Missouri State @ Iowa preview
Kinnick Stadium
Jake Rudock showed promise in his debut for Iowa, but a costly interception in the late stages of the season opener led to the team's undoing. The sophomore looks to redeem himself against visiting FCS foe Missouri State on Saturday afternoon when the Hawkeyes attempt to snap the Big Ten's longest losing skid, which rests at seven games dating back to last year. Rudock threw for 256 yards and a touchdown, but his second interception with 1:17 remaining in the fourth quarter allowed Northern Illinois to pull out a 30-27 decision over Iowa.
A fourth-quarter score also upended Missouri State, which dropped a 23-17 decision to Northwestern State in its season opener. Bears quarterback Kierra Harris was solid in defeat, rushing for 51 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing for 189 yards. A less-than-sturdy defense hampered the Bears, who allowed 405 total yards - including 172 on the ground.
TV: Noon ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Iowa -24.5
ABOUT MISSOURI STATE (0-1): Coach Terry Allen, who is an Iowa City native and former Iowa State assistant, was quick to point out numerous upsets from last week as a motivating factor for his team. "It's a great opportunity for our guys," Allen said. "Teams in our league had a great deal of success last week and we'd love to duplicate what they did, although that may be easier said than done." Complicating matters is the injury to 2012 leading rusher Ryan Heaston, who suffered a season-ending broken collarbone.
ABOUT IOWA (0-1): Junior wideout Kevonte Martin-Manley and Rudock showed good chemistry in the opener, connecting nine times for 79 yards. However, a curious call for a bubble screen between the two led to a failed third-down conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter. The running game showed marked improvement behind Mark Weisman (100 yards), rolling up 202 yards against Northern Illinois - 99 more than its average in 2012.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Iowa LB Christian Kirksey recorded a career-high 14 tackles last week and returned a fumble for a touchown.
2. Missouri State has lost seven consecutive nonconference road contests.
3. Iowa has lost by a field goal or less in five of its last 12 contests.
PREDICTION: Iowa 21, Missouri State 17