They say it never rains in Autzen Stadium, but for the Oregon Ducks, the same can’t quite be said about their next road destination in Big Ten play.
Oregon will hit the road this weekend to face a scrappy Iowa Hawkeyes team that’s looking to keep its slim College Football Playoff hopes alive and secure a signature win. While also having the rowdy fans of Kinnick Stadium at their backs, the Hawkeyes’ typically low-scoring offense could benefit from some of the weather that might impact the game.
According to forecast projections, the Ducks could once again be having the deal with the elements as they look to win out during the remainder of Big Ten action.
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The game will begin at 12:30 p.m. PT with a 2:30 p.m. local start, meaning the field could get hit with a decent amount of rain and notable winds around kickoff.
According to the Weather Channel’s forecast for Saturday in Iowa City, wind speeds could range from 10 to 15 miles per hour with an 80 percent chance of rain that could reach a quarter of an inch.
The temperature will be fairly comfortable at around 50 degrees, but the combination of rain and wind will certainly make the environment a bit chillier for both the players and fans in attendance.
The forecast predicts “showers early, becoming a steady rain later in the day,” meaning the afternoon kickoff could be right in the middle of the rainiest part of the weather.
Already being from the Pacific Northwest, the Ducks are used to the rain and have had to deal with it during two games this season.
In Oregon’s 34-14 over Northwestern on Sept. 13, the Ducks got off to somewhat of a slow start after warming up in wet conditions prior to kickoff but eventually woke up and built a 34-0 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Then prior to last week’s bye, Oregon hosted the Wisconsin Badgers at Autzen Stadium and were hit with some ugly conditions once again.
Rain is certainly no excuse when it comes to Oregon football, but there’s no doubt the offense was limited somewhat by the conditions against the Badgers. The Ducks secured an underwhelming 21-7 win over Wisconsin, but the Badgers hung around longer than expected after it was a 7-0 game at halftime.
Wisconsin is a Big Ten bottom-feeder this season, making it a surprise for many when the Oregon offense struggled as much as it did.
The Ducks will have a chance to put together a bounce-back performance of sorts against Iowa on Saturday. Given Oregon’s current CFP resume, beating the Hawkeyes would give the Ducks their best win up to this point in the season considering how hard the Penn State Nittany Lions have tumbled since their double-overtime loss to Oregon in Happy Valley on Sept. 27.
