Michigan Football: Previewing the Iowa Game

We will learn a lot about this Michigan team on Saturday when they travel to Iowa. If they win, it will prove that they are a very good football team.

However, it won't be easy.  Even though Iowa lost to Minnesota last week, this will still be an extremely tough game to win.

Here are five things to watch for in Saturday's game.

Marcus Coker

When it comes to running the ball for Iowa, everything revolves around Marcus Coker.  If it wasn't for Marvin McNutt, Coker would be the heart and soul of this offense.

He is one of the best young backs in the Big Ten that nobody seems to know about. He only stands six feet tall, but weighs 230 pounds.  He is an absolute load to bring down.

He resembles some of the other great backs Iowa has recently boasted, such as Shonn Greene and Adam Robinson.

It will be interesting to see whether or not Michigan can slow Coker down.  If they can, then it will prove that Michigan's run defense is for real. If they can't, Iowa will just keep feeding him the ball.

He is only 30 yards away from 1,000 on the year, and there's a good chance that he gets it on Saturday.  If Michigan can hold him under 100 yards, that would have to be looked at as a success.

Just a true sophomore, Coker will only get better over the next two years.

Marvin McNutt

Marcus Coker isn't the guy Michigan has to be worried about. That would be 6'4" Marvin McNutt. This guy is the heart and soul of Iowa's offense, as he has broken many Iowa receiving records this year. 

Because he has stepped up so much, the Hawkeyes haven't missed Derrell Johnson Koulianos as much as they thought they would.

Whether J.T. Floyd or Blake Countess covers him remains to be seen.  Even though he's only a true freshman, Countess would be up to the task if he's called upon.

McNutt is just a little over 100 receiving yards away from 1,000 on the year.  He has caught nine touchdowns already this season, and is averaging an amazingly high 18 yards per catch.

Without him, the Iowa receiving core would be in trouble.  Keenan Davis is the second leading receiver, but he missed the Minnesota game and it is unknown whether or not he will play this weekend.

If not, Kevonte Martin-Manley will be Iowa's No. 2 receiver.

The Iowa Front 7

Iowa misses some of last year's defensive stars mightily. The loss of guys like Adrian Clayborn and Karl Klug have been devastating.

Iowa's run defense is surprisingly bad.  They are giving up over 150 rushing yards a game, which is 69th in the country. With the game Fitz Toussaint had last Saturday, you'd hope that he could keep it up against a poor Iowa front seven.

Iowa's linebacking core is very young, as they start two true sophomores—James Morris and Christian Kirksey. The other starter is Tyler Nielsen, a senior.

Iowa has made a few shakeups in their linebacking core this year, though, so it wouldn't be too big of a surprise to see someone else start.

Denard Robinson should have success running on Iowa, but it's Michigan's running backs that need to have a big day as well.

The Iowa Secondary

Coming into the year, Iowa was supposed to have the best corner duo in the Big Ten in Shaun Prater and Micah Hyde.

However, losing safeties Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood was a big concern. Safety play has been a big problem this year, with Jordan Bernstine and Tanner Miller as the current starters.

In fact, Iowa's pass defense overall has been very bad.  They have one of the poorest pass defenses in the country, ranking 80th.

Michigan's passing attack has been very bad though, as they rank 88th.  It wouldn't be a surprise if Michigan doesn't take advantage of Iowa's poor pass defense.

Michigan's Defense

The outcome of this game could depend on how Michigan's defense plays. They can't allow Iowa to score on them at will.

Iowa's offense has been very mediocre this year.  Their passing numbers actually rank higher than their rushing numbers.

James Vandenberg was lighting up the scoreboard earlier in the year, but not lately.

At running back, there really isn't anyone to watch out for other than Marcus Coker.  If Michigan can slow him down, they should be in good shape.

At wide receiver, Marvin McNutt is the only threat Iowa poses.  If Keenan Davis plays, you'd have to be a little concerned about him, but not a whole lot. Iowa's offense is really just a two man show: Coker and McNutt. Slow down both of those superstars, and Michigan should win.