The Iowa Hawkeyes face the Pac-12 Champion Stanford Cardinals in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, and it looks to be a matchup of old school football with dominant defenses and a strong ground game. The Cardinals finished their season strong with a win over a nationally ranked Notre Dame team and crushed USC in the Pac-12 title game. The Hawkeyes' perfect season came to end in the Big Ten Championship game, and head coach Kirk Ferentz will look for his team to bounce back with a major win over the Cardinals in the Rose Bowl.
Iowa's defense is ranked 15th in the nation in terms of points per game, as they have held opponents under an average of 18.5 points per game this year. Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King is a playmaker for Iowa's defense and has 67 total tackles and eight interceptions and a touchdown in his junior season. King and sophomore linebacker Josey Jewell lead the Hawkeyes defense and will look to create havoc on Stanford's offensive game plan.
The Hawkeyes are heavily reliant on their ground game, and they are expected to get their dominant running back on the field on Friday despite injury. Senior running back Jordan Canzeri leads the Hawkeyes with 976 rushing yards and has scored 12 touchdowns. Ferentz will get Canzeri plenty of touches early, as Iowa relies on their ground game to open holes in the passing game.
Iowa's quarterback C.J. Beathard has struggled to stay consistent for the Hawkeyes, and ball security will be of the utmost importance in this matchup. The Hawkeyes junior quarterback struggled against Michigan State in the Big Ten title game, throwing for 216 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Beathard can make big plays with him arm if needed, as he has thrown over 2,570 yards with 15 touchdowns to four interceptions. The Hawkeyes offense will face one of the toughest defenses they have seen this season, and Beathard will need to have a great performance to get a win in Pasadena.
The Hawkeyes defense will also have their hands full, as they will try to stop the Associated Press player of the year in Christian McCaffrey. The Sophomore Heisman finalist running back is like a Swiss army knife that can do almost anything and is extremely helpful for his team in a tight spot. McCaffrey leads the team both in rushing and receiving, and he is a threat to return punts and kickoffs for touchdowns. The Cardinals running back is listed at 6-foot-1, 201 pounds and shows strength and power, but he also has elusiveness, as he can make defenders easily miss.
Stanford head coach David Shaw will look to get McCaffrey involved early and may set up some short passing routes and screens to get the talented running back going early. Senior quarterback Kevin Hogan is looking to end his incredible Stanford career with a significant win over Iowa on Friday, and he will need to have strong performance against Iowa's stingy defense. Hogan is a dual threat behind center, as he has thrown for 2,644 yards but also has 312 rushing yards this season.
The Rose Bowl features defense and dynamic running backs, and if you enjoy old-school physical football, then this is the game to watch. The game starts at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Cardinals' radio broadcast, go here, and for the Hawkeyes' radio broadcast, click here.
