Iowa opens Big Ten play Saturday at Minnesota

Iowa City, Iowa -- The Hawkeyes open Big Ten play Saturday at Minnesota at TCF Bank Stadium. The game will be televised by ABC beginning at 2:30 p.m. (CT), with reverse mirror on ESPN2. Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham and Jeannine Edwards will call the action.

Iowa won its third-straight game, improving to 3-1 with a 59-3 rout of Western Michigan on Sept. 21 inside Kinnick Stadium. Minnesota is 4-0 with victories over UNLV (51-23), New Mexico State (44-21), Western Illinois (29-12) and San Jose State (43-24).

Iowa has won three of its last four conference openers, including a 31-13 win over Minnesota in last year's opener. The Hawkeyes are 6-8 in Big Ten openers since 1999. The Hawkeyes are opening the Big Ten season on the road for the 11th time in 15 seasons under coach Kirk Ferentz. In its previous 10 conference openers on the road, Iowa has won three times (42-35 OT at Penn State, 2002; 24-7 at Illinois, 2006; 21-10 at Penn State, 2009).

Iowa also won the first Big Ten road game last year, with a 19-16, 2 OT game at Michigan State.

Defense set the tone in final non-conference game for Iowa.

You can't win a football game if you don't score. On the flipside, you don't lose many when allowing three points.

That was true Sept. 21 for the University of Iowa, by frustrating Western Michigan in its final nonconference tune-up. It was the lowest point-total allowed by the Hawkeyes in 38 games -- dating back to Oct. 2, 2010, and not so coincidently, a 20-3 win against Penn State. The last time Iowa lost a football game when allowing three points was 76 years ago when Irl Tubbs was coach and FDR was President of the United States.

The tone was set on the opening kickoff Saturday when Western Michigan's Dareyon Chance was clobbered by Iowa linebacker Marcus Collins after a 15-yard return.

"That's big momentum for us," said UI senior cornerback B.J. Lowery, who finished the day with four tackles and two Pick-6 interceptions. "Even on the kickoff when Marcus Collins had the big hit, that got us going right there."

"Coach (Kirk) Ferentz asks in practice, `Who is going to be that guy who is going to get that spark?'" said UI senior defensive lineman Dominic Alvis. "As soon as Marcus clocked his guy, it sent electricity through the defense. We're getting out there and we're getting excited and it adds a spark to the entire team. It fueled our fire."

The fire kept burning for three hours and two minutes. Twenty minutes into the game, UI junior receiver/punt returner Kevonte Martin-Manley had more touchdowns (two) than the Broncos had first downs (zero) or rushing yards (one). On six straight possessions, the Hawkeye defense held Western Michigan to three downs-and-punt. The Broncos were 1-of-14 converting on third down.

"We have a good defensive unit," Alvis said. "We're not there yet, but every week we're taking strides and you can see that in the way we play. We showed up from the get-go and getting off the field on third down is our goal, that's our money down, and it is great when we give the offense a chance to score points."

For three straight games Iowa's defense has held opponents to less than 75 yards on the ground. Western Michigan gained 74 yards on 20 carries, Iowa State had 59 yards on 24 attempts, and Missouri State was held to 70 yards on 23 rushes. The Hawkeyes have not allowed a first-half touchdown since the season opener. The defense has yet to give up a rushing touchdown in 2013.

Senior defensive captain, middle linebacker James Morris is waiting for an opponent to "pin their ears back and run at us."

"It is one game and we're trying to build something," said Morris, who had a team-high seven tackles and moved to No. 15 on the all-time career tackle chart with 316. "We don't want to be a one-hit wonder. We want to be competitive down the stretch in October and November. We feel good about what we did, but we're still building."

After four games, the Hawkeyes are ranked 19th in the country in total defense (290.8 yards per game) and Iowa is one of four Football Bowl Subdivision teams yet to surrender a rushing touchdown. That is 128 straight rushing attempts without the opponent reaching the end zone.

"We showed up, were ready to play and didn't let off the gas," Alvis said. "We played like veterans and we played like we should. I'm fortunate to be part of a group guys who take pride in this unit -- there are a lot of playmakers out there."

One playmaker is Lowery. Just when you thought he could do nothing to top his high-flying interception at Iowa State on Sept. 14, he comes back seven days later and returns two interceptions for touchdowns. To put an exclamation point on the second one (from 13 yards), Lowery dove and stretched the ball inside the pylon.

"I learned it from Micah Hyde," Lowery said with a laugh.

Hyde's return for a score following an interception by Tyler Sash highlighted a 37-6 win against No. 5 Michigan State in 2010.

Lowery's two interception touchdown returns is an Iowa record and ties for second-most in NCAA history.

The 2010 season came up twice in reference to Saturday's victory. In that year, Iowa was also 3-1 in nonconference play, and went on to defeat three nationally rated teams and win the Insight Bowl.

The fate of the 2013 team is undecided, but there is no denying it has energy and oomph heading into the conference opener Sept. 28 in Minneapolis.

"This supplies momentum going into the next game and it is an exciting feeling as a player," Alvis said.

"This win is big for us knowing we have to go into Big Ten play next week," Lowery added. "That gives us momentum going to Minnesota."

After a 4-8 season in 2012, the 3-1 start is beginning to raise some eyebrows in the Big Ten media and that Iowa may be one of the biggest surprises this year in the conference. For Big Ten Legends Division teams, the Western Michigan win by Iowa was the most well rounded displays in victory this season.

Media Day in Iowa City as Game Week continues towards Iowa vs. Iowa State on Saturday

Iowa City, Iowa--- Junior Iowa DE Dominic Alvis prepped at Logan-Magnolia High School in western Iowa, which is more than 100 miles closer to Ames than it is to Iowa City. A majority of his friends attend college at Iowa State. "They are always giving me a hard time for playing at Iowa," Alvis said. "It's playful, but it adds to the rivalry." "It starts in practice, and it starts today," he said. "We practice today (Tuesday) and Wednesday like we're going to play Saturday, and have a great mental day Thursday -- that is going to be the key. It's a huge deal what we do during the week." Tuesday before regular season college football games at Iowa and through out the Big Ten Conference are media days. There is a conference wide phone conference, followed by a local media conference on campus.

Check out this article on Kirk Ferentz media conference ahead of Iowa vs. Iowa State game Saturday: http://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/iowa/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/090412aac.html sent from the University of Iowa Android App

University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was happy to get a win in the season-opener over Northern Illinois, but he knows the stakes are higher Saturday with Iowa State coming to Kinnick Stadium for an Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup. "It is a big game for our football team and a big game for everybody in the state," said Ferentz during Tuesday's press conference in the Hayden Fry Football Complex. "We have a big job on our hands and a lot of work to do." If the Hawkeyes are to avenge the 2011 loss -- a 44-41 triple overtime defeat in Ames -- they must slow the Iowa State offensive attack featuring quarterback Steele Jantz. Last season, Jantz completed 25-of-37 attempts for 279 yards and four touchdowns. "It was like a highlight reel," said Ferentz of Jantz's production last season. "He's an experienced player, a lot more confident, and had a tremendous game on Saturday against Tulsa, both running and throwing the ball." The Cyclones won their season-opener over Tulsa, winning 38-23 at Jack Trice Stadium. Jantz finished 32-of-45 for 281 yards with two touchdowns. Ferentz said containment was an issue for the Hawkeyes against Jantz during the 2011 meeting, a fact that will be emphasized during this week's preparation. "It might be a good idea if we try to keep him contained a little bit," he said. "You learn in football, somebody has to contain, and we kind of forgot that last year. It's easier said than done. He's a very good athlete and with their scheme, it makes it tough." The Hawkeyes have won three of the last four, four of the last six, and six of the last nine in the series dating back to 2003. Since taking over as head coach, Ferentz is 6-7 in the series, which has brought a renewed energy to the in-state showdown. "It has been a rivalry ever since I got here," said Ferentz. "Both teams are playing well, and it's going to go right down to the wire. It went down to the wire last year and then some." Ferentz said he wouldn't have envisioned Iowa running the ball 30 times in the opener, let alone giving 30 carries to one back. That's the workload sophomore running back Damon Bullock had en route to a career-best 150 yards. Despite Bullock's production, Ferentz sees Iowa spreading the wealth in the backfield in distributing the carries. "My guess is we'll spread it around," he said. "I think Michael Malloy is going to be playing here. Greg (Garmon) got his feet wet, and he's a good player, too. My guess is all three guys will do it, and it's a matter of how much Damon can handle." After reviewing the game film, Ferentz saw a number of correctible plays. He said it is a matter of how quickly they can be corrected and translated to the game field. "You know, the better you run the race, the better chance you have of winning," he said. "You factor in the team you're playing, so there are always challenges at hand." While Ferentz is eager to face the Cyclones inside the friendly confines of Kinnick Stadium, he said the environment will help, but isn't an all-deciding factor. "It didn't help us in 2002, it helped us in the first half, but didn't in the second half," he said. "It's really what you make it. We have won there and here; they have won there and here. It really comes down to which team plays the best." Kickoff to Saturday's game is set for 2:42 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised live on the BTN with Kevin Kugler, Chris Martin and former Hawkeye Chuck Long calling the action. Former Iowa QB Long was a sophomore in 1983, when Iowa began a 15 game-win streak. Iowa defeated ISU 51-10 in Ames, ending ISU's three game streak. Long was 13-17 for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was the most lopsided win in the series to date. Long's senior season ended with a 57-3 win, for even more salt in the wound.