Iowa Football: 3 takeaways from another huge win for Hawkeyes

Iowa’s defense is elite

Nobody is going to mistake Iowa football for an offensive juggernaut. The Hawkeyes weren’t even averaging 350 yards of total offense prior to Saturday’s game.

But the Hawkeyes have an identity and part of that is an elite, ball-hawking defense.

Coaches often talk about turnovers being the most important statistic when it comes to being a predictor of who wins and losses.

Well, Iowa has been as good as any team in the country and the Iowa defense has forced turnovers in the key moments, in the biggest games.

The defense forced a slew of turnovers against Iowa State, then forced four interceptions against Penn State — two by each quarterback — to go along with all the quarterback pressure. Iowa also allowed just 287 yards and held Penn State to 20 points.

Iowa has faced three ranked opponents so far this season and has allowed just over 12 points per game. The Hawkeyes force turnovers at an alarming rate and as long as that trend continues, they are going to be tough to beat.