Friday night has just two college football games on the schedule, but one of them has two teams kicking off their Big Ten schedule in Iowa vs. Rutgers at 8 p.m. ET on FOX in Piscataway, N.J.
Iowa has dominated this rivalry, winning all four matchups, but Rutgers is playing at home, and their fans could give them the support needed to break this streak especially on a Friday night as they look to stay undefeated.
We will break our Iowa vs. Rutgers prediction and picks, including the notable players like Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis and Iowa QB Mark Gronowski to target for PrizePicks CFB DFS — where you can win real money with your college football predictions.
Iowa vs. Rutgers Prediction Preview: CFB Week 4
These two teams kickoff their Big Ten play on a Friday night in New Jersey. Iowa brings in a strong defense, but continues to lack a pass offense, which is led by QB Mark Gronowski — who has thrown for just over 300 yards combined in his first three games.
Meanwhile, Rutgers has much-improved QB Athan Kaliakmanis leading the offense, but have some key losses on defense that showed themselves vs. Ohio in Week 1. The Rutgers will also be without WR Ian Strong and LT Tyler Needham.
Rutgers Preview
Rutgers fans are optimistic, as the team has a chance to make history. The Scarlett Knights have the opportunity to start 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1960-61 seasons.
While Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano does well at the start of seasons, the team's performance plummets as the season progresses. Since entering the Big Ten in 2014, Rutgers has never finished with a winning record in the conference.
They’ve shown offensive explosiveness this season by scoring 39.5 points per game (18th), and Kaliakmanis is having one of his better passing seasons as his 72.9% completion percentage is far better than his 55.5%.
Their schedule has been a cakewalk with two FCS programs, Stony Brook and Norfolk State, and a Group of Six program, Ohio. Not only is this an upgrade in opposition, but they are facing Iowa’s lineage of a juggernaut defense under head coach Kirk Ferentz with a stacked from seven game.
Iowa Preview
The Hawkeyes are always a bridesmaid and never a bride in the Big Ten. They have competed in the conference championship in two of the last three seasons, but they have scored just 3 total points in those games.
Each year, they have one of the better defenses in the country, and this season is no different, as they are 13th in the FBS in points allowed per game (11.5).
What continues to hinder them is the offense, specifically the passing game. In each of the three previous seasons, they have finished second-to-last in the Big Ten in passing yards per game. This year, the Hawkeyes could break that trend — but for the wrong reasons; they are currently last in the conference in passing yards per game (121.7).
The Hawkeyes desperately need QB Mark Gronowski to live up to his highly-coveted transfer status after three seasons of 2,700+ pass yards in three straight seasons at South Dakota State.
Iowa vs. Rutgers Picks For CFB DFS
Here are the top Iowa vs. Rutgers picks and player projections to target on PrizePicks for this Week 3 showdown, including Mark Gronowski and Athan Kaliakmanis.
Iowa QB Mark Gronowski Projection: 127.5 Passing Yards
Despite all of the beautiful words spoken about Iowa’s passing offense above, Gronowski’s arm could play a factor in this offense. The transfer from the FCS program South Dakota State, doesn’t have an explosive arm, but he’s highly proficient, as he led the FCS in passer efficiency in 2023.
The Rutgers pass defense, which has faced inferior competition all season, is struggling, allowing 245.5 passing yards per game (87th). Gronowski has faced one defense worse than Rutgers against the pass this season, and threw for 179 passing yards against UMass, who are allowing 255.0 this season (93rd).
The questions around whether Gronowski can play at this level loom large after he was a major get in the transfer portal. So far, he has been unimpressive. But he now faces a Rutgers team that is seriously lacking in pass defense, surrendering 7.9 yards per dropback — 113th in college football out of 136 teams, per Game on Paper.
Iowa RB Jaziun Patterson Projection: 44.5 Rushing Yards
The Hawkeyes are a run-first offense with a 56.83% run play percentage (37th), and for them to get a win in New Jersey, they could look to pound the rock.
RB Xavier Williams led the team in snaps in the first game against Albany, but a shoulder injury sustained during the game against UMass — combined with a previous injury to RB Kamari Moulton, has forced Jaziun Patterson to be the featured back. He’s looked good early in the season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, and he’s a fighter in the trenches with 4.6 yards after contact.
Moulton should be back for this game, while Williams will sit out against Rutgers. This could mean Moulton and Patterson both get playing time, but don’t be surprised if Patterson sees more touches because of how well he is playing, as Iowa may ease Moulton back into the lineup.
Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis Projection: 223.5 Pass+Rush Yards
Throughout QB Athan Kaliakmanis’ collegiate career, whether for Rutgers or Minnesota, his arm has never been his best attribute. Over the previous two seasons as a starter, he’s averaged only 181.4 passing yards per game, a 53.6% completion rate, and a 32:16 TD:INT ratio.
Rutgers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca is in his second year working with Kaliakmanis at Rutgers, and they were previously together when Kaliakmanis was the quarterback at Minnesota and Ciarrocca was the OC.
Early in the season, Kaliakmanis has shown improvement from last year. It’s the first time he’s thrown for at least 250 yards in three straight games, and his 72.9% this season is far better than his career mark of 55.5%.
These numbers are fantastic, but are they a smoke screen? The level of competition has been subpar with two FCS and a Group of Six program. Not only does he get his first Power Four opponent, but it’s Iowa, which is seventh in the FBS passing yards allowed per game (113.5) and has finished within the top ten in that category in two of the last three seasons.
Rutgers RB Antwan Raymond Projection: 67.5 Rushing Yards
Rutgers RB Antwan Raymond takes over the backfield this season after playing behind current Chicago Bears RB Kyle Monangai in 2024.
It’s been a great start to the year, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, with a TD in each game. He has a unique blend of power and speed to break through tackles, as his 16 missed tackles forced are tenth in the FBS.
This could be a dose of reality for Raymond though, facing an Iowa run defense that is sixth in rushing yards allowed per game (57.7) and is giving up just 3.11 yards per carry, ninth best in the country.
This is a defense that resembles a brick wall, as they know how to finish plays. Of the ten primary defensive linemen who have played at least 40 snaps, they have just a combined six missed tackles.
While this may be a grind it out game for Rutgers, it may be a tough matchup in the trenches if the Scarlet Knights want to keep it on the ground.
Make Iowa vs. Rutgers Picks on PrizePicks
Iowa and Rutgers get their first taste of Big Ten competition as these two battle in New Jersey on Friday night.
The season is in full swing, and there's no better time to get in on the real-money college football action with PrizePicks, where you can cash in on your college football predictions.
Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their weekly stat projections, and cash in if your picks are right.
Check out the Playbook throughout the remainder of the CFB season for more analysis for your PrizePicks and CFB DFS Lineups.
