Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Iowa football: 5 keys to the Hawkeyes winning the Big Ten in 2023

By Riley Cavanagh

IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 29: The Iowa Hawkeyes take the field before the match-up against the Northwestern Wildcats at Kinnick Stadium, on October 29, 2022 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 29: The Iowa Hawkeyes take the field before the match-up against the Northwestern Wildcats at Kinnick Stadium, on October 29, 2022 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Iowa’s Tory Taylor (9) punts during a NCAA football game against Ohio State, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Iowa’s Tory Taylor (9) punts during a NCAA football game against Ohio State, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. /

3. The MVP continues to pin the opposition Inside the 20

Tory Taylor is as good of a football player as anyone on the Iowa Hawkeyes roster. He led the nation in total punts (82) and punts downed inside the 20 (6). For the last two seasons, I’ve watched as the Hawkeyes chose to run the ball on third and eight, knowing that the intention was not to get the first down but instead to pick up a few extra yards so that Taylor could pin the opposition deeper in their own territory.

Taylor was as large a part of the defense last year as Riley Moss, Jack Campbell, or Lukas Van Ness. He struck fear into opposing offensive coordinators in a completely different way, but all of those players changed the way a play-caller would have to look at game-planning.

If Taylor can continue to be the same guy this year that he was the last three seasons then Iowa has another weapon to combine with their always formidable defense and their potentially improved offense.

Home/Iowa Hawkeyes