Kirk Ferentz opens his 10th season at Iowa in '08

Tenth season as Head Coach, that is.

Kirk Ferentz first arrived in Iowa City in 1981. J. Hayden Fry, entering his third season as Iowa's head football coach, hired the young Ferentz, to be Iowa's offensive line coach.

Iowa hit paydirt in the 1981 Big Ten season, winning Coach Fry's Big Ten title and Iowa's first of three Rose Bowl trips under Coach Fry.

From 1981 to 1989, Ferentz helped groom Iowa's offensive line into one of the best in the Big Ten. From 1981 to 1988, Iowa went to 8 straight bowl games, including two Rose Bowls. But, after the 1989 season, a season where Iowa finished 5-6, Ferentz accepted his first college head coaching job.

Ironically, as Ferentz enters his tenth season as Iowa's head football coach, he will be facing his former school, he left Iowa for in 1989: the Maine Bears. The Hawkeyes open the 2008 football season on August 30th vs. those same Maine Bears.

Kirk Ferentz has had a roller-coaster ride at Iowa over the past 9 seasons. Ferentz, his staff, team and Hawkeye fans are all hoping that the roller-coaster is aiming for a climb again, after hitting a valley the past 3 seasons.

• 1999-2001 Ferentz and Iowa went 1-10, 3-9 and 7-5 winning the Alamo Bowl in '01
• 2002-2004 Iowa's best three year's ever: 11-2, 10-3 and 10-2; 2-1 in New Year bowls
• 2005-2007 Ferentz and Iowa went 7-5, 6-7 and 6-6; finishing 0-2 in bowl games

Like the eight year run in the 1980's for Iowa; and like the five year run from 2001 to 2005, Iowa's offensive and defensive line play were major keys for the University of Iowa's success both nationally and in the Big Ten. If Kirk Ferentz and his staff are going to make the journey up from the valley again... the play of both the offensive and defensive lines will be huge keys.

Further, solid quarterback play and special teams have been an important part of the Ferentz formula. Coach Ferentz will open the 2008 season against his former school that he coached at. UConn is his alma mater as a student-athlete.

• August 30th, Maine @ Iowa
• September 6th, Florida International U @ Iowa
• September 13th, Iowa State @ Iowa for the Cy-Hawk Trophy
• September 20th, Iowa @ Pittsburgh for the 2008 road opener
• September 27th, Northwestern @ Iowa for Big Ten Conference opener & Homecoming
• October 4th, Iowa @ Michigan State (Kirk Ferentz has never won as HC @ East Lansing)
• October 11th, Iowa @ Indiana
• October 18th, Wisconsin @ Iowa for the Heartland Trophy
• October 25th, Bye week for the Iowa football program
• November 1st, Iowa @ Illinois
• November 8th, Penn State @ Iowa
• November 15th, Purdue @ Iowa for Senior Day
• November 22nd, Iowa @ Purdue for the Battle of the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy

2008-09 Bowl Season for College Football

My cidsports 2008 projection... for Iowa is a 5-3 or better mark in the Big Ten and 8 wins or better could be possible... certainly Iowa needs the O-Line, D-Line, special teams and quarterback play to all fall into place for improvement. There have been some clear deficiencies the past three seasons in Iowa City. Coach Ferentz and his coaching staff have there work cut out for them.

Comments entering Kirk Ferentz's 9th season

peace