The Iowa Hawkeyes are gearing up to face the Northwestern Wildcats in Week 9, and CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli pointed out a surprising statistic about Iowa’s offensive explosiveness in Big Ten play. According to Fornelli, Iowa’s explosive play rate surpasses that of the Lincoln Riley-led USC Trojans, with the Hawkeyes having a 12.9% overall explosive play rate compared to USC’s 11.4%. This impressive performance is attributed to first-year Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester.
While Iowa is thriving offensively, USC has struggled to convert explosively in their inaugural Big Ten season. The Trojans’ traditionally high-powered offense has faltered, facing stronger defenses in the Big Ten, and failing to execute explosive plays effectively. This contrast in offensive performance between Iowa and USC is remarkable, considering USC’s history of developing top-tier offensive talent under Riley.
As the Hawkeyes aim to showcase their explosive plays against Northwestern this weekend, fans can watch the game on the Big Ten Network at 2:30 p.m. CT. Iowa’s ability to generate explosive plays on offense has been a key factor in their success this season, and it will be interesting to see how they perform against the Wildcats. Stay tuned for more Iowa news and updates by following @HawkeyesWire on X and liking their Facebook page.
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