The Iowa Hawkeyes will be without several starters for their midseason clash with Purdue today. Kirk Ferentz’s squad must employ a next-man-up mentality, with multiple names featured on this morning’s injury report.
The biggest casualties take place on the offensive line. Both starting left tackle Mason Richman and left guard Nick DeJong will be out for the upcoming contest. One of the few positive takeaways from the injury report is the status of guard Connor Colby who is completely absent from the list. He will play today.
New starting quarterback Deacon Hill will also be down two playmakers on offense. Both tight end Addison Ostrenga and running back Jaziun Patterson are listed as out. While the Hawkeyes get a massive boost at running back with the return of Kaleb Johnson, tight end is starting to become a concern. Starter Luke Lachey is out the rest of the season due to an injury he suffered against Western Michigan. Look for Steven Stillianos and Johnny Pascuzzi to see an increase in playing time.
On defense, the Hawkeyes will be without cornerback Deshaun Lee. A key depth piece, the redshirt freshman provided meaningful snaps early in the season in place of the suspended Jermari Harris. With the lack of cornerback depth, don’t expect any of those Cooper DeJean reps on offense to happen, at least not in this game.
With several starters out, it will be interesting to see what changes and adjustments Kirk Ferentz and co. make for this monumental game against Purdue.
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