The Hawkeyes will head to New Jersey this weekend to face Rutgers University, an undefeated team in the Big Ten.

Iowa State midfielder Hayley Ridberg passes the ball during the football match between Iowa State and Michigan State University at the Iowa State Football Stadium on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Michigan State University defeated Iowa State 2-1.

Isaac Goffin, sports reporter October 7, 2021

The Iowa football team will head to New Jersey this weekend to face Rutgers University.

The Hawkeyes (8-4-1 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) are ready to face the challenge at 11 AM on Sunday

Rutgers has an overall record of 10-2 and is unbeaten 5-0 in the conference. The Scarlet Cavaliers had their best record in the meeting entering Sunday's showdown.

The Scarlet Cavaliers averaged 3.33 goals per game, ranking among the best in the league.

The Hawkeyes and the Scarlet Cavaliers have played against each other in the past four times and have won by one goal. The Rutgers team has brought home the victory for three consecutive years.

"Actually, I think we have played very well against them in the past few years," said senior midfielder Hayley Ridberg. "Just no final details. So, I think it will come down to a defensive mentality, because they obviously have a large number of athletic forwards. So to be able to do this and then give up our chances when they happen, I think it will be huge."

The final details not only cost the Hawkeyes in the previous game against Rutgers, but also in two of the past three games of Iowa this season.

The Hawkeyes led 1-0 in the last 20 seconds of the game at Purdue University on September 26 and lost 2-1 in overtime. On October 3, Iowa State led 1-0 in the halftime game against Michigan State University, and then two goals in the second half made the game fail.

Related: Iowa football loses 2-1 to Michigan State University

Before heading to the East Coast, the Hawkeyes knew that they needed to improve their defenses so that they could have a chance to fight the Scarlet Knights.

Iowa State coach Dave DiIanni said: "I think the first thing to do is to defend the pinnacle with the forward and defend as a team, not just as a back line." "I think the point is. It always falls on the defender, but when it gets there, it has actually experienced two-line players. So, I think as a team, we need to be more self-disciplined, more difficult and compact, so as to make the job of the defender easier Some."

Before the start of the season, Diane emphasized to the Hawkeyes that paying attention to details, winning individual battles, understanding one's own responsibilities, and focusing on 90 minutes is the key to success.

DiIanni also stated that he believes that steals, finishing opportunities and ingenuity in set-pieces are important parts of the rest of the season.

The ninth-placed Hawkeyes are currently outside the top ten championships with eight teams. But in a highly competitive conference, Iowa knew that it could change its destiny in the second half of the top ten schedule of 10 games.

"The Big Ten must be crazy this year," senior guard Sara Wheaton said. "So, every team has a lot of ups and downs. I think we all know that this is going to happen. It's natural, so don't read it too much, but really focus on us and what we need. Things improve. The things we control will be huge for us."

(Him/him/him) Email: [email protected] Isaac Goffin is a sports reporter for The Daily Iowan. He is a sophomore at the University of Iowa, majoring in...

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