Iowa Must Employ This Massive X-Factor Against Missouri

The Iowa Hawkeyes must utilize this big X-factor against the Missouri Tigers in the Citrus Bowl.

Sep 14, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Jaziun Patterson (9) runs for a 39 yard touchdown against the Troy Trojans during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes will be facing the Missouri Tigers in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 30, and they will have to do it without running back Kaleb Johnson.

Johnson has been the engine behind Iowa's offense all season long, and when you subtract him from the equation, it really isn't pretty for the Hawkeyes.

Heck, Iowa's offense looked brutal at times throughout 2024 with Johnson in the lineup.

Johnson is preparing for the NFL Draft, so he has elected to sit out of this upcoming bowl game, which puts a heck of a lot more onus on the rest of Iowa's halfbacks to step up.

Let's examine one Hawkeyes ball carrier in particular: Jaziun Patterson.

Iowa's sophomore rusher has showed some very significant flashes this year, like on Nov. 2 when he carried the ball 10 times for 56 yards and a touchdown in a win over Wisconsin.

He also had a game in which he totaled 66 yards against Minnesota back on Sept. 21.

On the season overall, Patterson rushed for 235 yards and a couple of touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. That's obviously light work compared to what Johnson achieved, but not everyone is going to be Kaleb Johnson.

Patterson does, however, possess an explosive burst that makes him a very viable option for Iowa against Missouri. The Hawkeyes also have Kamari Moulton, and while Moulton has also had his moments, Patterson seems to be the more intriguing back.

It will be interesting to see how Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Tim Lester divide the workload between Patterson and Moulton, especially considering that Patterson hasn't seen a whole lot of action recently.

But if Iowa really wants to increase its offensive ceiling against the Tigers, it should absolutely employ a healthy dose of Patterson.