The Iowa defense has been one of the only bright spots over the past few seasons for the Hawkeyes. Iowa's offensive struggles have been well-documented, forcing the defense to stay on the field and hold opposing offenses to as few points as possible.
The Hawkeyes' defense faced a small regression last season, but still had a solid season. The defense ranked No. 11 overall in points per game allowed (17.8) and No. 20 in total defense (318.4 yards allowed).
A significant factor in the Iowa defense's success was its rushing defense, led by Yahya Black, Ethan Hurkett, Max Llewellyn, and Aaron Graves.