Perfect Rutgers Takes on Iowa in Big Ten Season Opener

In a key matchup, Iowa (2-1) kicks off their Big Ten season against an undefeated Rutgers team (3-0) Friday night at SHI Stadium in Piscataway.

"A good football team, 3-0 right now," said Kirk Ferentz to Sports Illustrated. "They're extremely well-coached in all three phases and play physical football."

When these teams meet to open Big Ten play, it'll be their third time facing off. Since joining the conference in 2016, the Scarlet Knights haven't beaten Iowa, losing all four games - including last year's shutout.

At quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis has been on fire, completing an impressive 72.9% of his passes while putting up 820 yards and seven touchdowns. He hasn't thrown an interception yet. The running game is clicking too, with Antwan Raymond averaging 5.8 yards per carry, piling up 248 yards and five touchdowns.

The Scarlet Knights' offense looks nothing like previous years. In their last two meetings, Iowa's tough defense kept Rutgers off the scoreboard, including a 2019 game where they gave up just 125 total yards.

Up front, Pat Flaherty - who worked with Ferentz back in '99 - now leads Rutgers' offensive line. His group faces a tough challenge against an Iowa defense that's given up only 17 points in their four previous matchups.

Playing away hasn't bothered Iowa at SHI Stadium. They've won both times they've visited - grinding out a 14-7 win in 2016 before a stronger 27-10 victory two years ago. In conference games, they've maintained at least a .500 record almost every season since 2012.

The betting lines have Iowa as slight 2.5-point favorites. FOX will show the game nationally.