The Eastern Illinois Panthers will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday September 4th. This game will be the season opener for each of these teams. They will both have the opportunity to start off the season right as they square off at noon eastern time.
Iowa will certainly be favored entering this matchup. Iowa will enter the season with a ranking of 9th in the nation. They posted an impressive season in 2009 with a record of 11-2. Truth be told, Iowa has never really been seen as an offensive squad. They were only the 86th best scoring team in the nation in 2009. This doesn’t sound so great, but offense isn’t what keeps this team going.
Last season the Hawkeyes allowed just over 15 points a game. This is a great total. They managed to go 6-2 in the Big Ten and even went 2-1 against top 25 teams. The Hawkeyes have the type of defense that will keep them in any game. They are able to keep the game under control even when the offense just isn’t clicking.
Eastern Illinois went 8-4 last season. They are a solid team, but certainly not well known. They come from a smaller conference (the OVC) and haven’t really been tried and tested against top teams in the nation much. Iowa will be a big challenge for the Panthers.
Eastern Illinois will have a chance if they can remain in striking distance. Iowa may have some issues getting the offense on track like they did last year. A couple of forced turnovers could give them a shot at a huge upset.
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