Arizona Wildcats Face Tough Test Against The Iowa Hawkeyes
The big college football game on Saturday night is the game between the ninth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and the 24th-ranked Wildcats of Arizona. BetMania has the latest college football odds for this game and the Hawkeyes are listed as two point road favorites. The small line is an indication of just how close this game could be.
Iowa Hawkeyes: The Hawkeyes are 2-0 on the season and have an outstanding offense that is powered by a big bruising line and a top tier quarterback. Adam Robinson powers the ground game and has put up 256 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games. Jewel Hampton is a great compliment to Robinson and in the last game against Iowa St he managed 84 yards and a score. The offense has looked very good in the first two games and it is led by quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi is a quality signal caller who spreads the ball around and provides leadership on the field. He has connected on over 70 percent of his passes and thrown for 433 yards with three touchdown passes in two games this year. Head Coach Kirk Ferentz is one of the best in the country and will have his team ready to play.
Arizona Wildcats: Arizona will be seeking a 3-0 start to the season and revenge after losing last year to Iowa 27-17. Head coach Mike Stoops has constructed an explosive offense at Arizona and they will get a big test going against the Iowa stout defense.
Nick Foles is the quarterback of the offense and has been the starter ever since he came in for the second half of the game against Iowa last year. He has started the season on fire hitting over 83 percent of his passes and throwing for 574 yards and three touchdowns. Arizona has a good passing offense but don’t dismiss the running game. Nic Grigsby is the best playmaker that the Wildcats have. He has gained 160 yards in two games and found pay dirt early and often with five touchdowns on the season.
On defense Arizona has been very good and has yet to allow an offensive touchdown to date, however they will encounter a much stronger opponent in Iowa this weekend.
Game Time Prediction: This game will be interesting because Iowa will have to travel far and deal with a hostile crowd. They were successful in the last meeting but have not fared well overall finishing just 3-7 against the spread (ATS) in the last ten games against the Pac-10.
Last year, Arizona kept the game respectable on the road in Iowa City, this year they are at home and the Wildcats have been a tough beat at home as they have gone 11-2 ATS in the last 13 games. This game will be fun to watch and look for a well contested match between two very good teams. The edge is to the home team looking to get revenge getting points. This game is close but the Wildcats win late.
Final: Arizona 20 Iowa 17
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Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews, and predictions. Feel Free to contact Matt at mregaw@gmail.com