What’s at stake
Both teams enter Big Ten play with identical, unbeaten records of 3-0. However, with both also in the back half of the Associated Press Top 25, Saturday is a “prove it” opportunity for the Hawkeyes and Wolverines.
Whoever wins likely jumps into Top 15 and starts earning buzz as a potential College Football Playoff team. The loser might slip out of the Top 25 altogether (depending on the margin of victory) and will need to earn pollsters’ trust back.
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This is also an opportunity for Iowa to pick up its first Big Ten ranked road win in over 10 years. It last won such a contest 40-10 over No. 20 Northwestern in 2015.
For Michigan, the Kyle Whittingham era got off to a rocky start with Week 1’s controversial 13-12 win over Western Michigan. The Wolverines shook off that sluggish start to claim a Top 25 win over Oklahoma 17-10 in Week 2. Week 3 continued to confound as Michigan fell behind 14-7 in the second quarter against UTEP and held just a 17-14 halftime advantage before winning 52-17 behind a 28-point third quarter.a
Series history
This will be the 65th all-time meeting between the two long-time Big Ten members. The Wolverines lead the all-time series 45-15-4 and won the last four contests including the 2021 and 2023 Big Ten Championships.
Iowa last won 14-13 in Iowa City in 2016 and have not beat Michigan in Ann Arbor since 2010’s 38-28 victory which saw Ricky Stanzi throw for 248 yards and three touchdowns with Adam Robinson going for 143 and two touchdowns on the ground.
Iowa won the first meeting in Detroit in 1900 by a score of 28-5 in front of a crowd of 5,000 according to the Sunday, Nov. 11 edition, which cost 5 cents, of the Detroit Free Press. According to the article, Iowa head coach Alden Knipe deployed “Princeton football” rather than the “famous Pennsylvania guards back formations” which Michigan prepared to stop.
“(Iowa) played it with a vim, snap, dash and precision that carried the Ann Arbor men off their feet,” the article read. “The game demonstrated that Coach Knipe had the better team.”
Forecast
Saturday's forecast calls for sunny skies, temperatures around 70 and little chance of rain
Wolverines to know
QUARTERBACK BRYCE UNDERWOOD
The former five-star prospect has struggled to find his rhythm in the college game with 2,428 yards and 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions in his freshman season. It’s been a similar story to begin year two as he’s completed 62.5% of his passes for 504 yards and three touchdowns with one interception through three games.
What he’s lacked in the passing game, he’s made up for on the ground with 156 yards and two touchdowns on 33 attempts this season.
DEFENSIVE END JOHN HENRY DALEY
A former three-star prospect from American Fork, Utah, Daley followed Whittingham to Michigan from Utah this offseason. After racking up 11.5 sacks last year with the Utes, the fourth-year defensive end is off to a strong start with four tackles for loss (2.5 sacks), five quarterback hurries, two quarterback hits and one pass batted down through three games.
He did most of his damage in the win over the Sooners with one sack, two hurries, four total tackles and the batted pass.
CORNERBACK JYAIRE ‘SUGA’ HILL
Hill figures to be Michigan’s answer to Tony Diaz and the man they call “Suga” will be the UTRGV transfers first real test at Iowa.
Hill has earned a 80.9 coverage grade from pro football focus which ranks second among all Big Ten corners. Hill set up Michigan’s go-ahead touchdown against Oklahoma with an interception he returned 24 yards from the Sooner 30-yard line to the 6-yard line. The Wolverines scored two plays later.
Ethan Petrik is a University of Iowa beat writer for the Lee Enterprises network. Follow him on X or send him an email at ethan.petrik@wcfcourier.com.
