Troy Trojans vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 14th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Cade McNamara and Iowa will strive to bounce back after a subpar showing when the Hawkeyes welcome Troy for a Saturday afternoon matchup in Iowa City, Iowa.

McNamara delivered an exceptional performance in the season opener on Aug. 31, completing 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the Hawkeyes' dominant 40-0 win over Illinois State.

However, he struggled in the following game, going 13-for-29 for 99 yards with two interceptions as Iowa (1-1) saw a double-digit lead slip away in a narrow 20-19 loss to Iowa State.

"We have to accept that there will be highs and lows with him as our quarterback," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of McNamara. "I've been saying it consistently. He's still working his way back into top form, as is our entire team with the offense and everything else. But we will improve. Our players have a great attitude, and he does too. We will work through this together."

Kaleb Johnson has been performing well, scoring two touchdowns in each of Iowa's games. He has rushed for 306 yards with an impressive average of 8.5 yards per carry.

Troy (0-2) has struggled to defend against the run this season, allowing an average of 212.5 yards per game.

"The first step to improving our run defense is to tackle better," Trojans coach Gerad Parker stated. "It may sound simple, but we are not tackling well on defense right now. This involves technique and pursuit. The second step is to take responsibility for our gaps and schemes to ensure that we are in the right positions."

Troy's Damien Taylor rushed for 103 yards in the season opener against Nevada, but only managed 33 yards against Memphis last week. Goose Crowder, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and Matthew Caldwell have been splitting quarterback duties, with wide receivers Devonte Ross and Peyton Higgins as their top targets.

Parker announced on Monday that Crowder is likely to play against Iowa. He also stated that starting center Eli Russ (undisclosed) is probable, but if he is unable to play for a second consecutive game, Boaz Stanley and Tyler Cappi will split time at the position.

PREDICTION

Troy Trojans

Iowa Hawkeyes