This one should be an outstanding game on September 4th. Since the last B1G opener at Kinnick in this series in 1979, Iowa has been home to two head coaches, Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. Pretty amazing ride for the Hawkeyes.
He got that 2018 win, 42-16, as we witnessed. First head to head, over a Tom Allen lead IU team. He is 10-5 coming into 2021 vs. IU.
The Hawkeyes head coach arrived in 1981, as Fry's O-Line coach. Iowa won that homecoming season to take a two game winning streak into Bloomington in 1982. The game went down to the wire, with Iowa's defense making an open field tackle on TE Scott McNabb to finish the game, since the Hoosiers were without a TO.
Turnovers were huge in that game. Iowa and Indiana were among the leaders last year in Turnover Margin in the Big Ten. Since 2015, Iowa has been among the best in all of College Football. Iowa has been +9 the past 3 seasons. Indiana was +8 last year. Both teams finished 6-2, 3-0 among common B1G opponents, three blowout wins for the Hawkeyes, two one possession games for the Hoosiers.
Iowa and Indiana were 2-3 in B1G scoring behind Ohio State last year.
It should be a great opener, and plenty of scoring would be my expectation, looking at past games in Kinnick Stadium in this series.
Iowa should have a better offense in 2021 fueled by a strong interior unit. Iowa's All-American is at C, in junior Tyler Linderbaum. Iowa's top WR in 2021 is an Indiana native. Iowa's TE unit appears to be developing into a good one again, not as experienced as the 2018 unit former QB Nate Stanley threw a career high 6 TDs against Indiana. It will be interesting to see how QB Spencer Petras grows off his six game win streak he engineered to close out 2020.
Indiana should be a an interesting team in 2021. The games against Iowa and Cincinnati in September are the two interest me the most for IU.
Obviously, the 2019 Purdue win in 3 OT was huge. I watched that one from Omaha, as Iowa picked up another win over Nebraska the day before on Black Friday.
Hopefully, the season doesn't see the kind of interruptions we witnessed in 2020. At one point, Iowa vs. Indiana was discussed for the final B1G game.
The Hawkeyes are second at 17-9 behind Ohio State in Big Ten record the past 3 seasons. The Hoosiers are tied with Minnesota at 13-12 for seventh. Like in 2018 head to head with Iowa, the Gophers and Hoosiers play in Game #11, the Hawkeyes host the Gophers ahead of that one, as well. In 1967, Minnesota got the win, like 2018, and IU got the Rose Bowl trip.
Tom Allen and Kirk Ferentz have some things in common. They both like their current roster and they both like to recruit the same.
Iowa and Indiana are clearly more under the radar than our future non-conference opponents, Iowa State and Cincinnati, respectively.
I have witnessed three Big Ten coaches at Iowa, since 1974. Though my first college football game did come in West Lafayette in 1971.
My first game at Kinnick was an Iowa win over a Top 20 opponent in the home opener that season. 1974 was the last time Iowa opened a season against back to back Top 20 teams.
Iowa was 0-11 the previous season and faced six Top 20 teams in 1974.
My favorite Top 10 opener in a season continues to be this one. Kirk Ferentz’s first game as an OL coach.
https://twitter.com/HawksChronicles/status/1417551005072302082?s=19
Could this be a season Iowa and/or Indiana get to Indianapolis?
https://twitter.com/IowaHoops/status/521062904523915265?s=19
Above was a shot from 2014, the last time Iowa-IU played at Kinnick Stadium. Plenty of points were scored then.
https://twitter.com/Robert_Read34/status/1426251192829714435?s=19
Andrew Tippett was on that 1981 Hawkeyes team, when Kirk Ferentz got his first win as an assistant against IU.
Record of Iowa (vs Indiana), 1979-2020
| Site | First Meeting | Last Meeting | Games | Win % | Wins | Losses | Ties | Average Score | |
| Any | 1979 | 2018 | 31 | 0.677 | 21 | 10 | | 30.87 | 20.97 |
| Home | 1979 | 2014 | 15 | 0.733 | 11 | 4 | | 36.73 | 23.00 |
| Away | 1980 | 2018 | 16 | 0.625 | 10 | 6 | | 25.38 | 19.06 |
He got that 2018 win, 42-16, as we witnessed. First head to head, over a Tom Allen lead IU team. He is 10-5 coming into 2021 vs. IU.
The Hawkeyes head coach arrived in 1981, as Fry's O-Line coach. Iowa won that homecoming season to take a two game winning streak into Bloomington in 1982. The game went down to the wire, with Iowa's defense making an open field tackle on TE Scott McNabb to finish the game, since the Hoosiers were without a TO.
Turnovers were huge in that game. Iowa and Indiana were among the leaders last year in Turnover Margin in the Big Ten. Since 2015, Iowa has been among the best in all of College Football. Iowa has been +9 the past 3 seasons. Indiana was +8 last year. Both teams finished 6-2, 3-0 among common B1G opponents, three blowout wins for the Hawkeyes, two one possession games for the Hoosiers.
Iowa and Indiana were 2-3 in B1G scoring behind Ohio State last year.
It should be a great opener, and plenty of scoring would be my expectation, looking at past games in Kinnick Stadium in this series.
Iowa should have a better offense in 2021 fueled by a strong interior unit. Iowa's All-American is at C, in junior Tyler Linderbaum. Iowa's top WR in 2021 is an Indiana native. Iowa's TE unit appears to be developing into a good one again, not as experienced as the 2018 unit former QB Nate Stanley threw a career high 6 TDs against Indiana. It will be interesting to see how QB Spencer Petras grows off his six game win streak he engineered to close out 2020.
Indiana should be a an interesting team in 2021. The games against Iowa and Cincinnati in September are the two interest me the most for IU.
Obviously, the 2019 Purdue win in 3 OT was huge. I watched that one from Omaha, as Iowa picked up another win over Nebraska the day before on Black Friday.
Hopefully, the season doesn't see the kind of interruptions we witnessed in 2020. At one point, Iowa vs. Indiana was discussed for the final B1G game.
The Hawkeyes are second at 17-9 behind Ohio State in Big Ten record the past 3 seasons. The Hoosiers are tied with Minnesota at 13-12 for seventh. Like in 2018 head to head with Iowa, the Gophers and Hoosiers play in Game #11, the Hawkeyes host the Gophers ahead of that one, as well. In 1967, Minnesota got the win, like 2018, and IU got the Rose Bowl trip.
Tom Allen and Kirk Ferentz have some things in common. They both like their current roster and they both like to recruit the same.
Iowa and Indiana are clearly more under the radar than our future non-conference opponents, Iowa State and Cincinnati, respectively.
I have witnessed three Big Ten coaches at Iowa, since 1974. Though my first college football game did come in West Lafayette in 1971.
My first game at Kinnick was an Iowa win over a Top 20 opponent in the home opener that season. 1974 was the last time Iowa opened a season against back to back Top 20 teams.
Iowa was 0-11 the previous season and faced six Top 20 teams in 1974.
My favorite Top 10 opener in a season continues to be this one. Kirk Ferentz’s first game as an OL coach.
https://twitter.com/HawksChronicles/status/1417551005072302082?s=19
Could this be a season Iowa and/or Indiana get to Indianapolis?
https://twitter.com/IowaHoops/status/521062904523915265?s=19
Above was a shot from 2014, the last time Iowa-IU played at Kinnick Stadium. Plenty of points were scored then.
https://twitter.com/Robert_Read34/status/1426251192829714435?s=19
Andrew Tippett was on that 1981 Hawkeyes team, when Kirk Ferentz got his first win as an assistant against IU.
