It’s been a while since I have thought about putting together a regular Inside the Numbers column, something I did regularly back in 1999-2001. It’s time to dust this one off, especially with the majority of Big Ten teams hitting the halfway point. The statistics below reflect Big Ten Conference games only.

SCORING OFFENSE: Iowa is 9th in scoring offense at 21.5 points per game. That’s not a great number, and I won’t try to convince you otherwise. However, #2 in the Big Ten is Indiana with 25.5 points per game. Scoring is way down in the league this year, or rather, it’s not great. Ohio State leads the way with 30.0ppg, having scored 18 touchdowns in five games. Iowa has scored eight touchdowns in four games, tied for the low in the league with Illinois. However, the Illini have played five games. No one other than Ohio State has 14 touchdowns, and the two teams that have that number (MSU and Minnesota) have played five games. Iowa does have a league best 10 field goals. That, and Ohio State has scored a handful of defensive and special teams touchdowns.

SCORING DEFENSE: The Hawks are third in the league at 15.2 points per game allowed, with Penn State and Ohio State tied atop the league at 12.0. Indiana is tied for 9th, allowing 28 points per game. Michigan is #11, allowing 31.0 points per game; Iowa scored 30 against the Wolverines. Iowa has given up one more point in four games than Ohio State has allowed in five games.

PASSING OFFENSE: Iowa is 7th in the league with 193.8 yards per game, Indiana is 4th at 246.2 ypg. Michigan State fell from 1st to 3rd after their game against Iowa last week. Iowa has thrown three interceptions in Big Ten play, tied for the lowest mark in the league with Penn State and Indiana.

PASSING DEFENSE: Iowa is 3rd in the league in this statistic, allowing just 187 yards per game. Indiana is 8th allowing 239.8 ypg. Iowa has eight picks in four games, Ohio State 11 picks in five games. Indiana has allowed nine touchdown passes in four games, second worst in the league to Michigan State’s 10.

KICKOFF RETURNS: Indiana is #1 in the Big Ten averaging 28.1 yards per return. The Hoosiers and Buckeyes are the only teams to return kickoffs for touchdowns this year, each doing it once. Iowa is actual 5th in kickoff returns averaging 22.7 per return.

PUNTING: Iowa is 5th in net punting average at 38.3 yards, while Indiana is 8th at 35.0. Indiana has allowed just 1.6 yards per return, with just six of their punts being returned.

TURNOVER MARGIN: Iowa is #1 in the Big Ten at +8. Indiana happens to be #2 in the league at +5. Iowa’s four turnovers in league play is the lowest number in the conference.

RUSHING OFFENSE: Iowa is 10th in the league averaging just 112.2 yards per game; Northwestern is 11th at 98.0. Indiana is 6th with 124.2 yards per game.

RUSHING DEFENSE: Iowa is 6th in this category, allowing 119.0 yards per game. Indiana is 9th, allowing 177.0 per game. It’s a shame that Adam Robinson is nicked up for a lot of reasons, this stat being one of them.

TOTAL OFFENSE: Iowa is 9th in the league at 306.0 yards per game, Indiana is 6th at 370.5 per game. Michigan State is #2 at 293.0

TOTAL DEFENSE: Iowa is third, allowing just 291.5 yards per game. Indiana is 10th, allowing 416.8 yards per game.

PUNT RETURNS: Iowa is third averaging 14.7 yards per return, Indiana is 2nd with a 15.3 yard per return average.

PASS EFFICIENCY DEFENSE: Iowa is 2nd in the league and Indiana is 9th. Teams are completing just 48.2 percent of their passes against Iowa, while the Hoosiers allow 47.8%. However, Iowa is completing just 51.8% of its passes in four Big Ten games.

FIRST DOWNS: Iowa is 10th in the league with 68 total first downs, and Indiana is 11th with 67. However, eight of Iowa’s first downs have come by penalty, with just one such instance happening for Indiana. Indiana has a league low 21 first downs via the run. Iowa is 28/32 run-pass.

OPP FIRST DOWNS: Iowa is 3rd in the league, allowing 64; just three have come by penalty. Indiana is #9, having allowed 103, including 10 by penalty.

SACKS: Iowa is 5th in the league in sacks with 11 for 64 yards. Indiana is 7th with 7 for 47 yards.

SACKS AGAINST: Iowa is 4th in the league, allowing nine sacks in four games. Indiana is #2 with six.

PENALTIES: Iowa is third with 33.2 penalty yards per game…that is a good thing. Of the teams that have played four games, Iowa has the least penalties in the league at 18. Indiana has 23 penalties in four games. Michigan State has 34 in five games.

FIELD GOALS: Iowa’s field goal kicking is sort of like the entire team; it might not always be pretty, but it’s effective. Daniel Murray is 10-12, easily the most field goals made and the most attempts. Indiana is just 6-10, 10th best in the league on percentage.

TIME OF POSSESSION: Iowa is #3 in the league at 32:20. Indiana is #7 at 28:22 in a conference where this stat still holds water.

OPP PENALTIES: Iowa is 11th in this category, and I have no idea if that means a darn thing except that they are not calling all of the holding penalties with Adrian Clayborn involved. Iowa’s opponents have been flagged just 17 times in four games, for 30.5 yards per game. Go figure; Ohio State leads this category, with their foes getting flagged 33 times for 295 yards. That accounts for nearly 18% of their total offensive yards! Indiana is 9th with 37.0 yards per game on 20 penalties.

REDZONE OFFENSE: Iowa has made just 11 trips to the redzone, which is a league low in four games. However, Illinois has been there just 11 times in five games. Iowa’s four redzone touchdowns are a league low. Indiana has been to the redzone 14 times, scoring 11 times with six touchdowns. Iowa has ZERO redzone turnovers this year, where they had two in one game last year against Michigan State.

REDZONE DEFENSE: Indiana is #1 in the Big Ten in this important category, allowing just 10 scores in 17 trips to the redzone. But this is a case of good news, bad news. The bad news is that eight of those ten scores were touchdowns, and the 17 trips to the redzone is 2nd worst in the league in four games. Iowa is WORST in redzone defense, with regards to the percentage of times an opponent has scored in the redzone. Again, bad news, good news. The really good news is that Iowa has allowed a league low four touchdowns in the redzone, and teams have hit the redzone just eight times, second best to Penn State’s seven.

THIRD DOWN %: Iowa is 8th in the league, converting 37.1% of its third downs. Indiana is dead last in this all important statistic, converting just 33.9% of their third down attempts.

OPP THIRD DOWN %: Iowa is #3, allowing 35.7% of third downs to be converted against them. Indiana is 10th, allowing 49.2%. So Indiana is not a good team on third down on either side of the ball.

INDIVIDUALS TO NOTE:

Adam Robinson is 3rd in rushing at 89.5 yards per game. Hoosier Darius Willis is 4th at 84.0. There is just one senior, Brandon Minor of Michigan, among the Top 10, and he is 10th. There are seven freshmen and sophomores.

IND QB Ben Chappell is #3 in the league with 244 passing yards per game. IND WR Tandon Doss pulls in six catches a game, good four fourth in the league. He is #2 in the league with 92.5 yards per game, while DJK is #7 at 71.2. Among the Top Ten in receiving yards per game, DJK’s average of 16.8 per catch is best in the Big Ten. Doss is also #1 in the Big Ten in all purpose yards per game.

Colin Sandeman is #1 in the Big Ten averaging 10.6 yards per punt return. Ray Fisher of Indiana is #1 in the Big Ten in kickoff returns with an average of 38.2 yards per return and a long of 93 to the house. Brandon Wegher is #6 at 25.0.

Daniel Murray is #1 in the league in scoring with 9.0ppg. Tony Moeaki is 3rd in the league in scoring with touchdowns only.

Pat Angerer is #4 in tackles, averaging 11.0 per game. Jeremiha Hunter is #9 with 9.0 per game. Broderick Binns is #2 in sacks per game, with Adrian Clayborn #8. Binns is also #3 in passes defended with five total, which means he has five batted balls. Shaun Prater is tied with him at #3 with Amari Speivey #7.

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