Matchup to Watch: Sutton Smith vs. Iowa’s Tight Ends

I know what you’re thinking: “Iowa has no business being afraid of a MAC defensive end. His stats are inflated because of the competition he played. He’s tiny and Iowa should be able to push him around no matter who is at tackle.”

Wrong: Not only did he lead the country in sacks but he also led the country in tackles for loss. With 30 tackles for loss, nearly 50% of his overall tackles (63) came from behind the line of scrimmage.

Wrong: If his stats were a function of competition, why doesn’t an elite defensive end from a Group of 5 lead the nation every year in sacks? Because it is hard. The last guy to do it was Marcus Smith out of Louisville in 2013. Before him? Jerry Hughes at TCU in…