Rutgers at Iowa NCAA Football Picks & Predictions 9/7/2019

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Kinnick Stadium

Nathan Stanley and the Iowa Hawkeyes host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, September 7, 2019. Rutgers opens this game as 21.5-point underdogs. The total opens at 51.

The last time they took the field, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights took on the UMass Minutemen and earned the win by a score of 48-21. Leading the way at QB for the Scarlet Knights was McLane Carter who went 21/31 with 340 yards through the air and added 2 TD's. He walked away with 3 picks for this game. Isaih Pacheco led the team on the ground in this contest. His longest run of the day went for 57 yards and he notched 4 touchdowns in this outing. He ran for a total of 156 yards on 20 carries which meant he was running for 7.8 yards per run. Bo Melton was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 127 yards on 6 receptions. He averaged 21.2 yards per catch in this contest.

The Scarlet Knights come into this matchup with a record of 1-0 this year. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 48 points per game, putting them 18th in D-1. As a team, they are averaging 206 rushing yards per contest which is 8th in the Big Ten. For total yardage, they rank 3rd in the Big Ten and 19th in D-1 with 554 yards. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, the Scarlet Knights have compiled a total of 2 passing touchdowns and 4 rushing TDs. They are a team that has one of the most potent offenses in the Big Ten Conference and they have the ability to run the score up on teams.

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The Scarlet Knights have one of the top tier defenses in D-1 allowing 21 points per game, which has them at 10th in the Big Ten Conference and 60th in the nation. When it comes to passing yards, the Scarlet Knights have conceded 348 yards. Opponents are completing 59.5% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 3.3 yards per try. They have conceded 1 passing touchdown and 2 rushing TDs. In terms of yards rushing, Rutgers is allowing 183 yards per game which has them at 14th in the conference and 101st in Division 1. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 5.4 yards per carry which has them at 14th in the Big Ten Conference and 109th in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 183 rushing yards through 1 game.

In their last contest, the Iowa Hawkeyes took on the Miami (OH) RedHawks and went home with the win by a score of 38-14. Leading the way at QB for the Hawkeyes was Nate Stanley who went 21/30 with 252 yards via the pass and tossed 3 touchdowns. He ended the game with no interceptions. Mekhi Sargent paced the team on the ground in this contest. He tore off a long run of 17 yards and he notched 1 touchdown for this game. He ran for 91 yards by way of 14 carries which means he ran for an average of 6.5 yards per run. Mekhi Sargent led the team in receiving yardage with a total of 65 yards on 4 receptions. He had an average of 16.3 yards per reception in this contest.

The Hawkeyes come into this matchup with a record of 1-0. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Hawkeyes have one of the top tier offenses in the country. When looking at their ability to score points, the Hawkeyes sit in 8th in the conference and 39th out of all the teams in the nation with an average of 38 points per contest. Iowa is making teams fear their ground game this season by averaging 213 yards per contest, putting them 42nd in Division 1. As a team, they have a total of 213 yards rushing through 1 game, so they'll look to continue their dominance on the ground to grind out wins. The Hawkeyes average 465 yards per game overall which has them at 50th in college football and 7th in the conference.

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The Hawkeyes are giving up 14 points per contest ranking them 6th in the Big Ten Conference and 42nd in the country. When it comes to points allowed, they have given up 14 points in total. In discussing rushing yards, they are conceding 59 yards per contest which puts them at 23rd in D-1 and 6th in the conference. This season, they have conceded 59 yards on the ground and 0 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the most dominate groups in D-1. They are giving up 186 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Hawkeyes are ranked 7th in the Big Ten. They have conceded 2 passing touchdowns in 2019.

Who will win tonight's Scarlet Knights/Hawkeyes college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Scarlet Knights +21.5

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