Numbers to keep in mind as football enters Big Ten play.

By Charlie Green
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Coming off a 62-16 trouncing of North Texas, the Hawkeyes get Big Ten rival Wisconsin on Saturday. Iowa will face the Badgers in Madison, with kickoff slated for 11 a.m. on ESPN.

Beathard’s passing efficiency: 158.7 (1st in the Big Ten).

Entering the Hawks’ Big Ten opener in Madison, their field general stands as the conference’s most efficient passer. Names such as Nate Sudfeld, Connor Cook, Cardale Jones, and Christian Hackenberg sit in his wake.

A completion percentage of 68.2 and average yards per attempt of 8.7 both rank second among league passers, but perhaps Beathard’s touchdown-to-interception ratio of 6:1 is most indicative of his play in 2015.

The Big Ten is loaded with talented and viable quarterbacks this season. Experienced players like Joel Stave, Tommy Armstrong Jr., and Jake Rudock, along with the ultra-hyped aforementioned signal callers might make the conference the deepest at the position of any in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Through four games, Beathard has arguably been as good as any of them. He is the ultimate difference between an Iowa squad that is a contender in 2015 and was an afterthought in 2014.

Opponent wins against Power-5 teams: 0 (which we can reasonably deduce is the lowest in the country)

Take the fast start of Beathard and the 4-0 Hawks with a slight grain of salt. Of Iowa’s first four opponents (one being from the Football Championship Subdivision), not one has notched a single win against a Power-5 opponent.

That’s in large part because Iowa is the only Power-5 team Pittsburgh and Iowa State played in their respective nonconference schedules. The Panthers are 2-1 with wins against Youngstown State and Akron. The Cyclones are 1-2 with a victory against Northern Iowa and a loss to Toledo.

North Texas is 0-3 with losses to Southern Methodist and Rice, both FBS programs that compete in non-Power-5 conferences.

In fact, the only win over an FBS opponent from any of these teams came when Pittsburgh defeated Akron of the Mid-American Conference, 24-7, on Sept. 12.h

Canzeri’s rushing touchdowns: 8 (1st in the Big Ten)

Canzeri ranks just 11th in rushing yards among Big Ten backs (316), 10th in rushes (63), and 15th in yards per attempt (5.0). Yet, he’s finding the end zone at a remarkable clip.

The senior is on pace for 24 touchdown runs (assuming the Hawks make a bowl game.) The incredible pace isn’t likely to persist, but one thing is clear: Canzeri has a nose for the goal line.

As LeShun Daniels Jr. returns to full health, more carries will be divided between the two. But in the red zone, particularly close to the goal line, Canzeri has established himself as the go-to guy.

Moving the ball can be a hassle as offenses approach the end zone. As the field shrinks, defenses have less space to cover. For this reason, players such as Canzeri are invaluable. It’s often about tough yardage, fighting through contact, and slipping through rare openings in the defense.

Also, it doesn’t hurt he frequently catches out of the backfield. His 13 receptions rank second on the team to Matt VandeBerg’s 25.

Follow @CharlsGreen for news, updates, and analysis of the Iowa football team.