Rose Bowl 2016: Examining Key Stats, Matchups for Stanford vs. Iowa

If the Iowa Hawkeyes and Stanford Cardinal ended the regular season regretting that they didn't make it to the College Football Playoff, they have long since put those feelings to bed.

The fifth-ranked Hawkeyes (12-1) and sixth-ranked Cardinal (11-2) are getting ready to do battle Friday in the Rose Bowl, and that's a pretty good consolation prize for these two excellent teams.

This is the first meeting between Iowa and Stanford, but both have significant bowl histories, according to NCAA.com. Iowa has a 14-13-1 record in bowl games, though the Hawkeyes' last postseason appearance resulted in a 45-28 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl.

The Cardinal have a 12-11-1 bowl record, and they defeated the Maryland Terrapins 45-21 in the 2014 Foster Farms Bowl.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Iowa depends on quarterback C.J. Beathard to trigger its offense. While he is not a prolific passer, he is an excellent leader. He has completed 202 of 329 passes for 2,570 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. Beathard has also run for 270 yards and six touchdowns.

When it comes to running the football, the Hawkeyes depend on senior Jordan Canzeri. He has rushed for 976 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Junior wideout Matt VandeBerg leads the team with 61 receptions for 639 yards and three touchdowns.

Iowa rushing offense: 192.0 yards per game	Stanford rushing defense: 146.9 yards allowed per game	Edge: Even
Stanford rushing offense: 225.1 yards per game	Iowa rushing defense: 114.9 yards allowed per game	Edge: Stanford
Iowa passing offense: 201.8 yards per game	Stanford pass defense: 227.6 yards allowed per game	Edge: Stanford
Stanford passing offense: 210.9 yards per game	Iowa pass defense: 219.3 yards allowed per game	Edge: Iowa
Stanford: 37.2 points per game	Iowa: 32.1 points per game	Edge: Stanford

Heisman Trophy finalist Christian McCaffrey, who has had a remarkable season with 1,847 rushing yards, leads the Stanford attack. McCaffrey has pounded the ball into the end zone eight times and is averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry.

McCaffrey has also gotten it done as a receiver, totaling 41 receptions for 540 yards and four touchdowns. In fact, he was Stanford's leading receiver during the regular season.

The Cardinal have more to offer than McCaffrey, though. Quarterback Kevin Hogan has proved to be clutch, completing 194 of 283 passes for 2,644 yards with 24 TDs and just seven interceptions.

Stanford appears to have the edge in rushing offense. The Cardinal ground game ranks 18th in the nation, averaging 225.1 rushing yards per game. Iowa ranks a respectable 40th in that category with 192.0 yards per game.

Stanford also has a slight edge in passing offense, ranking 77th in the nation with 210.9 passing yards per game. The Hawkeyes are 89th in the nation with 201.8 passing yards per game.

The Hawkeyes have an edge on the defensive side, though. Iowa has the 11th-best run defense in the nation, allowing 114.9 rushing yards per game. Stanford is giving up 146.9 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 39th.

Iowa also has the better pass defense, but only slightly. The Hawkeyes are giving up 219.3 passing yards per game, which ranks 61st in the nation. Stanford is allowing 227.6 yards through the air per game, which is good for 70th.

Both teams have been able to light up the scoreboard this year. Stanford is averaging 37.2 points per game, which is the 19th-best mark in the nation. The Hawkeyes are scoring 32.1 points per game, which ranks 47th.

All stats courtesy of NCAA.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.