Iowa 2010 kicks off in one week from Kinnick Stadium, as the Hawkeyes host the Eastern Illinois Panthers to open season

The season approaches in one week for Iowa Hawkeye fans and college football. The 2010 college football season will officially kick off on Thursday, September 2Nd. Iowa will open on Saturday, September 4Th in the first of seven home games at Kinnick Stadium in 2010.

Prep Football in Eastern Iowa opened the season on Friday night, with Mississippi Valley Conference play. At Kingston Stadium, Washington defeated Prairie 41-21 to open play, in a game that was closer than the score may show. Alex Carr had an explosive game running the ball with over 240 yards rushing and 4 TD runs. Defense sparked the Warriors in the second half with a couple of interceptions, including a pick 6.

Hawkeyes Open at Home: Our #4 ranked Iowa (0-0) hosts Eastern Illinois (0-0) Saturday, Sept. 4 in Kinnick Stadium (70,585) to open the 2010 season. Game time is 11:01 a.m. The game is sold out. Eastern Illinois is a FCS program from the Ohio Valley Conference and were one of 16 FCS schools to make the 2009 playoffs. This is Iowa's first meeting ever between Eastern Illinois or a team from their conference.

The Big Ten Network (HD) will televise the contest to a national cable audience that includes over 75 million households throughout the United States and Canada. Tom Hart, Anthony Herron, a former Iowa DE during the Fry and Ferentz era, and Lisa Byington will call the action.

The 2010 season will kick off with FryFest activities on Friday in Iowa City and Coralville and with a Reunion Weekend for the 1960 and 1985 Big Ten Championship teams from Iowa.

Big Ten Football: Week 1 (Times are all Central Time)

• Sep. 2: Towson @ Indiana at 6:30 pm on the Big Ten Network


• Sep. 2: Marshall @ Ohio State at 6:30 pm on the Big Ten Network


• Sep. 2: Minnesota @ Middle Tennessee at 6:30 pm on ESPNU


• Sep. 4: Western Michigan @ Michigan State at 11:00 am on ESPN2


• Sep. 4: Youngstown State @ Penn State at 11:00 am on the Big Ten Network


• Sep. 4: Eastern Illinois @ Iowa at 11:00 am on the Big Ten Network


• Sep. 4: Missouri vs. Illinois in St. Louis at 11:30 am on Fox Sports Net


• Sep. 4: Connecticut @ Michigan at 2:30 pm on ABC/ESPN2


• Sep. 4: Purdue @ Notre Dame at 2:30 pm on NBC


• Sep. 4: Northwestern @ Vanderbilt at 6:30p on ESPN3.com


• Sep. 4: Wisconsin @ UNLV at 10:00 pm on Versus

The University of Iowa returns a strong base from their 2009 squad that finished 6-2 in the Big Ten, one game behind Ohio State, and 11-2 overall. The Hawkeyes defeated ACC champion Georgia Tech 24-14 in the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl win raised Iowa to 13-10-1 in bowl games.

Kirk Ferentz, entering his 12Th season as head coach, has named Iowa's Leadership Group for the 2010 season. The group includes seven seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen (redshirt). A member of the incoming freshman class will be this in the fall. As in past seasons, permanent team captains are named at the conclusion of each season. The Leadership Group for this season includes seniors Adrian Clayborn, Brett Greenwood, Karl Klug, Brett Morse, Ricky Stanzi, Jeff Tarpinian and Julian Vandervelde; juniors Broderick Binns, Marvin McNutt, Tyler Nielsen and Tyler Sash; sophomores Greg Castillo and James Vandenberg; and redshirt freshmen Shane DiBona and Brett Van Sloten.

Iowa returns 47 lettermen from 2009, including 21 on offense, 22 on defense and four specialists. The 47 lettermen are one less than the number from 2009. The Hawkeyes return six starters on offense, eight on defense and their kicker and punter. The lettermen breakdown includes 15 three-year lettermen, 13 two-year lettermen and 19 one-year lettermen. The total roster has 122 players, and includes 26 seniors, 22 juniors, 25 sophomores, 16 redshirt freshmen and 33 true freshmen. The first game depth chart includes 19 seniors, 18 juniors, 12 sophomores, five redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen. Just two Division I programs, Hawaii (31) and Louisville (27), have more returning seniors than Iowa, while Texas-El Paso also returns 26 seniors and Ohio State returns 25.

The Hawkeyes have won 44 of its last 53 games (.830) in Kinnick Stadium, dating back to the 2002 season. The nine Hawkeye losses came to Western Michigan (28-19 in 2007), Indiana (38-20 in 2007), Michigan (23-20 in overtime in 2005), Ohio State (38-17 in 2006), Northwestern (21-7 in 2006, 22-17 in 2008 and 17-10 in 2009), Wisconsin (24-21 in 2006) and Iowa State (36-31 in 2002). Iowa recorded a school-record 22-game home winning streak between 2002-05, which ended in the overtime loss to Michigan. Iowa's 44-9 (.830) home record from 2002 thru 2009 is the 11Th-best winning percentage in the nation and ranks second in the Big Ten to Ohio State. Iowa was 6-1 at home in 2009, with wins over Northern Iowa, Arizona, Arkansas State, Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota and a loss to Northwestern. Iowa is 12-2 at home the last two seasons.

Iowa returns 11 players who earned all-Big Ten honors a year ago. Among those returning, DE Adrian Clayborn and DB Tyler Sash were first team selections by both league coaches and media. WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and DB Brett Greenwood were second team selections. Those earning honorable recognition included DT Christian Ballard, DT Karl Klug, P Ryan Donahue, RB Adam Robinson, DE Broderick Binns, QB Ricky Stanzi and PK Daniel Murray. In addition, Clayborn was the MVP of Iowa's FedEx Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech and was named national Defensive Performer of the Year by College Football Performance Awards. Clayborn and Sash are two of four returning defensive players who earned first team all-Big Ten honors a year ago.

Eight Hawkeye players have been named to 18 different preseason "Watch Lists" for individual national awards. Those players include junior DE Broderick Binns (Ted Hendricks), senior DE Adrian Clayborn (Walter Camp, Ted Hendricks, Chuck Bednarik, Rotary Lombardi, Bronko Nagurski), senior punter Ryan Donahue (Ray Guy), senior WR Johnson-Koulianos (Paul Hornung, Fred Biletnikoff), senior DT Karl Klug (Outland Trophy), senior PK Daniel Murray (Lou Groza), junior DB Tyler Sash (Jim Thorpe, Chuck Bednarik, Lott Trophy, Bronko Nagurski) and senior QB Ricky Stanzi (Maxwell, Davey O'Brien, Manning). Iowa is one of three programs (joining Oklahoma and Texas) to have five different individual players earn national Player of the Year honors at their position since 2002.

College Football is one week away from what could be one of the better Iowa football seasons in the program's history, if expectations can be achieved and surpassed. We have Iowa at #4 in the FBS, as we enter the 2010 season.

peace