Unlike the extremely experienced offense, UNI's defense only returns 5 starters from a year ago and has 4 underclassmen atop the depth chart. The front seven does return some talent, but the defense is especially green in the secondary with no returning starters and 4 freshmen making up the 2-deeps at cornerback.
Against the Run:
The Panther defense should provide a good challenge for our inexperience running backs. In 2008 the team only gave up 106.8 rushing yards per game with a 3.2 average yards per carry (by comparison Iowa allowed 94 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry…admittedly the competition was vastly different).
The defensive line features 3 seniors including tackles Chuck Kinney and Wes Lane. Both top the scale at 290 and are good against the run. The best player on the line though is DE James Ruffin who had a team high 18 tackles for loss last year and 10 sacks. Ruffin earned a spot on the FCS Preseason All-American Second Team and will be the first of many good defensive ends Iowa faces this year.
UNI's linebacker corp should also be solid. The two top tackles on the team, Josh Mahoney and Jamar Thompson, both return after 100+ tackle performances last year. The only loss at the position was De'Veon Harris, who had an outstanding 2008 (104 tackles, 9 pass break-ups, 3 interceptions…), but the loss may actually be a gain with Wisconsin transfer, and brother to the former Hawkeye Abdul Hodge, Elijah Hodge the new starter. Hodge is a FBS-caliber linebacker. He played in every game in 2006 at Wisconsin and in 2007 became a starter but was eventually slowed by a knee injury. After the injury he tumbled down the depth chart and decided to transfer, thus starting his career at UNI.
Against the Pass:
Sticking with the linebackers, in 2008 they were pretty good in coverage combining for 10 interceptions and 15 pass break-ups. However, they are a little undersized (average height: 6'2", weight: 223 lbs.) and could have a tough time covering Iowa's talented and big tight ends (Tony Moeaki is 6'4" 250 lbs.).
The secondary is where the Panthers will have their biggest problems. All 4 starters from a year ago are gone and there is little depth in the unit as a whole. There is zero experience at corner back. The 2 starting corners are redshirt freshmen, and the 2 backup corners are true freshmen. The group as a whole is supposedly more athletic than the McMoore twins, but playing their first game in Kinnick Stadium will be no easy task.
The safety positions are not much better. At free safety will be converted linebacker Quentin Scott. Scott had a modest year as a special teamer and backup linebacker in 2008 recording 20 tackles and 1 interceptions. He definitely showed improvement as the season went on though, netting only 2 tackles in the first half of the season and 18 in the second half. James Conley is listed as the starting strong safety. In his freshman year he saw very limited action, mostly on special teams, in 7 games and made 5 tackles.
Overall Outlook:
Iowa's offense should have little trouble moving the ball. UNI has enough experience and talent in the front 7 to slow the Hawkeye running game. However, Iowa's depth and superior athleticism in the trenches will eventually wear down UNI's defense and Iowa will get its running yards. I don't expect too many pass plays called by Ken O'Keefe, but when Ricky Stanzi does go air it out he should be able to pick the UNI defense apart.