Iowa Football: Way-too-early game-by-game predictions for 2018
A familiar foe during the Kirk Ferentz era, the Hawkeyes and the Huskies will face off for the sixth time in Ferentz’s tenure at Iowa. The previous matchup was won by Northern Illinois in 2013, the only win by the Huskies in the series dating back to 1985.
The Huskies enter year six in Rod Carey’s tenure in DeKalb as they come off an 8-5 campaign in 2017 ending with a bowl loss to Duke. The Huskies open with the Hawkeyes before facing Utah, Florida State and BYU in the following three weeks, a schedule not for the faint of heart. Carey actually got his first win at NIU against the Hawkeyes back in 2013, after he took over for now-N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren.
This game seems much less the daunting than the 2017 season opener for the Hawkeyes as they faced the possible No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft in Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. Iowa’s defense was able to shut down Allen and the Cowboys offense in a workman-like 24-3 victory to kickoff the 2017 season.
This will be the beginning test for an entirely new linebacking core and a secondary replacing Josh Jackson. This test, however, will be uneventful as Iowa will be prepared as always.