Iowa Hawkeyes open at home at Kinnick with Michigan, as back half of the B1G race begins

It has been a difficult road for Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3, 2-2 B1G Legends) in 2011. The Hawkeyes are 0-3, with losses at Iowa State (45-42, 3 OT), at Penn State (13-3) and last week with a disappointing 22-21 loss at Minnesota.

Home has been a better place for the Hawkeyes in 2011. Heading into the final two games for 2011, Iowa is 5-0 at Kinnick Stadium, thus far. Of course, the next two weeks will be the biggest challenges at Kinnick in 2011, with the two schools from the State of Michigan.

First up, Iowa hosts Michigan (7-1, 3-1 B1G Legends), who features the most explosive QB in the B1G, with junior Denard Robinson. Robinson and his teammates have lost two straight to Iowa. A win today by Iowa would be a first in the Iowa-Michigan series, with Iowa winning three in a row.

Iowa has four games left in the B1G in November and control their own destiny, despite the 0-3 road record and two losses in the B1G, since they face the Legends division teams tied presently for first place the rest of the way. The final crossover game, with a Leaders team will be very important too, as well.

• vs. Michigan (7-1, 3-1 Legends)


• vs. Michigan State (6-2, 3-1 Legends)


• @ Purdue (4-4, 2-2 Leaders)


• @ Nebraska (7-1, 3-1 Legends)

Michigan may be the most difficult of the next four games for Iowa, due to Iowa's defense and how it will match up against Robinson at QB for the Wolverines. All four games will be difficult, based on the inconsistency of the Iowa offense, defense and special teams.

Playing at Kinnick Stadium should be a factor for Iowa?

After three games on the road in 2011, if this Iowa-Michigan game was on the road, Michigan would be a heavy favorite. But, as most teams have found in the Big Ten on the road, any given Saturday. All three tri-leaders in the Legends Division have a loss and all three came on the road.

Iowa features on offense three of the top play makers in the conference, with junior QB James Vandenberg, sophomore RB Marcus Coker and senior WR Marvin McNutt. Iowa will likely have to score plenty of points on Saturday, if they are successful to pull off their third win in a row over Michigan. It would be a huge upset for some Iowa fans, but some media talking heads do have Michigan on upset alert heading to Kinnick. Michigan is 1-1 this season on the road.

Iowa better bring A Game in all four phases of the game. Yes, four phases, since coaching and the intangibles may be as huge in getting Iowa back on track, after the disappointing 22-21 loss last week. Iowa's offense, defense and special teams will have to play strong, balance, balance for Iowa, in this big home game.

Prediction: IOWA 37, Michigan 35

DEFEND Kinnick Stadium

57Th meeting in the Iowa-Michigan series

Memorial Day weekend opens the official preseason of College Football as the magazines soon hit the newstand for the 2011 College Football Season

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone. It's Iowa, cool and wet, another tradition this time of year, along with the arrival of Summer and preseason college football magazines in June!

The first magazine out for the 2011 Preseason is AthlonSports, as Pat Harty's article highlights. Don't look for Iowa to a be a preseason darling in the Top 25 or in the Big Ten for 2011.

• Oklahoma will be a team getting a lot of attention this preseason nationally and in the new Big 12


• Despite the off the field distractions, suspensions; Ohio State is the team to beat in Big Ten, again


• The Big Ten will kick off a Big Ten title game in '11 between the winners of the Leaders and Legends divisions


• The Big Ten grows to 12 teams in '11 - Nebraska may be team to be in new Legends division?


• AthlonSports appears to like four Big Ten teams in Preseason Top 25


• Iowa's final opponent for 2010 - Insight Bowl: Missouri is in at #25, coming off loss to Iowa in the bowl game and absent QB Blaine Gabbert

As always, Athlon's 2011 annual provides in-depth team-by-team previews, along with our preseason Top 25, All-America teams, the first annual Big Ten Championship Game pick, All-Big Ten teams and everything else you need to know about the upcoming season of Big Ten football. - AthlonSports

Iowa's Marcus Coker is #26 in Athlon's College Fantasy Mock Draft, but surprising that Iowa WR Marvin McNutt is not listed among the 240 drafted. Major -FAIL - alert anyone?

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The Iowa Hawkeyes fall 27-34 @ Arizona in Week 3

Iowa's previous loss was 24-27 in OT at Ohio State last year. In a way, the Iowa loss @ Arizona in Week 3 was similar to the loss in '09 @ Ohio State. Both games witnessed an Iowa opponent on their home field gain separation, due to Iowa's poor execution or turnovers.

In both games, Iowa scored a big touchdown in the endzone by WR Marvin McNutt in the come back. But, at the end, the Iowa play calling couldn't keep the momentum on track as another opponent pulled the game out.

Former Iowa safety and now seventh year head coach Mike Stoops at Arizona appeared to have everything riding on the Iowa @ Arizona game in Week 3. He paced, he shouted, he disagreed with just about every negative play that impacted his Wildcats, despite what replay would have suggested as a good call on the field.

On the flip side, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz remained calm and quiet in his demeanor as Iowa fell behind 7-27 at halftime in Tucson. The Hawkeyes midway in the fourth quarter came back to tie the game 27-27. A missed extra point became costly, on a night where Iowa's special teams were not playing well.

"Both teams had their share of sloppy plays, but we got off to a fast start in
that department. That makes it tough, but our guys battled back." - Kirk Ferentz

Arizona blocked an Iowa punt deep in Iowa territory on Iowa's first possession. Arizona went on to take a 7-0 lead. Iowa made some positive plays in their next possession taking the ball nearly into the Arizona redzone, only to drop a pass that deflected right into the hands of Arizona CB Trevin Wade for a pick 6. Wade scored a pick 6 in Iowa's 27-17 win in '09 in Iowa City.

Iowa bounced back with another drive to make the score 7-14, but on the next kickoff, Arizona took the kickoff 100 yards for another Wildcat touchdown. Turnovers and special teams lead to 21 points right out of the gate for the Wildcats in what the ESPN television coverage called a "Hawkeye ambush." The "red out" was working in Arizona Stadium on Saturday night in the Desert in Tucson. And that was all in the first 16 minutes of the game.

The Hawkeyes (2-1) gave it a great effort in the second half, with Broderick Binns returning the pick-six favor with 8-minutes, 12-seconds left to knot the score at 27. Iowa also scored a touchdown after cornerback Shaun Prater recovered a muffed Wildcat punt.

After Iowa tied the ball game up 27-27, with solid defense in the second half and a mix of patient passing and several big plays, it was time for one final drive for the Wildcats. The #21 Arizona Wildcats (3-0) secured the upset by executing a 73-yard scoring drive late in the nonconference contest. #4 Iowa falls in the desert, after running out of momentum on the heals of the missed PAT.

Iowa allowed the most points since Indiana scored 38 in 2007 against the Hawkeyes. "They made the plays they had to make at the end and we didn't get it done," Ferentz said.

"The bottom line is that we made too many mistakes to win the game," UI linebacker Jeff Tarpinian said. "We knew we had to stop them and we didn't get it done." Tarpinian led the Hawkeye defense with 12 tackles. It was the second week in the row the new starting MLB has lead Iowa in tackles.

"We're going to go in (Sunday) and it will be a good teaching tool for us," Tarpinian said. Iowa will regroup with one final nonconference game, before the eight game conference schedule begins in the Big Ten.

Iowa will host Ball State at Kinnick on Saturday, September 25Th. The game will be telecast nationally on the Big Ten Network with an 11 a.m. Central Time start.

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Iowa Football: Fans wait for kickoff on September 5, 2009

Well, Spring Football at the University of Iowa has closed out for another season.

Hopefully, the injured and those held out due to off-season surgery will be ready, so they can join their teammates for another season of Iowa Football in 2009. The off-season begins today!

Iowa will have some newcomers to watch out for in 2009.

The #1 newcomer to the starting lineup appears to be sophomore-to-be WR Marvin McNutt, a 6-4 210 pounder from St. Louis. McNutt is no longer a quarterback and appears to be one of the new contributors to watch out for in 2009. Iowa loses one WR in Andy Brodell and starting TE Brandon Myers to graduation, but the receiver corp should be well stocked at WR and TE for 2009 and returning starting QB junior-to-be Ricky Stanzi to throw to.

The next man in is always a popular subject at the University of Iowa, especially the number two quarterback. Iowa has two redshirt freshman quarterbacks that will be in relief for starter Ricky Stanzi in 2009:
16 James Vandenberg 6-3, 205, Fr., RS
14 John Wienke 6-5, 220, Fr., RS

Running back and Doak Walker award winner Shonn Greene has departed for the NFL draft. Iowa returns sophomore-to-be Jewel Hampton, but look for redshirt freshman Jeff Brinson, 5-11 215 out of St. Petersburg, FL, to play a key role in a running back corp in 2009. The Hawkeyes will likely run a committee approach in 2009, as opposed to a one-man show.

Various highlights from Iowa Football camp this spring:

• Iowa RB Hampton sits out spring game - Chicago Tribune
• Hawkeyes finish up spring practices - Burlington Hawk Eye
• mcnutt ‘here for the Hawkeyes' - Gazette Online
• Iowa 'a little off' in final spring practice - Quad City Times
• Hawks Wrap up Spring Football - KCRG
• Moeaki close to return - Tom Kakert of Hawkeye Report
• Edds ready to get back on the field - Tom Kakert of Hawkeye Report

Big Ten football should be quite competitive in 2009. How far can the Hawkeyes move up the Big Ten ladder? On Iowa - By Marc Morehouse is another blog from Gazette sportswriter and UNI alum Marc Morehouse worthy of a look from time to time. The Hawkeyes open the 2009 season vs. the Northern Iowa Panthers at Kinnick Stadium on September 5Th.

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