State (31-0), Michigan (26-0) and Tennessee (35-0) by a combined score of 92-0 last season.
It could be more of the same on Saturday if the Iowa defensive players struggle to make tackles in space, or if the Iowa offense struggles to protect the football.
Prediction: Ohio State 27, Iowa 14