Washington’s last conference matchup with Iowa two years ago was a brutal 40-16 loss in Iowa City, a game where the Hawkeyes straight-up ran wild, gashing then-defensive coordinator Steve Belichick’s unit for 220 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. That was the first time in Jedd Fisch’s inaugural season that his program gave up 200-plus rushing yards, and you know that number has been a ghost lurking in the back of his mind.
That 2024 Iowa Beatdown Still Stings, But Fisch Is Building a New Beast
That 2024 game wasn’t just a defensive disaster. The Huskies’ offense completely sputtered in the second half, only managing one touchdown in five possessions after going into the break down 20-10. Our offensive line got pushed around, letting up three sacks on then-starting quarterback Will Rogers in the second half. And to make matters worse, Rogers threw an interception at the Iowa 23-yard line on the very first third-quarter possession, killing any momentum we might’ve hoped for. Fisch summed it up perfectly heading into this Friday’s 6:00 p.m. matchup against the Hawkeyes: “It’s just a game that you’re going to have to grind it out.” He’s been on a mission since that day to transform the team into a bona fide, traditional Big Ten program.
The Big Ten Grind is Real: Can the Huskies’ Defense Hold Up?
So, what’s different now? For starters, defensive coordinator Ryan Walters’ unit has been rock solid against the run for the past 18 games, not allowing a single 200-yard rushing performance. That’s huge. Especially when you look at Iowa’s offense this season; they’ve already hit the 200-yard mark twice against Northern Illinois (289 yards) and Northern Iowa (422 yards). The catch? Against Big Ten heavyweights Michigan and Ohio State, the Hawkeyes’ run game has been stifled, managing just 97 yards on the ground with a touchdown across those two games. Our Huskies, though, are still finding their footing against the run. After giving up seven 100-yard rushing games last year, we’ve allowed at least 100 yards rushing in four of our first five games this season, with Utah State being the only exception. We’ve only given up three rushing touchdowns this season, but Fisch knows controlling the line of scrimmage and field position are non-negotiables against a Kirk Ferentz-coached team. “I’m very curious to see what does a game look for us against Iowa,” Fisch said, adding that playing Minnesota feels a lot like playing Iowa. “Now, ours in our first year was not. We couldn’t stop their run game at all. So we’re looking forward to seeing where we are at this point.”
The Dawgs are coming into Friday’s showdown at Husky Stadium with some tough, closely contested losses fresh in their minds, falling 27-24 to Minnesota at home two weeks ago and 25-21 to USC on the road just this past Saturday. That kind of four-quarter fight should prepare them for what’s coming. With a 3-2 overall record but zero conference victories, and Iowa already boasting a significant Big Ten win against Michigan in Ann Arbor two weeks ago, this won’t be an easy task for Fisch and the boys. We need to see what this team is made of under the lights on Friday night.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply