Urban Meyer praises Iowa defense: ‘If you move, they’ll hit you’

Urban Meyer knows that defense wins games, and Iowa certainly has one of the best in the country this season. The No. 16 Hawkeyes have been so good that they’ve managed to make up for being dead last in the nation in total offense, winning 10 games to make the Big Ten title game, where they’ll face No. 2 Michigan.

Not many are giving Iowa much of a chance against the Wolverines. It enters the game as 22.5-point underdogs. However, if the Hawkeyes are to have a chance to pull off the upset, it’s because of their defense.

In this week’s episode of Urban’s Take with Tim May, Meyer broke down what makes Iowa’s defense so effective, praise coach Kirk Ferentz.

“Kirk Ferentz, that’s a tough dude,” Meyer said. “His defensive coordinator is a tough dude and they have tough players. Toughness wins. If you move, they’ll hit you. I’ve watched every game. They’re not complicated on defense at all, but they’re as well-coached as any team I’ve seen.

“Offensively, I have not watched them. Statistically, they’re a mess. That’s a national championship defense though.”

Iowa’s defense has scored more safeties (three) than it has allowed rushing touchdowns (two) this season. The Hawkeyes have given up just one run of 20-plus yards — in Week 3 against Western Michigan. They rank fourth in the country with just 12.2 points allowed per game. In the secondary, Sebastian Castro and Cooper DeJean have combined for five interceptions and 12 passes defended.

Look at the scores in Iowa’s wins this season, and you’ll find some odd numbers. A 15-6 victory against Wisconsin, another 15-13 triumph against Illinois and 13-10 against Nebraska. It is the first FBS team in 31 years to win four games in which it scored 15 or fewer points.

Iowa also has an excellent special teams led by Australian punter Tory Taylor. He has had 11 punts downed inside the 10, as well as six inside the five, with only five touchbacks this season. That has often put the defense in position to force a stop, and in some cases even score.

Michigan boasts the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense with just 10.2 points allowed, so this game could end up being a rock fight with a low final score. The over/under is the lowest total of any conference championship game this week at 34.5.

The last time Iowa faced a team ranked in the top four in scoring defense — Penn State in Week 4 — it was shut out in a 31-0 loss. It will hope this time can be different and even if the offense struggles, it can break off a few big plays on the backs of its defense.

Kickoff for the Big Ten Championship is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.