A look back at Iowa's 7th win; a look forward to Iowa's next 5 B1G Games in 2015 ...

Thirty years ago in 1985, Iowa opened 7-0 with a win @ Northwestern.
Iowa's Kirk Ferentz was an offensive line coach back in 1985. Today, he
is dean of Big Ten coaches and has his Hawkeyes at 7-0, for the second time
in his tenure at Iowa. The Hawkeyes enjoy a bye week this Saturday.

Iowa City, IA -- The 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes are ranked #12 heading into Week 8, a bye week for the 7-0 Hawks, with a 3-0 record in the Big Ten West. The Hawkeyes will face Maryland at Kinnick Stadium, coming off a bye week, and 40-10 win at Northwestern, last Saturday.

Iowa has witnessed next man in on multiple occasions during the 2015 season. It was the case again, last Saturday in Evanston, when starting senior RB Jordan Canzeri went down, due to an ankle injury.

Iowa sophomore RB #25 Akrum Wadley lead the Iowa ground
game last Saturday at Northwestern, in a 40-10 Hawkeye win.

Sophomore RB Akrum Wadley recorded career highs in carries (26), yards (204) and touchdowns (4). In two career games against Northwestern, Wadley has 41 carries, 310 yards, and five touchdowns. In 10 games against all other teams, Wadley has 25 carries, 115 yards, and one touchdown. He is the first player this season to rush for 100 yards against Northwestern.

There is no question Iowa's bye week came at the right time
for the Hawkeyes in 2015. It will not bring back senior DE
Drew Ott, but it can't hurt many other Hawkeyes banged up.

The Hawkeyes need a bye week, with the injuries impacting their top two running backs, their #1 tight end from 2014, their starting offensive tackles and their top returning WR from 2014. Further, Iowa QB C.J. Beathard entered the Northwestern game banged up, with a hip and groin injury. He was able to play, despite his limited ability to make plays with his legs. The Hawkeyes are without senior captain, DE Drew Ott for the remainder of the season, after a knee injury in the win against Illinois.

QB C.J. Beathard is 8-0 as Iowa’s starting quarterback, a record that includes a 4-0 mark on the road, a 4-0 mark at home, and a 4-0 mark in the Big Ten. Numbers include 131-of-224 passing for 1,660 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions, and 223 yards rushing with three rushing touchdowns. He is the first quarterback in school history to win his first eight career starts.

On limiting his throws because of injury...

"Yeah, it was tough. I couldn't do many bootlegs or nudes and stuff like that. I was a little bit limited in what I could do running-wise," Beathard said, after the 40-10 win @ Northwestern

Iowa's remaining Big Ten regular schedule ...

• Bye week, October 24th
• vs. Maryland, October 31st, 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC
• @ Indiana, November 7th, the Hoosiers will be coming off a bye week ahead of Iowa
• vs. Minnesota, November 14th, in a prime-time game at Kinnick Stadium
• vs. Purdue, November 21st, on Senior Day 
• @ Nebraska, November 27th, on Black Friday in Lincoln

On the vibe in the huddle after Jordan Canzeri got hurt at Northwestern...

"Obviously he's a big back for us, our guy right now. But it wasn't a big blow for us because we expect the next man in to do a great job, and Akrum and Derrick did a great job stepping up. That's just the way the season's gone so far. We've had guys hurt, Drew [Ott) got hurt; our right and left tackles were going out. We've taken that upon ourselves and the next guy in has done a great job," said Beathard, after the 7-0 start for Iowa.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz's opening statement after 7-0 win at Northwestern...

"Certainly we're very pleased and very proud of our football team. It's a tremendous team victory. Our guys in every essence played great team football out there today... Needless to say this is a really resilient group of guys that we're coaching right now. Seems like whatever we throw at them, whatever comes their way good, bad or different they just seem to respond in a really positive way. I'm proud of the guys for that, proud of their effort today. How good we are I have no idea right now, but I do know that this team plays extremely hard and with a lot of guts. So, it's just great to be with them today."

True freshman among the leaders in the Iowa offensive line in 2015...

OL James Daniels started the game at left guard. He is the third true freshman to start on the offensive since 1999. Bryan Bulaga started the final five games of 2005 at left guard. Mike Jones started the final seven games of 2003 at left guard. Iowa’s starting offensive line today: LT Cole Croston, LG James Daniels, C Austin Blythe, RG Jordan Walsh, RT Sean Welsh.

Iowa is playing without their starting sophomore tackles in the offensive line, with Boone Myers, out since Big Ten play, and Ike Boettger, missing his first start of the 2015 season @ Northwestern. The Hawkeyes may get Myers back for Maryland.

Senior WR Tevaun Smith played for the first time since Week 4 against North Texas. He did not have a catch. Smith is looked at as Iowa's top play-maker at wide receiver heading into 2015.

Junior CB Desmond King recorded an interception on Northwestern’s opening possession. King has a Big Ten high six interceptions this season. He is the first Hawkeye with six interceptions in a single season since Tyler Sash led the league with six in 2009.

LB Jack Hockaday played against Northwestern. He is the fourth true freshman to see action this season: OL James Daniels, WR Jerminic Smith, and WR Adrian Falconer.

Senior RB Jordan Canzeri left the game with 3:05 left in the first quarter and did not return. He caught one pass for 19 yards. He has 10 straight games with reception. Speculation has Canzeri at least out, with an ankle injury, until November.

Sophomore converted RB Derrick Mitchell recorded career bests in carries (10), rushing yards (79), receptions (3) and receiving yards (43). Mitchell also scored his first career touchdown, a 13-yard rush in the fourth quarter.

Senior WLB Cole Fisher recorded a team high 10 tackles against Northwestern. Fisher has been Iowa’s leading tackler five times this season. This is the first season for Fisher in the starting lineup, with limited role his first four seasons in Iowa City.

Senior PK Marshall Koehn scored 11 points against Northwestern, including five PATs and two field goals (36, 22). Koehn has 130 career points, 21st all-time. Koehn was Big Ten special teams player of the week, after his 57 yard game winning FG, in Week 3, vs. Pittsburgh.

Iowa DC Phil Parker and OC Greg Davis are both in their fourth
season, as coordinators for the Hawkeyes. In 2002, the 4th
season for Iowa's previous coordinators, the Hawkeyes went 8-0.

"We're more explosive through seven games than I would have anticipated in August. If you can get a couple of big plays during the course of a game, it does wonders for field position and wonders for your football team." - Iowa offensive coordinator Greg Davis said on Wednesday, during their bye week.

Iowa is leading the Big Ten Conference with 12 plays from scrimmage of 40-plus yards. The Hawkeyes had 12 such plays all last season and 13 40-plus plays in 2012 and 2013 combined.

Iowa Hawkeyes prepare for first B1G road test @ Michigan State

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- While the first unit caught its breath during a bye week, University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said the second and third team Hawkeyes gained ground. Ferentz expects that improvement to bolster special team play that was stellar during a 31-13 win against Minnesota on Sept. 29.

"We still have a lot of young players, but the exciting news is that they improve every week and every practice if they are doing things right," Ferentz said Sunday during an exclusive interview with hawkeyesports.com "Hopefully we'll see the growth on special teams more than any place else. Our last game out, we looked more Big Ten-ready, but we're hardly a finished product there, either. That's one area we're really focused on now."

Iowa (3-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) travels to East Lansing, Mich., for its first conference road test of the season Oct. 13 against #24 in CIDSports Top 25, Michigan State (4-2, 1-1). From 2007-09, one game between the Hawkeyes and Spartans was decided in double overtime and the other two were decided by a combined five points.

"History would say that it has been an interesting series," Ferentz said. "Most of these games have been closely contested and go down to the last couple minutes. If we're playing well this week, I would predict that being the case, but if we aren't playing well, it could get away from us quick. We have to be at our best when we go up to East Lansing."

The offensive backfield will include the following healthy Hawkeyes: Damon Bullock, Greg Garmon, Jonathan Gimm, Brad Rogers, and Mark Weisman, with Jordan Canzeri "making progress."

"It has gone from a position of being a concern to looking like we're developing some depth now," Ferentz said.

Bye Week blues for Iowa Hawkeyes, as off the field issues emerge in Iowa City during off weekend

The Iowa Hawkeyes opened September only 3-2 overall, but earned the Floyd of Rosedale back with a 31-13 win over Minnesota in Week 5 to close out month and open 1-0 in the Legends division of the Big Ten .  But, the Week 6 bye week has been bitter sweet for Iowa, with news of an off the field arrest, as senior team captain Micah Hyde, Iowa's top cornerback, was arrested for public intoxication and interference of official acts per The Gazette and ESPN.

Update: Some solid Big Ten games in Week 6, as Iowa and Minnesota are enjoying bye weeks, but some players are enjoying the bye weeks too much!  The list gets longer for Iowa, as sophomore TE Ray Hamilton and reserve OL junior Drew Clark were charged with alcohol related issues per 1630 AM./KCJJ.

• Michigan State @ Indiana on Big Ten Network at 11 a.m.
• #25 Northwestern @ Penn State on ESPN at 11 a.m. ***
• Illinois @ Wisconsin on ABC (KCRG in Cedar Rapids) at 2:30 p.m.
• Michigan @ Purdue on Big Ten Network at 3 p.m.
• #21 Nebraska @ #16 Ohio State on ABC (KCRG in Cedar Rapids) at 7 p.m.

College Football rocks!

Week 6: First Saturday of October has some outstanding match ups around the Nation!

Saturday, October 6th

In the Big Ten, two Legend division teams are enjoying a bye week, Iowa and Minnesota, as Big Ten play is here for everyone now.  #1 Alabama enjoys a bye week, before back to back SEC road trips to open the month of October.  We welcome October College Football in Week 6!

• Navy at Air Force 10:30 a.m. CBS (HD) / cbssports.com - The Midshipmen are not playing very well in '12, so can the Falcons move from .500 to winning record in Week 6 vs. Navy?
• Arkansas at Auburn 11:00 a.m. ESPN2 (HD) / espn3 - Only one win in September for both teams, as each looks to improve in October and pull off first SEC win this week!
• Boise State at Southern Miss 11:00 a.m. FSN Affiliates (HD) / FCSC (cable) - MWC @ C-USA, as one of the top teams faces the weaker team on the road in the OOC.
• Boston College at Army 11:00 a.m. CBSSN (HD) - Both programs are off to weak starts, as BC is 1-3, while Army is 0-4 entering into Week 6 of  '12.
• Buffalo at Ohio U 11:00 a.m. ESPN-GP / ERTV (cable) / espn3 - Battle in the MAC East, as Ohio U opened with a win, while Buffalo opened 0-1.
• Connecticut at Rutgers 11:00 a.m. ESPNU (HD) / espn3 - Rutgers is 1-0 in the conference and 4-0 to open '12, as UConn opens conference play on the road!
• Kansas at #7 Kansas State 11:00 a.m. FX (HD) - The battle for Kansas, as Big 12 rivals play this one in little Manhattan, as Wildcats are 1-0 and Jayhawks are 0-1 in conference play.
• Michigan State at Indiana 11:00 a.m. BTN (HD) / btn2go.com - The Spartans and Hoosiers are both 0-1 in the Big Ten, Legends and Leaders, respectively... big game on the road for MSU!
• #25 Northwestern at Penn State 11:00 a.m. ESPN (HD) (3D) / espn3 - Another Legends vs. Leaders match up in the Big Ten today, as the Wildcats look to get to 6-0 for first time, since '62.  Winner gets to 2-0 in the Big Ten ...
• South Florida at Temple 11:00 a.m. SNY / MASN / CSCA / ESPN-GP / ERTV / espn3 - The Owls are coming off a bye week for Big East opener, while the Bulls lost to #4 FSU at home in Week 5 and are 0-1 in conference play.
• #18 Mississippi State at Kentucky 11:21 a.m. SEC Network / ESPN-GP / espn3 - The Bulldogs, 4-0, 1-0 SEC West, are undefeated and coming off bye week, against a home underdog, who are 0-2 and 1-4 overall.
• Virginia Tech at North Carolina 11:30 a.m. (ESPN-GP / espn3) / ACC Network (HD) - A Coastal division game in the ACC, as the Hokies are 1-0 and the Tar Heels are 0-1, as VA Tech faces UNC on the road.
• Arizona at #11 Stanford 2:00 p.m. FOX (HD) - The Wildcats opened 3-0  in the OOC in Rich Rodriguez's first season, but a loss @ Stanford would make U of A .500 and win-less in the Pac 12.
• Virginia at Duke 2:00 p.m. FSN Affiliates (HD) / ESPN-GP - Duke is 4-1 and 1-0 in the ACC Coastal, while UVA is 2-3 and 0-1 in the same division. 
• Georgia Tech at #17 Clemson 2:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) - Battle of Coastal vs. Atlantic in ACC play, as both teams are needing a win here, as Yellow Jackets face three game slide with a L.
• Illinois at Wisconsin 2:30 p.m. ((ABC / ESPN2) (HD)) - The Fighting Illini have lost two straight, while the Badgers lost a heartbreaker in Lincoln in prime time a week ago.
• Iowa State at #14 TCU 2:30 p.m. FSN Affiliates (HD) / FCSP (cable) - The Horned Frogs will be without their senior QB, due to a DUI, so can the Cyclones pick up a conference road win, after a sour loss in Ames in the conference opener?
• Louisiana Monroe at Middle Tennessee 2:30 p.m. (ESPN-GP / espn3) / Sun Belt Network - Big Game in the Sun Belt, as ULM opens conference play and Middle Tennessee is coming off big road win over Georgia Tech.
• #2 LSU at #9 Florida 2:30 p.m. CBS (HD) / cbssports.com - SEC battle of West vs. East, as Gators come off bye week to host defending SEC champions in the Swamp.
• #15 Oklahoma at Texas Tech 2:30 p.m. ((ABC / ESPN2) (HD)) - We don't have Tech yet in the Top 25, so could a win over the Sooners allow the Red Raiders a spot in our Top 25?
• Tulsa at Marshall 2:30 p.m. CBSSN (HD) - The Golden Hurricane are 2-0 in the C-USA West, while the Thundering Herd are -10 in the C-USA East.   
• Wake Forest at Maryland 2:30 p.m. ESPNU (HD) - Conference opener for the home team, while Wake is 1-2 in conference play.  Both teams want to get back in the win column.
• Michigan at Purdue 3:00 p.m. BTN (HD) / btn2go.com - Big Ten opener for both teams, as Wolverines are coming off bye week, while Purdue enjoyed final tune up for conference play with a 51-41 win over Marshall to close out September.
• New Mexico State at Idaho 4:00 p.m. ALT (HD) / ESPN-GP / KMYU (cable) / AggieVision - Combined record of both teams is 1-9, as Idaho opens WAC play and in search of first win of '12.
• Tulane at Louisiana Lafayette 4:00 p.m. (ESPN-GP / espn3) / COX4 (cable) - C-USA @ Sun Belt, as ULL is 3-1, 2-0 in Sun Belt, while Tulane is 0-4, 0-1 in C-USA West seeking a W of any kind.
• Washington State at #19 Oregon State 5:00 p.m. PAC-12 Network (HD) / pac-12.com - Pac 12 North has been good to some Pac 12 teams, but tough on WSU, as they open 0-2 in conference.
• Fresno State at Colorado State 6:00 p.m. CSBA / (KTVD / TW) (cable) - Fresno is off to 1-0 start in MWC, while Rams are 1-4, 0-1 in MWC.  But, could this be a tougher game, than first glance?
• #6 Georgia at #5 South Carolina 6:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) - Biggest game in the SEC East race, as both are 3-0 in conference play and seeking to open '12 at 6-0.
• Miami-OH at Cincinnati 6:00 p.m. (ESPN-GP / FSCN / FSOH / espn3) - The Bearcats are 3-0, 1-0 in the Big East, while the RedHawks are 3-2, 2-0 in the MAC East.
• North Texas at Houston 6:00 p.m. (CSMA / CSNC / CSBAa) / CSS (cable) - The Sun Belt travels to face a C-USA team... here's to the upset and Dan McCarney's Mean Green look to get to .500 for '12.
• Rice at Memphis 6:00 p.m. FCSC (cable) / DirecTV: 623 - Conference USA West vs. East game... Rice is 0-2, 1-4 overall, while Memphis is 0-4 and opening conference play in '12.
• Texas A&M at Ole Miss 6:00 p.m. ESPNU (HD) - Welcome to the Aggies, who are 1-1 in the SEC and travel to Ole Miss, where the old Big 12 rival Texas Longhorns found a W in the OOC, but will the Aggies in conference play?  Ole Miss is coming off bye week and is 0-1 in conference play.
• UNLV at Louisiana Tech 6:00 p.m. MASN2 / ALT2 / ESPN-GP / ERTV / espn3 - Should Tech be in the Top 25?  MWC vs. WAC, as Tech looks to get to 5-0 in Week 6.
• Vanderbilt at Missouri 6:00 p.m. Fox Sports South (HD) / (ESPN-GP / espn3) - The Tigers are 0-2 in their first season of SEC East play.  Vandy is also 0-2 and only 1-3 overall.  Who gets a W in the East?  Commodores may not be as easy out for Tigers as one might think?
• #8 West Virginia at #10 Texas 6:00 p.m. FOX (HD) - Does defense win championships or will the Mountaineers spread attack continue to roll in game 2 of Big 12 play?  Do the Longhorns have the mojo?
• Miami-FL vs. #13 Notre Dame (Chicago) 6:30 p.m. NBC (HD) / nbcsports.com - Road game for the Hurricane back in the Central Time zone... so, why will this week be better for Miami-FL?  Notre Dame continues strong start in '12 or does October slide begin?
• #4 Florida State at North Carolina State 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD) - The second of back to back road games, with this one in conference play, as NC State seeks to get first win in ACC Atlantic in '12.
• Hawaii at San Diego State 7:00 p.m. CBSSN (HD) - Both teams are 0-1 in the MWC, with the Aztecs looking to get to .500 on the season.
• #21 Nebraska at #16 Ohio State 7:00 p.m. ABC (HD) - The Cornhuskers and Buckeyes are both off to 1-0 starts in the Big Ten, in the Legends and Leaders, respectively.  Does Bo win @ alma mater on Saturday?  It should be a good on in prime time!
• #23 UCLA at California 9:00 p.m. PAC-12 Network (HD) / pac-12.com - The battle of the two public Cal universities in the Pac 12, as the Bears seek first win and UCLA looks to get above .500 in the conference.
• #22 Washington at # 3 Oregon 9:30 p.m. ESPN (HD) - Huge showdown in the Pac 12 North, as someone is going to fall for fist time in conference play, after today's game!
• Bowling Green at Akron 1:00 p.m. Video - Someone is going to notch first win in MAC East today!
• Central Michigan at Toledo 2:00 p.m. espn3 - Homer pick here, but we are hoping Dan Enos' club can notch first MAC win of the season, as Toledo enters 2-0 leading the MAC West.
• Kent State at Eastern Michigan 12:00 p.m. Video - Kent State is 2-0 in the MAC East, while EMU is looking or first win of the season and in conference play, as a MAC West program.
• Northern Illinois at Ball State 2:00 p.m. espn3 - Both teams are 1-0 in the MAC West and trying to stay unbeaten in conference play.
• Southern Methodist at UTEP 7:00 p.m. TWC (cable) - Battle in C-USA, as SMU looks to open conference play and UTEP looks to get to .500 in the conference and earn first win.
• Southeastern Louisiana at UAB 2:00 p.m. $ Video - Opportunity knocks for a FCS program in Week 6.  Not many options, as conference play is on tap in most games.
• Texas State at New Mexico 5:00 p.m. Video - WAC vs. MWC game, so can Texas State pull off the road win over Bob Davie and UNM?
• UMass at Western Michigan 1:00 p.m. Video - Neither team has a win in the conference in '12, so someone will notch the first MAC win for this season!
• Wyoming at Nevada 6:00 p.m. $ Video - MWC game, as Nevada looks to stay at the top of the conference in '12.
• Youngstown State at North Dakota State 1:00 p.m. (ND NBC / WFMJ) (cable) / espn3 - Showdown in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, as #1 should take care of business at home!

Week 6: For Iowa it's a Bye Week and for others it is Business as Usual

Tuesday night football: Troy (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) is @ Middle Tennessee (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) on ESPN2 in a huge Sun Belt showdown. The #14 Iowa Hawkeyes (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) have a bye week in Week 6, before heading up to Ann Arbor for a showdown with Michigan (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) in Big Ten play. Michigan State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will play @ Michigan in Week 6.


Clayborn Earns Big Ten Defensive Honor - U of Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa - - University of Iowa senior defensive end Adrian Clayborn has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following Iowa's 24-3 win over Penn State last Saturday. The announcement came Monday from the Big Ten office ...

Iowa Football Has Break from Action this Weekend - U of Iowa
10/5/2010 - Iowa has an open week after defeating Penn State 24-3 in Kinnick Stadium to begin Big Ten Conference play. The Hawkeyes are 4-1, with home wins over Eastern Illinois, Iowa State, Ball State and Penn State and a loss at Arizona ...

A popular question on Iowa message boards, such as Rivals.com HawkeyeReport, is where would Iowa be ranked right now, if they had not been upset at the University of Arizona in Week 3? ESPN radio guy, Colin Cowherd on Monday called Iowa a Top 10 program, despite the loss in Tucson.

peace

Ken O'Keefe actually speaks to the Media during the Bye week

Iowa's offensive coordinator has taken the good, the bad and the ugly this season with the media and the fan base for Iowa's 5-3 (2-2 Big Ten) start.

First of all, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz doesn't typically allow his coaching staff to speak to the media during the season. It's not in their job description.

But, many in the media wanted to speak to O'Keefe during Iowa's three game losing streak earlier this season. Some in the media were down right impatient with Kirk Ferentz.

Well the media got their time with O'Keefe today. Here's what some have to say.

Hawks offense on a roll Chicago Tribune- It was a familiar spot for Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe. The Hawkeyes were struggling to score, and many fans were blaming ...

Hawkeye offensive guru speaks UI The Daily Iowan - the Hawkeyes are on their bye week, Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe met with the media Friday afternoon. By Scott Miller - The Daily Iowan It ...
Rivals reports today - HawkeyeReport.com

"Offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe met with the media today during Iowa's bye
week to talk about the Hawkeye offense. O'Keefe discusses if Shonn Greene is the
best running back the coaching staff has had during their time at Iowa, how he
compares to others over the years, the rate at which the offense has progressed
this season, and much more."

The University of Iowa has a bye week this weekend. They will travel to Champaign, Illinois on Saturday, November 1 to face the Illinois Fighting Illini (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) to resume Big Ten play the final four weeks of the 2008 regular season.

peace

Iowa wins Heartland Trophy 38-16 over Wisconsin

The Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3, 2-2 Big Ten) take care of business for the second straight week, ending two game skids each to IU and now to Wisconsin (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten), in back to back weeks. The Hawkeyes got off to a strong start, scoring on it's first possession and taking a 14-3 lead into halftime.

The game got tight for a moment at 14-9, after the Badgers tacked on two field goals in the third quarter. But, for the Badgers, it was too much RB Shonn Greene on offense by the Hawkeyes. The Hawkeye RB ran for 4 touchdowns on 217 yards rushing.

Coach Bret Bielema for Wisconsin has his work cut out for him. His '08 team has lost four straight game, but overall, it's a team that lacks depth, separation on offense and overall poor execution.

The Hawkeyes have found a way to clean up their miscues and turnovers... have fun and win some ball games, after losing three straight by a total of nine points at Pitt, vs. Northwestern and at Michigan State. While Iowa was defeated in all three of those games... overall, I'll take Iowa in a re-match against any of the three.

Iowa has a bye week up next, while Wisconsin will host Illinois (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) in Madison. The Hawkeyes have four Big Ten games left and could finish strong in '08, if they can take care of business in November with games at Illinis, vs. Penn State, vs. Purdue and at Minnesota following the bye week.

peace