'Disciplined' Iowa defense will be tough challenge for Kentucky offense

Defensive coordinator Phil Parker has built one of the sport’s best defenses in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes are usually one of the top defenses in the Big Ten and deliver yearly.

The 2021 version might have been Parker’s best work to date.

Iowa will head to Orlando for the Citrus with a 10-3 overall record and a Big Ten West title on their resume. That was accomplished despite having an offense that ranks No. 122 in yards per play (4.55) and No. 96 in scoring offense (23.9). Starting quarterback Spencer Petras has missed multiple games and that still hasn’t slowed down the Hawks.

Per the data, Iowa is the most impressive defense Kentucky has seen outside of Georgia this season. The tape appears to back up that assessment.

“They’re so fundamentally, and technique sound that it’s very difficult to catch them by surprise,” Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen told reporters on Monday. “Now, they don’t really mix up — they do what they do and they do it extremely well. They get used to seeing and feeling the blocks, and they get used to pattern matching all of the beaters that they have for their coverages because they only play a certain amount of them. So it is difficult to get easy ones on them. They don’t give you anything easy. They’re extremely physical up front, and the biggest thing about this defense is their strain and effort is through the roof.

From an X and O standpoint, Iowa is a heavy quarters coverage defense that does not like to blitz. The Hawkeyes will constantly show two-deep safety looks and will roll their coverage into a four-deep zone to prevent big plays. The bend but don’t break approach works because the Hawkeyes are extremely physical along the line of scrimmage and can stop the run with a lighter box against most opponents.

Parker’s scheme takes away the run and then forces quarterbacks to stay patient and typically dink-and-dunk their way down the field with a precision-based passing game. When foes get greedy, that is when this Iowa defense strikes.

The Hawkeyes lead college football in interceptions (24) and many of those have occurred after tipped balls. Meanwhile, this is a group that tackles extremely well and is usually at their best as the field starts to shrink once teams move closer to the endzone.

At the Citrus Bowl, Kentucky must stay patient and take what Iowa gives them. That means staying committed to the running game even if there is no success early and making some plays when skill talent players get the ball in space.

“This is going to be truly a game about our guys going out, making plays, and being special with the ball in their hands,” said Coen.