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Iowa Football: 5 reasons the Hawkeyes will beat Iowa State

By Quinn Douglas

AMES, IA - SEPTEMBER 9: Wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette #6 of the Iowa Hawkeyes pulls in the game winning touchdown pass as defensive back Brian Peavy #10 of the Iowa State Cyclones blocks in overtime play at Jack Trice Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa Hawkeyes won 44-41 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - SEPTEMBER 9: Wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette #6 of the Iowa Hawkeyes pulls in the game winning touchdown pass as defensive back Brian Peavy #10 of the Iowa State Cyclones blocks in overtime play at Jack Trice Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa Hawkeyes won 44-41 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

4. Special Teams

Last year, Iowa was one of the worst teams in the country in terms of yards per punt as Colton Rastetter finished the year averaging 37.8 yards per punt, 123rd out of 125 FBS punters. But after week one, it seems Rastetter has completely flipped the script as he is now ranked second in the entire FBS in yards per punt at 53.8 yards per punt. While surely the average will likely go down, it’s still a huge positive to look at. Meanwhile, Iowa State is going with a brand new punter this season in sophomore Corey Dunn, who has yet to have a punt in college.

Iowa also appears to have the advantage in the placekicking phase as well. The Hawkeyes return Miguel Recinos, who was 11 for 13 on field goals last season and a perfect 44 for 44 on extra points. Keith Duncan could also come off the bench if needed as he is off a redshirt season. Iowa State does have some question marks at kicker as sophomore Connor Assalley and senior Chris Francis are dueling it out for the position.

While many seem to criticize and ridicule Kirk Ferentz’s willingness to punt rather than be aggressive, it pays off in the long run in ways that normal fans don’t see a.k.a “Hidden Yardage”. Having an effective punting and kicking game can be the difference between a three-point loss and a seven-point win. Iowa has a distinct advantage right now in the special teams department.

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