Troy Trojans (0-2) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-1)
September 14, 2024 4:00 pm EDT
The Line: Iowa -22.5; Over/Under: 39
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article, we will formulate an Iowa vs Troy prediction for this College Football Week 3 game on Saturday, September 14th, at Kinnick Stadium. Let’s take a look at an Iowa Hawkeyes vs Troy Trojans pick.
Troy Still Looking for First Win
Troy has struggled to start the season, and they have lost each of the first two games. Troy in the first game lost to Nevada 28-26 and in the last game against Memphis, it didn’t get any easier as they were defeated 38-17. At halftime against the Tigers, they were down 21-7, and they couldn’t bounce back.
Matthew Caldwell was the top quarterback in the last game, and he completed 11 of his 19 passes for 113 yards. The running game wasn’t good in the last game either, and they need a true bellcow to step up. Damien Taylor was the top rusher, finishing with seven carries for 33 yards. Zeriah Benson finished with four catches for 60 yards. The offense might have issues moving the ball, which means the defense is going to need to be a lot better.
How Does Iowa Bounce Back?
For 2.5 quarters, Iowa was finding success against Iowa State, but in the 4th quarter that all got blown up. At halftime, Iowa was up 13-0, and they looked like they were going to cruise to the victory. In the second half though they were outscored 20-6 and that led to the defeat. The offense still wasn’t great, and Cade McNamara needs to be improved. He completed 13 of his 29 passes for 99 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The running game did run wild, and Kaleb Johnson finished with 25 carries for 187 yards and two touchdowns. This is still a run-first team, but if this team wants to compete for a chance in the Big Ten, they are going to need McNamara to find a way to move the ball more.
Iowa vs Troy Prediction
39 is too many points. Iowa’s defense is elite, and Troy’s offense isn’t going to even get on the board. McNamara also isn’t the answer for the Iowa offense, and they are going to really struggle to move the ball with him under center. Iowa and Troy are both going to be awful here with the offense, and both defenses are going to step up in a big way here. Back the under to cash here. This game is going to struggle to reach 30 points.
