If you think Northwestern's offense has struggled at times this season, you should see Iowa's. It's been a march through wet cement for the Hawkeyes all year.

Iowa (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) is ranked last in the nation in total offense. They score just 14 points per game and haven’t reached the end zone since Oct. 1. In last Saturday’s 54-10 loss to No. 2 Ohio State, they put up just 158 total yards and turned the ball over six times.

However, unlike the Wildcats, Iowa has a dominant defense that’s about as good as any in college football to rely on. The Hawkeyes allow less than 280 yards per game and rank sixth in the country. Northwestern, by comparison, comes in at No. 97 on the same list.

We went to longtime publisher Tom Kakert of HawkeyeReport.com to get the inside scoop on the Hawkeyes, who have lost three games in a row and haven’t tasted victory in more than a month.

Here is our Q&A:

Q. Iowa’s offense has been struggling in recent years, but they currently rank dead-last, 131st in the nation in total offense. What are the major issues on that side of the ball, and is there any hope?