A closer look at No. 21 Iowa football’s road trip to No. 17 USC

IOWA CITY — Los Angeles Coliseum, a stadium that’s quietly become one of the hardest places to play Big Ten football this year. Iowa gets to take on what lies inside in just a few days.

Another rainy game is ahead in (not so) sunny California for the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes, traveling to No. 17 USC for the first Big Ten matchup in the LA Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. Following the loss to No. 8 Oregon, the Hawkeyes had minimal time to brush off the disappointment before making their second cross-country trip of this season.

Last trip on a plane, the Hawkeyes were knee-deep in a shootout with Rutgers. This time, Iowa faces another high-scoring offense in the Trojans, but it’s a USC team drastically different from last year.

“They're playing at a really high level,” Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I haven't heard a lot of chatter about them. They're sitting there at the top of the league at 5-1. They've been playing really good football all year long.”

3 keys to victory

Fast start

The Hawkeyes have talked about it for weeks — if you have the ball first, you’ve got to score first. That will be monumental for Iowa against USC.

This Trojans team can, and will, score quickly. Led by quarterback Jayden Maiava, USC has two running backs with at least five touchdowns, and four receivers with multiple touchdown catches. As a mobile quarterback, Maiava has 17 passing touchdowns and six rushing scores himself.

Getting points on the board early is key for Iowa, rather than trying to play catch-up to USC.

“We’ve got to make sure our guys are running the right routes,” Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski said, “and I'm throwing good, catchable balls that we can let our playmakers make plays.”

Break through the run game

Running back Kamari Moulton leads Iowa’s rush attack with 522 yards on 105 carries. He’s been able to bring the Hawkeyes downfield and create some energy in the offense.

It’s going to likely be another rain-heavy matchup, so it’s another game with even more focus on the run game. Iowa’s proven once the run is established, it can power through significant defensive lines.

Welcome to the challenge Saturday afternoon.

Moulton’s improvement throughout the season is a positive to take away now and come the end of the November. He’s been handed a hefty workload this season, especially while balancing an early injury, but Ferentz has been pleased with what he’s been able to do throughout the season.

“He's always been good in terms of versatility and being well balanced,” Ferentz said. “A little bit stronger now and more physical than he was a year ago, two years ago certainly. He has good vision, can make good cuts, those types of things.”

Explosive off the line of scrimmage

The Hawkeyes couldn’t get to Oregon quarterback Dante Moore last week. They need to get to Maiava this week.

Iowa’s defensive line has produced a number of electric moments, some being momentum swinging, throughout Big Ten play. Against a very aggressive USC offense, forcing Maiava to make hasty decisions has to be a key element to Iowa’s defensive plan.

The Hawkeyes have forced 17 sacks this season, pushing the line of scrimmage back 114 yards. The defense also has warranted a 34.5-percent third down conversion rate, and a 21.4-percent fourth down conversion rate. Those numbers are key in rainy games like Saturday’s projected to be, because it means Iowa has a chance to play its gritty, even grimy, football style.

Prediction

Though the Hawkeyes have struggled heading out West in previous years, Iowa’s veterans learned from what happened against UCLA last year. It might not be the prettiest football game on the planet, but it’s one that the Hawkeyes can win.

Iowa 21, USC 20

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