B1G West Spotlight: #17 Iowa @ #20 Northwestern at Ryan Field on Saturday

The 2015 Northwestern Wildcats will celebrate Homecoming in Week 7 of
the College Football season by hosting Big Ten West rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Evanston, IL -- The #17 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0, 2-0 B1G West) will travel to Ryan Field to face the #20 Northwestern Wildcats (5-1, 1-1 B1G West) in a key conference game on Saturday with an 11 a.m. kickoff on ABC. The Wildcats will be celebrating Homecoming, as well as the twenty year anniversary of their 8-0 Big Ten championship in 1995. The Wildcats plan to wear new Under Armour throwback jerseys celebrating the 1995 championship season.

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald was one of the members of the 1995 Big Ten championship team, as his former coach Gary Barnett will return to serve as honorary captain for Saturday's Homecoming game. While there will be no celebration on Saturday, the Iowa Hawkeyes won the Big Ten thirty years ago. The Hawkeyes thirty years ago arrived with a similar 6-0 record for a game at Ryan Field, known then as Dyche Stadium.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz during
the 2012 game at Northwestern.
The Wildcats won over the Hawkeyes
28-17 in route to a 10-3 season,
the best year under NU's Pat Fitzgerald.

Iowa holds a 49-24-3 advantage in the series that began with a 12-6 Iowa win in Evanston in 1897. Iowa has won three of the last four meetings, including a 48-7 decision a year ago in Kinnick Stadium. Iowa holds a 23-15-3 advantage in Evanston, but has not played at Ryan Field since 2012. Iowa has lost on its last two visits to Ryan Field, with its last victory in Evanston coming by a 28-17 score in 2007.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is 7-7 in the Northwestern series, as he enters his 17th season as head coach of the Hawkeyes. The dean of the Big Ten will face, the second most active coach, in the Big Ten, when the Hawkeyes and Wildcats meet. Fitzgerald has a 5-4 record vs. Iowa, now in his tenth season at his alma mater. Ferentz is 2-4 in Evanston.

Injured CB #27 Matthew Harris at
Iowa last year, as he reaches to
tackle Iowa RB #25 Akrum Wadley.
Wadley had a career high 15 carries
and 106 yards rushing in Iowa's
48-6 win over the Wildcats.

On Saturday, in Ann Arbor, junior CB Matthew Harris was carted off the field during the 'Cats 38-0 loss to Michigan. The starting CB has broken bones in his face and will be out for the foreseeable future. "A good time to ask me (about his return) will probably be right after the bye week (at the end of the month)," said Fitzgerald during his Monday press conference with the media.

Iowa Offense vs. Northwestern Defense

Iowa averages 31.7 points per game, the second best scoring offense in the Big Ten. Northwestern allows only 12.2 points per game, third best in the conference. Iowa faced a similar match up in the Big Ten opener at Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes won 10-6 in a four quarter slobber-knocker.

Iowa and Northwestern are tied for second in the league in red zone defense. Both teams have allowed nine scores on 13 trips to the red zone (69.2 percent). Iowa has allowed six touchdowns, while Northwestern has surrendered four.

Northwestern is the least penalized team in the Big Ten.

Iowa and Northwestern ranks fourth and fifth, respectively, in turnover margin. The Hawkeyes are plus-five with a Big Ten-best eight interceptions. Northwestern is plus-three.

Northwestern has no Iowa natives on its roster. Iowa’s roster includes 14 Illinois natives, more than any other outside state. Iowa is coming off a 29-20 win over Illinois, so back to back games vs. Illinois teams for the Hawkeyes.

ONE POINT OF EMPHASIS in the days leading up to that Michigan game, Fitzgerald noted, was the importance of first and second downs. The reason for that was obvious. No team wants to face a third-and-long against any defense, let alone a defense as strong as the Wolverines'.

So Fitzgerald was accurate on Monday when he said, "We put ourselves in third-and-long almost the entire day. With their defense, that's a recipe for disaster. I think they're outstanding, especially up front. But we sure compounded the problem. Not physical enough up front. . . . Up front, we couldn't get any movement on our one-on-ones. That made it tough sledding for Justin (Jackson). We've got to get our run game going. That's our bread-and-butter. We've got to be able to run the football."

Northwestern's leading RB sophomore
#21 Justin Jackson was held in check
by Michigan during the Wildcats'
38-0 loss in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

ANOTHER OF FITZGERALD'S beliefs is that you've got to flush away disappointments and move on, which his 'Cats must certainly do with undefeated Iowa set to visit Ryan Field on Saturday. "You've got to get off the mat. You get knocked down, you don't have the game that you're capable of having, you've got to get up. There's no other choice," he reiterated on Monday.

THE 'CATS, of course, never did manage to run the football against the Wolverines, who limited Jackson to just 25 net yards on his dozen carries. That buttressed a contention often made by Fitzgerald, who regularly avows that Big Ten games are determined by the mano-a-mano combat that goes on in the trenches. He echoed that theme on Monday when he said, "They (Michigan) didn't do anything we didn't prepare for. That's probably where our offensive guys were frustrated."

In last year's game at Iowa,
Justin Jackson wore #28,
as a true freshman. Here
he was tackled by Iowa
DE #34 Nate Meier.

"When I met with some of the Leadership guys on our offense, I said, 'What could we have done differently?' They said, 'Everything you guys showed us last week is exactly what they did.' So got to credit Michigan. They executed, we didn't. We've got to win in those one-on-one situations. We're going to be in them again the next six weeks. There were plenty of times in the first five (weeks) that we did (win). Just got to get back to accomplishing that."

Iowa will seek to duplicate what Michigan was able to do against Northwestern, but the Hawkeyes will have to manage it on the road. And, the Wildcats will be celebrating a 20th anniversary of a championship, along with Homecoming on Saturday at Ryan Field.

Michigan QB #15 Jake Rudock won his
third game against Northwestern.
The past two wins were in an Iowa
uniform, the past two seasons.

"I like the way the guys were this morning. They came with a great attitude. We coached the you-know-what out of them. Put the game away pretty quick and moved on. I think I'll know a lot more tomorrow walking off the field (after practice). But where they were at this morning was a positive place. . . . I think they were mad-- mad at themselves individually, mad at the performance that we did not have. We talked about what did we do in the first five weeks to have that success. It was the way we prepared and obviously the way we performed," Fitzgerald reported on Monday.

MICHIGAN, Fitzgerald also said, is "Playing as hot as anybody in the country." Then, in the next breath, he added, "You'd probably say Iowa is right there with them. We have to rise to the occasion."

SATURDAY is the 'Cats homecoming game. Saturday the 'Cats will honor their 1995 edition that went to the Rose Bowl. Saturday the 'Cats will wear new uniforms designed in tribute to that storied team. But, most importantly, Saturday the 'Cats will face the team that sits atop their division, a team that must be beaten if they hope to achieve their goal of appearing in their conference's title game. "I think there's extra motivation because they're in the driver's seat in the Big Ten West. That's the bottom line," Fitzgerald said of that reality.

"They've put themselves in that position by the way they've played. They've won their games. They've found ways to win close games, tough games. That's a hallmark of (Hawkeye coach) Kirk (Ferentz's) teams. They're tough. They're physical. They do what they do. They do it well. They execute fundamentally. They don't make mistakes. They typically don't beat themselves." - Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald on Iowa

"You've got to execute to beat them," Fitzgerald went on to say about the game with the Hawkeyes this Saturday.

The game on Saturday should be another classic chess match between the Hawkeyes and the Wildcats.

Iowa junior QB #16 C.J. Beathard has
used his feet and his arm to lead the
Hawkeyes to a 6-0 start in 2015.

Each team has a new quarterback at the helm. QB C.J. Beathard is 7-0 as Iowa’s starting quarterback, a record that includes a 3-0 mark on the road, a 4-0 mark at home, and a 3-0 mark in the Big Ten. Numbers include 116-of-199 (58.3) passing for 1,484 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions, and 221 yards rushing with three rushing touchdowns. The last Iowa quarterback to win his first seven career starts was Matt Sherman, who won seven from 1994-95.

Northwestern redshirt freshman QB
#18 Clayton Thorson leads the 2015
Wildcats' offense.

One of the reasons Jake Rudock transferred to Michigan after the Spring as a graduate transfer was due Ferentz electing to name the junior Beathard the #1 QB, back in January. It has worked out well for both Michigan and Iowa.

Northwestern has opened the 2015 with a positive record lead by redshirt freshman signal caller Clayton Thorson, who offers a run, pass option, as often has been popular under Fitzgerald. The Wildcats are 2-1 against ranked opponents, with wins against Stanford in the season opener and @ Duke in Week 3.

Northwestern finished 2012 with a 10-3 record, the best ever under Fitzgerald. The Wildcats were a +14 in turnover margin, an unreal number under Fitzgerald. The Wildcats came into the 2015 season, off the heels of back to back 5-7 seasons.

Iowa has been 19-21 the past five seasons in the Big Ten. After a disappointing 7-6 season last season, including three straight losses, Ferentz revisited all aspects of the program. One area of emphasis was turnover margin.

“We hope (an advantage in turnovers is) something we can build on weekly. It is one of the most important stats, if not the most important, when it comes to winning and losing. It was a real factor in the game yesterday -- our defense forced a couple takeaways and to convert those into points is even more important. Getting that last fumble recovery and getting insurance points was a big sequence in the game (against Illinois).” - Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz shared Sunday about the 2015 season.

Iowa senior running back Jordan Canzeri continues to impress. On Sept. 26 he rushed for four touchdowns and Ferentz said he was equally complimentary of Canzeri’s blocking in the game. He had a similar feeling Saturday when he saw Canzeri carried the ball 43 times for 256 yards. Canzeri has also been effective as a receiver, as well, beginning the season, as the third down back.

Iowa senior RB #33 Jordan Canzeri is leading the
Big Ten in rushing, in conference games. He has 10 
touchdowns in leading Iowa to a 6-0 start.

“It is a tribute to his determination and hard work,” Ferentz said. “It is all playing off and his commitment to our football team. That last drive (against Illinois) in particular he didn’t even looked at the bench giving even an inkling that he wanted to come out. He had 11 carries in that possession (for 59 yards). That to me was the biggest series we had in the football game. He got good blocking in there, but a big part of that was his effort and determination.”

The Hawkeyes won 48-7 last season in Kinnick Stadium -- a game Ferentz calls an “aberration.” Two weeks after that game, the Wildcats went on the road and defeated No. 15 Notre Dame, 43-40.

“It is going to be one of those tough Big Ten contests. We’re on the road and we will have to be at our best to have a chance in this game. We have had great knock-down, drag-out football games with them going right down to the wire. That’s what I expect this year, too.” - Kirk Ferentz on facing the Wildcats on the road

Iowa is 2-0 away from home this season and was 3-2 on the road last season. Iowa entered the season with zero trophies and have won two trophy games, each on the road to kickoff the 2015 season.

As is the case with 13 other league teams, the hard-fought, tough, physical Big Ten games have taken its toll on the Hawkeyes on the injury front. Ferentz said Tevaun Smith and Drew Ott will miss the Northwestern game, although as of Sunday evening, it is unknown the severity of an injury Ott suffered against Illinois. Iowa right now has lost starters at DE, both offensive tackles, starting running back, wide receiver and last year's top tight end.

“We have some guys that are hobbled right now and some guys who might not make it at kickoff,” Ferentz said. “Drew Ott, we are not very optimistic there. We will know more when the doctors actually have a chance to examine him and get an MRI on Monday. Tevaun Smith is out, too. For sure those two guys will be out and we may have others."

At the beginning of the season, no starters were freshman for Iowa, but that has changed now.

“A lot of teams have injured players, so you have to fight through it, other guys have to step up. That was one of the highlights yesterday in the ball game -- guys like (redshirt freshman DE) Parker Hesse and (true freshman G/T) James Daniels jumping in there.”

Iowa true freshman WR #9 Jerminic
Smith will likely have an expanded
role at Northwestern.

True freshman wide receiver Jerminic Smith has replaced Tevaun Smith and had a breakout game on Saturday for the Hawkeyes. Smith caught four passes for 118 yards, all in the first half. His first three receptions -- of 14, 46, and 49 yards -- moved the chains. He also had a 9-yard grab.

"It felt great," Smith said of making his first collegiate catch. "I'm just doing my job and this game will give me confidence. I will keep working hard and hopefully keep doing well."

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz with closing comments after the Homecoming win
against Illinois, as Iowa took sole position of the Big Ten West at 2-0.

The Big Ten heads into Blacksburg with a 7-6 weekend record riding the shoulders of #1 Ohio State

The Big Ten kicked off its 120th season of competition this weekend. This season will serve as the final transitional year before schools move to nine-game conference slates in 2016. The 2015 Big Ten Football preseason team by team breakdowns linked.

Week One Finale: the Big Ten Conference is only 7-6, heading into tonight's #1 Ohio State vs. #27 Virginia Tech game, in Blacksburg, VA, with a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN. Who will be the QB for the Buckeyes in the 2015 opener?

Six Ohio State captains leading Buckeyes into 2015 season:
S 23 Tyvis Powell, WLB 37 Joshua Perry, HB 5 Braxton Miller,
QB 16 J.T. Barrett, C 50 Jacoby Boren and LT 68 Taylor Decker.

Breaking down the Big Ten East and West after Week 1:  

1. #1 Ohio State (0-0) - Regardless of tonight's finish, the Buckeyes are the team to beat in the Big Ten, as the defending College Football Playoff champion and 2014 Big Ten Conference champion. Urban Meyer is 24-0 over three seasons in the regular season. Game notes



The 2015 Michigan State program is riding on the shoulders of winning
27 of the last 30 games played. Up next: #5 Oregon in East Lansing on Saturday.

2. #6 Michigan State (1-0) - Mark Dantonio is entering season nine in East Lansing. The Spartans are the only Big Ten team to defeat Urban Meyer's Buckeyes in the 2013 Big Ten title game. Senior QB Connor Cook will have a huge test this week with #5 Oregon coming to East Lansing for the home opener for 2015. Won 37-24 over Western Michigan ahead of stiff home test. Michigan State has won 27 of its last 30 games, dating back to the 2012 regular-season finale. Three losses were @ Notre Dame, @ Oregon and vs. Ohio State in B1G title game.

There are not Top 25 programs right now, in our book, after Week 1, other than Ohio State and Michigan State in the Big Ten Conference. The Top 3 in the Big Ten West: Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska all fell in Week 1 to open the 2015 season.

Michigan and Penn State each fell on the road.

Do we really know anything from the newcomers, after wins over two FCS programs out East?

Indiana looked bad in the Week 1 winner over Southern Illinois, as another MVfC team falls against a Power 5 program. But, IU did win.

How we would rank the Big Ten right now:

EAST

1. Ohio State

2. Michigan State

Maryland and Rutgers

Michigan and Penn State

Indiana

WEST

Iowa or Northwestern, no front-runner for the #1 spot - defense wins titles, generally

Minnesota - defense will keep Gophers in most games, but not vs. Top 10 teams

Clearly, no clear cut leaders; any of the programs could sneak into the conversation in West

Wisconsin and Nebraska each have a new head coach, the road may have some bumps in '15

Purdue and Illinois are 1-1 the last two years head to head, with the road team winning each game

• Michigan and Minnesota open season with a L - Recap
• Michigan State earns road win at Western Michigan; Illinois opener postponed due to weather - Recap
• Week one of the 2015 campaign continues with nine more games on Saturday - Recap
• Purdue falls to Marshall on road to drop Big Ten to 7-6 for 2015 - Recap
• Ohio State at Virginia Tech closes out first weekend

Former Iowa two-year starter, now #1 QB at Michigan. Graduate student Jake Rudock started the opener at Utah at quarterback. He completed 27-of-43 passes for 279 yards and tossed two touchdowns. The Wolverines continued road woes, 11-23, since 2008.

• Kornacki: Rudock Displays Resiliency When Challenged story. We would suggest Michigan's best chance for success in September clearly is with QB Jake Rudock over junior Shane Morris, based on the experience and abilities to date on the field.

• Michigan is 11-23, since 2008 on the road. Coach Jim Harbaugh needs to reverse the Michigan troubles on the road under both Rich Rodriquez and Brady Hoke. The Wolverines were 1-4 in 2014, with last road win 10-9 at Northwestern in 2014.

Happy Labor Day: A look back at Week 1 and the new Top 30 for 2015

The 2015 College Football season has kicked off play.

Here's a look at the 2015 Top 30 as Labor Day arrives ...

Ohio State RB 15 Ezekiel Elliott was held to 8 carries, 33 yards, 1 TD in
last year's 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech, in Week 2, in Columbus.

1. Ohio State (14-1 in '14) 1 - The Buckeyes open in Blacksburg tonight vs. #27 Virginia Tech (7-6 in '14) on ESPN tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN, as the Hokies seek to knock off #1 for the second straight football season (35-21, last year in Columbus). The Big Ten is only 7-6 in opening week games ...
2. Alabama (1-0) 2 - The Crimson Tide rolled in Arlington in the season opener, defeated the then #20 Wisconsin Badgers (0-1) 35-17. The SEC opened 2015 with a 12-1 record. Next up: vs. Middle Tennessee (1-0), who buried Jackson State 70-13 in season opener, as the CUSA program heads to Tuscaloosa this week.
3. TCU (1-0) 3 - The Horned Frogs opened 2015 with a 23-17 win at Minnesota (0-1), after defeating the Golden Gophers last season in Ft. Worth 30-7. The Big 12 opened Week 1 with a 8-2 record. Next up: vs. Stephen F. Austin (0-1), coming off 34-28 loss to Northern Arizona (1-0).
4. Baylor (1-0) 4 - The Bears opened 2015 with a 56-21 win at SMU (0-1), after a 45-0 home win, in last year's season opener at home. While the Big 12 finished 8-2, the AAC finished 9-3 for the first week. Next up: vs. Lamar (1-0), who beat NAIA Bacone 66-3, as Cardinals head to Waco for the Bears home opener in Week 2.



MSU senior QB 18 Connor Cook leads the Spartans ...

GAME of Week 2: #5 Oregon (1-0) at #6 Michigan State (1-0)
5. Oregon (1-0) 5 - The Ducks opened 2015 with fifth year, transfer senior Vernon Adams at QB, as Oregon defeated Adams' alma mater Eastern Washington (0-1) 61-42 in the season opener in Eugene. Last year, the Ducks defeated MSU 46-27 in Eugene. The Pac 12 opened 2015 with a combined 7-5 record, 0-1 vs. Big Ten.
6. Michigan State (1-0) 6 - The Spartans opened at Western Michigan (0-1), with a 37-24 road win to kick off 2015. Last year, MSU opened in East Lansing, with a 26-13 win over the Broncos. Senior QB Connor Cook is back, as a third year starter for the Spartans offense.
7. Auburn (1-0) 7 - The Tigers opened in Atlanta with a 31-24 win over Louisville (0-1) to kick off the 2015 season. Next up: vs. Jacksonville State (1-0), who defeated Chattanooga 23-20 on the road.
8. Georgia (1-0) 8 - The Bulldogs opened the 2015 season with a 51-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe (0-1). Next up: @ Vanderbilt (0-1), after a 14-12 loss at home vs. Western Kentucky (0-1), as UGA and Vandy open SEC conference play in Week 2.
9. USC (1-0) 9 - The Trojans opened the new season with a 55-6 win over Arkansas State (0-1) for their 16th straight home opener in Los Angeles. Next up: vs. Idaho (0-1), as Vandals fall at home in opener 45-28 to Frank Solich's Ohio U (1-0) Bobcats.
10. Florida State (1-0) 10 - The Seminoles defeated the Texas State (0-1) Bobcats 59-16 in Tallahassee to kick off the 2015 season. The ACC is 10-3 thus far in Week 1. Next up: vs. South Florida (1-0), beat Florida A&M (0-1) 51-3 in their own home opener.
11. Notre Dame (1-0) 11 - The Fighting Irish open 2015 with a sound 38-3 win over Texas (0-1) in South Bend. The half-ACC scheduled team is still an Independent, but hits the road for the first of six games against ACC opponents for the Irish. Next up: @ Virginia (0-1), who fell 34-16 @ #12 UCLA to open the 2015 season.
12. UCLA (1-0) 12 - The Bruins open 2015 with a sound 34-16 win over Virginia in the Rose Bowl. Next up: @ UNLV (0-1), who lost 38-30 @ Northern Illinois to kick off the 2015 season.
13. LSU (0-0) 13 - Opening the season at #13 wasn't good for the Tigers, since thunderstorms (lightning) cancelled the season opener on Saturday in Baton Rouge against McNeese State (0-0). Next up: @ Mississippi State (1-0), who took down Southern Mississippi (0-1) 34-16 in the non-conference road opener. Big SEC West opener now for the season for the Tigers ...
14. Clemson (1-0) 14 - The Tigers opened 2015 with a 49-10 win over Wofford (0-1). Next up: vs. Appalachian State (1-0), as the Sun Belt program opened 2015 with a 49-0 win over Howard. The Sun Belt finished a disappointing 2-9 in Week 1, so Mountaineers carry the banner into Week 2.
15. Ole Miss (1-0) 15 - The Rebels rolled up points in a 70-3 win over Tennessee-Martin (0-1) to kick off the 2015 season. Next up: vs. Fresno State (1-0) opened with a 34-13 win over Abilene Christian in the home opener.
16. Georgia Tech (1-0) 17 - The Yellow Jackets crushed Alcorn State (0-1) 69-6 in the season opener in Atlanta. Next up: vs. Tulane (0-1), who lost 37-7 in home opener vs. Duke (1-0), against another ACC club.
17. Texas A&M (1-0) 26 - The Aggies came to play in Houston with a solid 38-17 win over former #16 Arizona State (0-1) to kick off the 2015 season. Next up: vs. Ball State (1-0), the Cardinals opened with a 46-34 win over VMI at home, in Muncie, IN.
18. Arkansas (1-0) 22 - The Razorbacks beat another Texas team with a 48-13 home opening win over UTEP (0-1) in Fayetteville, as Bret Bielema opens third season. Next up: vs. Toledo (0-0), as the Rockets were unable to open 2015, due to weather cancelling game against Stoney Brook (0-0).
19. Boise State (1-0) 19 - The Broncos opened 2015 with a 16-13 home win over Washington (0-1), to spoil former coach Chris Petersen's homecoming. The MWC finished 10-2 in Week 1. Next up: @ BYU (1-0), who won 33-28 on a Hail Mary at Nebraska (0-1) to spoil Mike Riley's debut in Lincoln.

    

    OU coach Bob Stoops, like his old
    college coach, J. Hayden Fry, rids
    himself of headphones on sidelines.

    Game 2 of the Week 2: #20 Oklahoma (1-0) @ #21 Tennessee (1-0)
20. Oklahoma (1-0) 21 - The Sooners opened 2015 with a 41-3 win over Akron (0-1) ahead of a Big 12 vs. SEC East showdown in Knoxville in Week 2. Bob Stoops' alma mater was roughed up by the Vols in the TaxSlayer Bowl 45-28, so can the Sooners provide their coach with a little payback at #21 Tennessee in Week 2? 
21. Tennessee (1-0) 23 - The Vols won season opener 59-30 in Nashville over Bowling Green (0-1) in the third season under Butch Jones. Can they make it three games in a row, dating back to 45-28 bowl win over Iowa in 2014?
22. Arizona (1-0) 24 - The Wildcats opened the 2015 season in Tucson with a 42-32 win over UTSA (1-0), after 26-23 in Week 2 at Roadrunners home in 2014. Next up: @ Nevada (1-0) in Reno, as the Wolf Pack opened the season with a 31-17 home win over UC Davis.
23. Missouri (1-0) 25 - The Tigers opened the 2015 season at home with a 34-3 win over SE Missouri State (0-1). Next up: @ Arkansas State (0-1), as Red Wolves fell hard 55-6 @ #9 USC (1-0).
24. Mississippi State (1-0) 28 - The Bulldogs opened @ Southern Mississippi (0-1) with a 34-16 win against the in-state Golden Eagles. Next up: vs. #13 LSU (0-0) as SEC West play begins in Week 2.
25. Arizona State (0-1) 16 - The Sun Devils' trip to Houston ended in a loss to then #26 Texas A&M 38-17, as Todd Graham falls in his first season opener in four years at the helm. Next up: vs. Cal Poly (1-0), as the Mustangs won 20-19 @ Montana (1-1), who defeated four-time FCS champion North Dakota State (0-1) 38-35 in Division I football's Week 0 opener.
26. Wisconsin (0-1) 20 - The Badgers open the Paul Chryst era with a 35-17 loss in Arlington to #2 Alabama (1-0). Is any team in the Big Ten West worthy of a Top 25 ranking at this point? The Badgers have been the most consistent team, but finished 8-6 in 2012, and the 9-4 and 11-3 seasons under Gary Anderson are in the books. Next up: vs. Miami-OH (1-0), as the RedHawks opened with a 26-7 over Presbyterian in the Oxford, OH home opener.
27. Virginia Tech (0-0) 27 - The Hokies open tonight vs. #1 Ohio State (0-0) in rematch in Blacksburg on ESPN. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. tonight.
28. Oklahoma State (1-0) 29 - The Cowboys won 24-13 in season opener on the road @ Central Michigan (0-1). Next up: vs. Central Arkansas (0-1), who lost 45-16 @ Samford in season opener.
29. Marshall (1-0) 41t - The Thundering Herd took care of business on Sunday with a 41-31 win over Purdue (0-1) for the first win over a Big Ten opponent in program history. The CUSA finished Week 1 with a 8-4 record. Next up: @ Ohio U (1-0), who won 45-28 in road opener @ Idaho (0-1).
30. Northern Illinois (1-0) 35 - The Huskies won season opener 38-30 over UNLV to kickoff the 2015 season. The Huskies have five straight 10+ win seasons, as they enter the third season under Rod Carey. The MAC finished Week 1 with a 5-6 record.  Next up: vs. Murray State (1-0), opened with a 52-12 win over Kentucky Wesleyan.  

Out of the Top 30 - Former #18 Stanford (0-1) fell 16-6 @ Northwestern (1-0), in an 11:00 am start in Evanston (9 am start Pacific time), as the Wildcats surprised the Cardinal in the 2015 opener. The Wildcats are coming off back to back 5-7 seasons in Pat Fitzgerald's 10th season, but the 5th season opener for David Shaw was a downer ...

FBS losers of the Week to FCS programs: 

• Fordham 37, Army 35
• South Dakota State 41, Kansas 38
• Portland State 24, Washington State 17
• North Dakota 24, Wyoming 13

Jake Rudock opened Week 1 as Michigan's number one QB in 24-17 loss @ Utah. Recap

Games to Watch in Week 2 - rivalry wars in-state:

• Utah (1-0) @ Utah State (1-0) - Battle for the Beehive Boot (112th meeting in this series)
• Iowa (1-0) @ Iowa State (1-0) - Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy (9 of last 16 to ISU)

"It will be the first road trip for this football team and then with a lot of new players, that is going to be a great challenge. It's a great environment to play in. Historically, the series has proven to be extremely competitive. It gets down to playing your best football.

Kirk Ferentz

UI football coach

looking ahead to game @ Iowa State ...

Finishing out the first week in College Football ... Labor Day weekend

The 2015 College Football season has kicked off ...

Sunday, September 6th 

Junior QB 12 Austin Appleby leads Purdue offense into Huntington, WV
for a rare Sunday, Week 1 season road opener, for the Boilermakers

• Purdue at Marshall 2:00 pm on FS1 
• The Boilermakers are entering the third season under coach Darrell Hazell, finishing 3-9 in '14; while the Thundering Herd are coming off a 13-1 season, 52-23 bowl win over Northern Illinois in Boca Raton Bowl. Coach Doc Holliday is entering his sixth season in Huntington, as Marshall returns six on offense, five on defense



Former OSU assistant, Purdue
head coach Darrell Hazell enters
third season at the helm.

• B1G vs. C-USA on Sunday afternoon ...

Monday, September 7th

• #1 Ohio State at Virginia Tech 7:00 pm on ESPN 
• Ohio State will take on Virginia Tech in the final game of College Football's opening weekend on Labor Day evening at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. The two teams are meeting for the second consecutive season as the Hokies won in Columbus last season, 35-21
• Urban Meyer has only one loss in the regular season, in his first three seasons at Ohio State, last year's loss to Virginia Tech (7-6)
• Frank Beamer is the dean of college football coaches, entering his 29th season at the helm at Virginia Tech. The Hokies are coming off a 33-17 Military Bowl victory over Cincinnati
• Virginia Tech is 18-1 in home openers, ironically the lone loss was to FCS James Madison in '10
• B1G vs. ACC on Labor Day in prime time!

Since arriving in Columbus, Urban Meyer has enjoyed a new
element in his offense, a high-quality running back. Back in
'15, junior RB 15 Ezekiel Elliott leading the Buckeyes.

Road to the Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff
The Pac 12 opened 7-5 in Week 1. The Big Ten is 7-5 with two remaining games, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Week 1, thus far.

Not ranked: Ohio State and Purdue, since they need to finish the Week 1 games.

B1G defenses hopefully take care of business at Marshall and at Virginia Tech, respectively, but a .500 start is certainly possible. ESPN's Mark May is picking VA Tech this morning. He is hedging his comments, saying Ohio State will rebound, like 2014, when they hit the Big Ten ...

Game of Week 1 - OSU @ VA Tech will be played on Labor Day, in prime time.

It is an early 2015 College Football season, so upsets do happen (see Stanford waking up at 4:45 in the morning for a game). Northwestern has improved, but timing is often, everything. We shall see how the season plays out for both Stanford and Northwestern play out over the course of the next 11 games.

However, Penn State has issues more than a Tempe upset. Nebraska and Wisconsin have new coaches. Utah is a good program, but Michigan has a new coach, as well. Often adjustments are necessary, see Bob Stoops or Nick Saban, at OU and Alabama, Year 1 vs. Year 2. Further, teams often improve most, between Game 1 and Game 2.

We would not be surprised to see the Big Ten get two more wins to close out Week 1, but here are the Top 10 for Week 1 in the Big Ten.

1. Michigan State (1-0) - Nice 37-24 win on the road at Western Michigan (0-1), over P.J. Flick's team. The Spartans won the Big Ten in 2013, lead by QB Connor Cook. Cook is back, along with a solid offensive line, defensive line, but Mark Dantonio has new defensive coordinators and back seven on defense to work with over the course of the 2015 season.

GAME of Week 2 - Oregon (1-0) at Michigan State (1-0) - but, will the Ducks have a healthy #1 QB?

2. Northwestern (1-0) - Great 16-6 win over a ranked Stanford team at home. Lead by defense and QB Clayton Thorson, a redshirt freshman version of C.J. Beathard for Northwestern? The Iowa coaching staff recruited Thorson, as well.

He is only a freshman. Both Northwestern and Standford had some ups and downs on Saturday. Someone had to win and it was the biggest win for Northwestern, since the Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State, to close out the 2012 season at 10-3.

Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern won the recruiting battle. Now, the redshirt freshman Thorson is the #1 QB at Northwestern leading the 2015 Wildcats ...

• The Wildcats are a B1G West team to watch, especially with the first half the B1G schedule
• The Wildcats are also coming off back to back 5-7 seasons, so it was only one game
• Pat Fitzgerald has recruited well over the past several seasons, but the offensive and defensive lines haven't performed well enough the past two seasons

3. Iowa (1-0) - Nice win, as the Hawkeyes defeat the #2 FCS program, Illinois State 31-14.
C.J. Beathard and Drew Ott, two captains, played very well. They are leaders on each side of the ball for the Hawkeyes in 2015. Nice start out of the blocks. 

By the way, Illinois State may have a good freshman QB, but, like North Dakota State (0-1) and Northern Iowa (0-1), each are reloading or rebuilding in the MVfC. The 2014 season is over, but Week 1 doesn't say a lot on how well or strong a program, likely will be.

Week 2: Cy-Hawk Game, in Ames, against a Iowa State (1-0) program that has given Kirk Ferentz (7-9) fits at times, especially in Iowa City. The fan base at both schools want results in 2015.

Iowa has won two of the last three in Ames, but the 2011 game was a 44-41, 3 OT game, won by Paul Rhoads' Cyclones. Ultimately, the games in the Big Ten are always more important.

4. We also all played FCS programs and we won ...

• Indiana (1-0) - needed a stopped 2 point conversion on last series, to defeat Southern Illinois 48-47, ugh! However, this a program that won at Missouri last year, after losing at Bowling Green, so any given Saturday
• Maryland (1-0) - Well, Nile Kinnick's punt return record falls, as Terps beat Richmond 50-21 to kickoff 2015 ...
• Rutgers (1-0) - 63-13 win over Norfolk State, when suspended players came back for second half. Five players were dismissed prior to game for the Scarlet Knights

5. Illinois (1-0) - Thunderstorms delayed the Bill Cubit era's kickoff on Friday, The Fighting Illini beat Kent State 52-3 on Saturday to open the new era of football in Champaign. The Fighting Illini beat Minnesota, Penn Sate and Northwestern last year, on their way to a 6-7 season. Junior QB Wes Lunt is a good quarterback, along with senior RB Josh Ferguson.

5. Wisconsin (0-1) - Kirk Herbstreit during the ABC/ESPN game coverage said the Badgers will likely be favored now the rest of the season. #2 Alabama rolled Wisconsin 35-17, as the Paul Chryst era begins, at his alma mater, in his hometown of Madison.

The Badgers have as favorable schedule over the next 11 games, as do the Iowa Hawkeyes. The rest of the OOC games in September are not at Iowa State, Pitt and North Texas (former assistant), like Iowa. Wisconsin now hosts Miami-OH, Troy and Hawaii, ahead of the Big Ten opener in October.

The Big Ten opener on October 3rd: Iowa (1-0) at Wisconsin (0-1) will be an interesting conference opener for both programs. The Big Ten West is wide open. 

On any given Saturday, it will be wide open in the Big Ten.

7. Minnesota (0-1) - #3 TCU beat the Golden Gophers 23-17. QB Mitch Leidner is dangerous ahead of the chains, but when he has to win his arm, the Golden Gophers can be manageable. The defense lost their Top 2 tacklers from 2014, Top S and Top LB. The Golden Gophers, like most of the Big Ten West are not loaded with play-makers, like Ohio State or the top College Football powers.

8. Nebraska (0-1) - Hail Mary BYU 33-28 ...

Welcome to Lincoln, Mike Riley, a guy who is a cross between Hayden Fry/Dr. Tom Osborne (offensive QB) and Kirk Ferentz (NFL guy) ... not Bo Pelini, who finished seven years in Lincoln with at least nine or ten wins each season, but consistently four losses.

There will be a likely transition between Mike Riley's style of play and discipline (defense) and the past 7 years. Like with Hayden Fry, Kirk Ferentz and Dr. Tom Osborne, winning and Big Ten titles didn't happen Day 1. The Huskers are not Iowa, but winning nine or ten games may not be the case, either.

9. Michigan (0-1) - Fifth year senior, transfer Jake Rudock threw five interceptions at Iowa in '14. Game 1 at Utah for the Wolverines, the game manager, threw three interceptions in the 24-17 loss on the road to open the Jim Harbaugh era at Michigan. The Wolverines have plenty of work, coming off the Brady Hoke years, including trouble in road games.

Michigan will welcome Gary Anderson back to the Big Ten, as Oregon State (1-0) comes to Ann Arbor for the Week 2 game. Despite the troubles in Game 1, Rudock is likely the better QB right now in Ann Arbor. Shane Morris, a junior, has only thrown interceptions in his short career, thus far.

10. Penn State - what happened to the Nittany Lions, losing to Temple for the first time, since 1941? It wasn't a simple upset win, there are questions lost in transition from the O'Brien era into the James Franklin era. Temple had a sound 27-10 win over the Nittany Lions. There is plenty of work ahead for the Penn State program, as they enter second season under Franklin.

The Pac 12 opened 7-5 in Week 1. The Big Ten is 7-5, with 2 B1G games left, over the Labor Day holiday weekend!

College Football is back!

TaxSlayer Bowl Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Jacksonville, FL - - The Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5) and the Tennessee Volunteers (6-6) have meet twice before  in football back in 1982 and 1987. The first meeting was in the 1982 Peach Bowl and the later game in the 1987 Kickoff Classic, back when current Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was an offensive line coach for J. Hayden Fry.

The Hawkeyes and Volunteers will meet in the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl, the 70th edition of the event, formerly known as the  Gator Bowl. The Game will air on ESPN on Friday, January 2nd at 2:20 p.m. frok Ever-Bank Field (77,511) in Jacksonville, Florida.

Ferentz is the Dean of Big Ten Conference head coaches, in his 16th season as head coach and 25th season overall at Iowa.

For Tennessee, Johnny Majors was head coach at the time back when these two programs meet previously. Today, Butch Jones is head coach for Tennessee, leading the Volunteers to their first bowl, since the 2010 season, in his second season at the helm at this SEC school, since moving over from Cincinnati.

The Volunteers carry a 25-24 program record in bowl games, while Iowa is 6-5 under Ferentz and 14-12-1 overall as a program in bowl games. The series is tied at 1-1, with Iowa owning the 28-22 Peach Bowl win in 1982. The Volunteers won 23-22 in the Kickoff Classic Game in 1987, played in the Meadowlands.

The Iowa vs. Tennessee game should be  a classic Big Ten vs. SEC match up. During the 2014 NCAA Basketball Tournament earlier this year, Tennessee ended Iowa's basketball season. Each team now will finish their 2014 football season head to head in Jacksonville.

Coach Jones thoughts on Iowa ahead of the TaxSlayer Bowl:

"It is a great challenge and they are a very physical football (Iowa) team and we are going to be challenged on each and every snap and they know that. So there is a lot of physicality, a lot of mental toughness, the physical toughness, everything that goes into playing a line of scrimmage game like this game will be and it will be a line of scrimmage game. Obviously they have our respect and they have our attention, all you need to do is watch them on video. Very, very imposing offensive line and defensive line as well."

University of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz announced Tuesday that junior Jake Rudock will start at quarterback for an eighth consecutive time and the 25th time in his career Friday when the University of Iowa faces Tennessee.

Ferentz named Rudock the starter and echoed what offensive coordinator Greg Davis said Monday that Rudock and sophomore C.J. Beathard would see action in the first half against the Volunteers.

"Jake will start and they will both play," Ferentz said before the Hawkeyes practiced at Fernandina Beach High School. "I don't think it's a huge deal and it won't be a huge deal for our opponent, either, when they look at us. I'll go back to what I said in August: we have two really good quarterbacks; I wish we had this depth at every position. They both have practiced well and competed well and that's all we could ask. Our whole team has made a good effort this month; they have prepared well."

"We will be prepared for both," Tennessee coach Jones said. "Again, they are going to run what they run and there is a reason why they have been successful. They have systems in place. They are an older veteran football team so their players they are able to redshirt their players and their players grow up in their systems. When you watch them on film you see a football team that is very, very fundamentally sound in all aspects of football. The way they use their hands, their overall pad level in the line of scrimmage. They have done a great job of developing that, that is a product of their systems and their systems being in place for many, many years."

Both teams have 16 seniors on their bowl roster, but Tennessee has used 23 true freshmen compared to three by Iowa.

"They have young guys playing, but most of those guys are four and five-star recruits," Ferentz said. "There is a reason we redshirt our guys. We're two different operations that way, but I don't think anybody has an advantage. You could say they are going to be more enthused, although we're enthused to be playing this game; we're excited about the opportunity."

The senior members of the Iowa football program will play their final game as a Hawkeye at the TaxSlayer Bowl. They include LB Quinton Alston, RB Damon Bullock, DT Carl Davis, OL Andrew Donnal, OL Tommy Gaul, LB Chad Gilson, TE Ray Hamilton, DL Mike Hardy, DB John Lowdermilk, WR Kevonte Martin-Manley, WR Damond Powell, DL Wil Rathjen, OL Brandon Scherff, DL Louis Trinca-Pasat, RB Mark Weisman, and WR Drew Zaun. Alston, Scherff, Trica-Pasat and Weisman will also serve as game captains for the Hawkeyes.

Ferentz compares Tennessee's offense to that of Big Ten Conference opponents Maryland and Minnesota.

"They would be foolish not to attack us in a similar manner," Ferentz said. "I'm sure we'll get tested in the same way, the question is, can we respond to that? Can we do a better job of taking away some of the things that hurt us in those two games?"

Iowa lost to Maryland, 38-31, on Oct. 18, and to Minnesota, 51-14, on Nov. 8. Both games were on the road. Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown threw for 120 yards and ran for 99; Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner threw for 138 yards and ran for 77.

Defensively, Ferentz said the Volunteers remind him of Nebraska.

"They are talented and have good looking guys on defense," Ferentz said. "They run around and they are pretty experienced in the secondary. They are athletic."

Speaking of Nebraska, it is a game and outcome that has served as extra motivation during the bowl preparation period. The Hawkeyes led 24-7 midway through the third quarter, but lost, 37-34, in overtime, on Nov. 28.

"It's not like we had a banner game that day. The shame is, we didn't play as well as we could have," Ferentz said. "We were disappointed with that last football game for sure. We were sloppy in a lot of areas, coaching included. The team has responded. They have practiced and competed well and hopefully we'll be a better football team Friday than we were the last time we were out."

This is the eighth bowl trip to the state of Florida for the Hawkeyes with Ferentz as head coach. Iowa is making its second appearance in the TaxSlayer Bowl. Iowa lost to Florida, 14-6, in the 1983 Gator Bowl. Tennessee is making its sixth TaxSlayer Bowl appearance. The Volunteers beat Virginia Tech, 45-23, in 1994, when the game was known as the Gator Bowl, in their most recent appearance.

"I can't say enough about the job the TaxSlayer people have done," Ferentz said. "The hospitality has been first class and the place we're staying (Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort) is unbelievable. Everything has been great. The practice site is great, the guys are having a good time, and they are working hard, so everybody is getting eager for the game now."

Iowa is 11-12-0 all-time against the SEC, including a 4-3 mark in bowl games. Following are Iowa’s bowl results against SEC opponents:

YEAR SITE OPPONENT RESULT
2014 Outback Bowl LSU L, 14-21
2009 Outback Bowl South Carolina W, 31-10
2006 Outback Bowl Florida L, 24-31
2005 Capital One Bowl LSU W, 30-25
2004 Outback Bowl Florida W, 37-17
1983 Gator Bowl Florida L, 6-14
1982 Peach Bowl Tennessee W, 28-22

"They have great, great leadership. Again, they are a very well-coached football team, they are very, very experienced and they played a very tough and demanding schedule as well. Again, everyone is good when you go to the bowl season. We are going to get their `A' game and it is going to be a challenge for us to try to bring out A game as well," Tennessee coach Jones said when discussing Iowa, as an opponent.

Iowa best success in 2014 came against a couple of young teams they played earlier in the year in wins at Pittsburgh and at Purdue. Will Tennessee prove similar for Iowa?

Battle for Floyd: Iowa at Minnesota at 11 a.m. on ESPN2

Minneapolis - - The Iowa Hawkeyes and Minnesota Golden Gophers are each 6-2, 3-1 in B1G West. The winner claims Floyd of Rosedale for the season, as well as a 4-1 division record and a tie for first place in the Division with Nebraska.

Neither Iowa nor Minnesota have won a B1G Division title over the first three years of B1G division play. This year's new division comes down to November for Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin as everyone squares of with each other.

Minnesota's last B1G title was 1967, with Indiana. Iowa's last B1G title was ten years ago with Michigan. After six straight losses in the trophy game with Michigan, the Golden Gophers claimed the Little Old Jug.

Iowa has lost a trophy game this season, with a 20-17 lost to Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk Trophy Game. Iowa comes into TFL Bank Stadium off an impressive win at home over Northwestern to open November.

Minnesota lost at Illinois to close out October on a low note. The Godlen Gophers enjoyed a bye week to get healthy for the Battle of Floyd of Rosedale. Minnesota still has three players dinged, with sophomore WR Drew Wolitarsky clearly out. Sophomore OL Ben Lauer and junior Alex Keith are nursing injuries too.

Iowa is beginning to get players back at practice as the full week of November began, head coach Kirk Ferentz reported this week. The Dean of Big Ten coaches (16 years) won his first Minnesota game in 2001. It was Ferentz's first bowl team at Iowa. He is. 10-3 vs. Minnesota, since 2001.

Head coach Jerry Kill is in his fourth season at Minnesota. He is 1-2 vs. Iowa.

2011 - Minnesota 22, Iowa 21 in Minneapolis
2012 - Iowa 31, Minnesota 13 in Iowa City
2013 - Iowa 23, Minnesota 7, in Minneapolis

Iowa's offensive and defensive coordinators are 2-0 vs. Minnesota in those position roles. Iowa has two losses this season, so which team will arrive in Minneapolis and what does Kirk Ferentz, OC Greg Davis and DC Phil Parker have in store for Iowa? Can the Hawkeyes make it three in role?

Some things to watch in the Battle for Floyd of Rosedale:

1. Minnesota sophomore QB Mitch Leidner and sophomore TE Maxx Williams on play action. Minnesota is a running team, with play action the main passing avenue. Iowa must slow senior RB David Cobb.

2. Explosive plays - Iowa OC Greg Davis preaches winning explosives and turnover battles. What gives today in those areas and special teams?

3. The battle of the line of scrimmage will be a huge key for both phases of the game. Iowa has shut out Minnesota the past two seasons in the first half. In Minnesota's most recent loss, they Illini got out to a 14 point lead. Turnovers were a big problem for the Golden Gophers in the loss. Illinois won on a fumble return for a touchdown.

4. Leadership will be critical. Maryland leaned on senior leadership in their Homecoming win over Iowa. Who brings it better from a leadership standpoint: Iowa or Minnesota?

5. Iowa junior Jake Rudock and the Iowa passing offense lead the Big Ten heading into the second half of conference race. How will weather conditions impact the passing and special teams today?

6. Iowa senior RB Mark Weisman has become a good TD producer in the red zone lately. Who takes care of business in the red zone. Iowa's offensive line has only produced one 100 yard back this season, with redshirt Akrum Wadley going over the century mark in his debut as a backup RB.

7. Iowa needs the TEs and WRs to click at Minnesota. The Northwestern game was good for the wide receivers, after a tough loss at Maryland to close October. Does junior WR Tevaun Smith get early targets to get on track in the Iowa air game?

Iowa has been averaging 27 lately in last two wins. Does the defense hold the Golden Gophers to 10 points? Minnesota is 2-1 at TCF Bank Stadium against Iowa, with close wins in 2010 and 2011. Iowa has played 4 of last 5 in this series in Minneapolis.

Today's Pick:

Iowa - 27
Minnesota -10

GameDay Saturday Week 3: Cy-Hawk Game from Kinnick Stadium

Iowa City, Iowa - The real season begins in Week 3, with the first trophy game of the 2014 season for the Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0), with the in-state rival Iowa State Cyclones (0-2), with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN from historic Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes have been solid in two fourth quarter games to remain undefeated. Iowa State has lost 14 and 15 point leads in back to back weeks to remain without of win in '14.

Throw out the stats, records and hype, it is a rivalry in the Hawkeye State as the Cy-Hawk Trophy is up for grabs between Iowa and Iowa State.

In 2012, the Cy-Hawk Game was a battle for field goals, with Iowa State knocking off Iowa 9-6, after the Hawkeyes-Cylcones battled to a 44-41 game in a three overtime clash the year before in Ames. The Hawkeyes struggled all season, finished 4-8 in '12, while the Cyclones went on to finish 6-7, with a 31-17 loss to Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl. The '12 win by Iowa State ended a three game home win streak by Iowa in the series at Kinnick.

Iowa rebounded in 2013, with a 27-21 win in Ames, flipping the 4-8 regular season in '12 into a 8-4 regular season in '13. The Hawkeyes celebrate the 125th anniversary of Iowa Football in 2014. It is also the 75th anniversary of the Iowa Ironmen season, the season Nile Kinnick won his Heisman Trophy.

Iowa State was 3-9 in '13 and this off season has brought in a new offensive coordinator, along with a good number of new assistants. Mark Mangino, the former Kansas head coach, is now head coach Paul Rhoads' new offensive coordinator, as the Rhoads era enters Week 3 of  Year 6, with a 27-38 record. Iowa State's new staff is looking for a rebound in Ames, like Iowa in '13.

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz (110-79) in his 16th season in Iowa City, as head coach, hired a new offensive coordinator in 2012, when he asked long-time Texas OC Greg Davis to join his staff. Ferentz has revamped his staff over the past three seasons and elevated Phil Parker from secondary coach to defensive coordinator, as well.

It has taken Iowa time to transition from the first 13 years of the Kirk Ferentz era to today's version in '14, offensively, defensively and on special teams. This should be an interesting Cy-Hawk Game, with the newer coordinators going head to head.

What is this Rivalry about, since renewing in 1977?

Iowa senior linebacker middle linebacker Quinton Alston says there aren't any funny stories surrounding the Iowa-Iowa State matchup because plain and simple, it's "Beat State" week inside the Hayden Fry Football Complex.

"It doesn't take long to get used to the rivalry and not like them," said Alston, who will be playing in his fourth installment of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series today inside Kinnick Stadium. "There are no secrets here."
Alston says there isn't a game on the Iowa schedule that compares to this rivalry. From the pregame hype to the fan interaction to the music being blasted throughout the football complex.

"In the complex, they start playing the (Iowa State) fight song to make you more angry," he said. "They play it in the locker room, weight room... everywhere. You get tired of seeing Iowa State really quickly around here, and when you get to the game Saturday everything is let loose."

Iowa leads the all-time series over the Cyclones, 40-21, which includes a 23-13 advantage in games played in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes have won 4-of-6, 5-of-8, and 7-of-11 meetings in the series. Iowa has held Iowa State to single digits in several of the recent games in the series.

Iowa usually beats Iowa State teams that don't bowl.

Senior wide receiver Kevonte Martin-Manley didn't understand the rivalry when he arrived at Iowa from Michigan in 2010. Now he knows the game is personal.

"Those guys want their bragging rights; we want our bragging rights," Martin-Manley said. "We have to go out and make plays, play hard, and come out with a win."

Martin-Manley is Iowa's leading receiver and could finish his senior season as an all-time leader.

"(When I got here) I was told it is going to be a hard fought game. When I was younger, I didn't understand it, but now I do. You can tell it is amplified when you get on the field. It's a hard fought battle, just like it's going to be this weekend."

The last three games in the series have been decided by six points or less.

"This rivalry has been good every year I have been here," said junior quarterback Jake Rudock.

Last year, Rudock was in his first season of leading the Iowa offense. He is playing very effective in fourth quarters, thus far in '14.

"They're going to be ready to go, we'll be ready to go, and it's going to be loud. The fans get into it."
Rudock believes the passion shown for the rivalry is a testament to both team's fan bases.
"It means we have great fans in Iowa across the state, whether it's for Iowa or Iowa State," he said. "The fans here are passionate about football and love these two teams."

Even though it's a "different" game week, Alston says when the teams ultimately take the field it will be business as usual.

"It's a big game in the state, but we're going to go out there and prepare," he said. "We're not going to be blinded by who we're playing this week. We're going to go out there and play them like any other team."

Defense was the difference in the 2012 game for Iowa State and Iowa Hawkeyes hope it is for the Hawkeyes in 2014.

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker knew going into the 2014 season that the Hawkeye defense would need to improve from game to game, with three new starting linebackers and half the secondary new. As the Hawkeyes prepare for Iowa State and the third game of the season, Parker feels his defense is moving in the right direction.

"From game one to game two, I feel we showed a lot of improvement," said Parker. "Our communication has improved on the back end, on the second level; the guys are getting more comfortable. We have a lot of first time guys out there playing. Our biggest goal from game one was to cut down on the big plays, and we went from eight to two. But, we need to cut that down even more. The biggest thing is being consistent and improving in all areas, from the defensive line, to the linebackers to the secondary."

The Hawkeyes wins came over Northern Iowa (31-23) and Ball State. After allowing a number of big plays and 23 points in the opening win, the defense was a bright spot in the win over Ball State. The Cardinal offense scored just two field goals in Iowa's 17-13 win and totaled just 219 yards total offense. And, the Cardinals had just two offensive plays of over 20 yards.

"I think its both preparation and experience," said Parker. "They are on the field working together as a group in a game for the first time. The film study and prep during the week has picked up, but that's all about football. If you are well prepared and know what to expect, you see things faster and the game slows down a little for you the more you prepare."

While senior strong safety John Lowdermilk started every game a year ago, Desmond King played as a true freshman a year ago, starting 12 games at cornerback. Sophomore cornerback Greg Mabin is new to the line-up this season and junior Jordan Lomax made the more from cornerback to safety.

"Like Desmond last year, the first couple of games he started, it was new to him," said Parker. "He picked up on it quickly and moved on. I think that is what everyone else is doing. Greg had done a good job in two games. Jordan is playing well in a new position. I think its all carry over, it's like building files in your computer, having the memory and recall when you see the different things. We need everybody to improve their level of play, their intensity and effort as we move forward. We have to continue to do that, and hopefully finish our preparation in the next 48 hours."

Saturday's game will kick off at 2:35 p.m. on ESPN with Sean McDonough calling the play by play, former Ohio State linebacker Chris Speilman adding color, and Todd McShay on the sidelines. The game is a sold out, which will be the third game this season for the Cyclones to be a capacity crowd.

Iowa State lost the season opener to North Dakota State in Ames 34-14, then lost 32-28 in the Big Twelve opener at home to Kansas State.

Keys to the Cy-Hawk Game today at Kinnick Stadium:

1. Control the line scrimmage
2. Play of the linebackers
3. Coaching adjustments
4. Turnovers and miscues
5. Explosive plays, 12+ runs, 16+ receptions
6. Special teams

This game could be highly competitive or a blow out. We shall see. 

Our Prediction: Iowa 25, Iowa State 15, as Iowa's defense steps up in the red zone in Week 3 in the Cy-Hawk Game.

Iowa grinds out a 17-13 win over Ball State

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- It wasn't pretty, but the Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0) grind out a Kirk Ferentz type game against a focused, but tired Ball State (1-1) team, out of the MAC, at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. Iowa played for 60 minutes, especially finished strong in the fourth quarter for the second straight win of the '14 season.

Trailing 13-3 with 5:50 remaining, junior QB Jake Rudock led the Iowa team on two fourth quarter touchdown drives to send the Hawkeyes to a 17-13 come-from-behind victory over Ball State to give the Kinnick fans something to celebrate, after a unproductive three quarters, highlighted by two Iowa turnovers and three missed field goals by the Hawkeyes.

Taking over at its own 31 with 5:50 remaining, Iowa used a 10-play, 69-yard drive to stay alive. Rudock completed 5-of-7 passes for 38 yards and rushed for 26 more during the series. On third-and-6 from the Ball State 30, Rudock connected with sophomore Matt VandeBerg for eight yards for a first down.

After Rudock scrambled for 10 yards on first down, the junior tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman Derrick Willies, cutting the Cardinals' lead to 13-10 with 2:52 remaining. The touchdown catch was the first of Willies career.

Needing a three-and-out, the Hawkeye defense produced bottling up Cardinals' senior running back Jahwan Edwards for a three yards on first down before tackling him for a 3-yard loss on second down. Ball State was forced to punt after its third-down pass was incomplete, and Iowa took over at its own 44 with 2:23 left.

Rudock opened the go-ahead drive with a 16-yard completion to junior Tevaun Smith and a 9-yard pass to senior Damon Bullock, moving the ball to the Ball State 34. Rudock followed with a 6-yard pass to junior Jake Duzey, and two plays later he connected with the junior tight end for a 12-yard touchdown catch, giving Iowa its first lead 59 minutes into the contest.

Rudock shined in the clutch, finishing 9-of-11 for 81 yards and throwing two touchdowns during the final two series. He also had 33 yards rushing over the final 5:50.

"We needed to make a stop there at the end, and we didn't do it," said Ball State head coach Pete Lembo, in his fourth season. "We had a shot, and we didn't finish. We have good kids in the program and a good staff, but that doesn't take the sting away."

Iowa's defense sealed the victory when junior Drew Ott sacked Ball State sophomore quarterback Ozzie Mann on second-and-2 from the Ball State 33. Senior Carl Davis recovered, sending the Hawkeyes to their second victory.

Iowa doubled up the Cardinals in total offense, out-gaining Ball State, 455-219, in the game, and it had 27-13 advantage in first downs. The Hawkeyes had 113 yards rushing on 29 attempts, while Rudock had career-bests in completions, attempts, and yards, finishing 35-of-55 attempts for 322 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team with 36 rushing yards on seven carries.

Eleven different Iowa players had at least one reception in the game. Senior Kevonte Martin-Manley had eight catches for 70 yards, while Smith and Bullock caught six balls apiece for 59 and 32 yards, respectively.

The Hawkeye defense limited Ball State to 90 yards rushing on 36 attempts, 129 yards through the air, and the Cardinals were just 4-of-16 on third downs. Ott led the team with a career-high 13 tackles (six solo), including three tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble.

Ott was clearly the MVP of today's defense. He was active all game.

"Iowa's defense was as advertised," said Lembo. "They are big, strong, physical, and you have to earn everything you get against them. This is an Iowa football game they just played. They don't panic, stick to the plan, and they aren't going to give you cheap ones. They wear you down in the second half, and that is what they did to us."

Mann completed 15-of-30 attempts for 129 yards for Ball State, while Edwards rushed 21 times for 81 yards. Junior wide receiver KeVonn Mabon had three catches for 44 yards, and  sophomore middle linebacker Zack Ryan had 10 tackles (seven solo) in the game. Ryan is the younger brother of Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan.

After trailing 7-3 at the break, the Cardinals used an 11-play, 50-yard drive to push their lead to 10-3 on the first possession of the second half. Ball State was set to punt after a three-and-out, but the drive churned on when senior Louis Trinca-Pasat was flagged for a running into the punter.

Ball State moved into Iowa territory on a pass interference penalty and a 26-yard pass to Mabon moved the Cardinals into the red zone. Iowa's defense held, getting an 11-yard sack on an intentional grounding call, before Ball State was forced to settle on senior Scott Secor's 42-yard field goal.

The Cardinals forced Iowa's second turnover on the ensuing kickoff when senior Quintin Cooper knocked the ball loose from redshirt freshman Jonathan Parker and sophomore Aaron Taylor recovered, giving Ball State possession at the Iowa 23. The Hawkeyes gave up an 11-yard Banks rush on the first play of the series before buckling down and holding Ball State to Secor's 27-yard field goal attempt.

Iowa drove 59 yards to the Ball State 11-yard line on its first series of the second half, using seven rushes by senior Mark Weisman and junior Jordan Canzeri and a pair of Rudock-to-Smith passes to the 11. Iowa came away pointless when true freshman Mick Ellis missed a 29-yard field goal wide left -- the team's third missed field goal of the game.

Ball State led 7-3 at the half, despite the Hawkeyes outgaining the Cardinals, 208-91. Ball State scored the game's first touchdown off an Iowa turnover, and the Hawkeyes left six points on the field, courtesy of two missed field goals.

Iowa had seven points taken off the board on its second drive of the game after a 38-yard senior Damond Powell touchdown reception was ruled incomplete by instant replay. Sophomore quarterback C.J. Beathard led Iowa into Ball State territory in his first playing time of the season, completing 2-of-3 passes for 20 yards.

After forcing a three-and-out, Iowa's offense took over in Ball State territory and moved the ball into the red zone courtesy of a pass interference penalty and three-straight sophomore LeShun Daniels, Jr., rushing attempts. Iowa couldn't capitalize, and it came away empty, as junior Marshall Koehn's 35-yard field goal missed wide left.

Ball State's defense scored the game's first points, forcing a turnover on Iowa's first possession of the second quarter. On first-and-10 from its own 37, Parker fumbled on a jet sweep, where Cardinals' reserve defensive lineman Blake Dueitt scooped up the ball and rumbled 35-yards for the touchdown, giving Ball State a 7-0 lead.

The Hawkeyes answered on the ensuing possession, driving 67 yards over six plays to cut the lead to 7-3 with 11:23 left in the second quarter. Rudock opened the series with a 12-yard completion to junior Jacob Hillyer before finding junior Jordan Canzeri for a career-long 50-yard reception down to the Ball State 13.

After a five-yard completion to Smith to the 8, junior tight end Henry Krieger-Coble dropped a crossing route at the 2, forcing the Hawkeyes to settle on Koehn's 26-yard field goal.

Iowa had its best drive on its final series of the first half, moving 57 yards over 12 plays. Rudock completed his first six passes on the drive for 7, 6, 19, 11, 3, and 19 yards to three different receivers, moving the ball to the Ball State 26. After a pair of incompletions and a seven-yard Rudock scramble into the red zone, Iowa elected to go for the points with the clock winding down, but it came away empty when Koehn's 37-yard field goal sailed wide left.

Iowa has a couple new placekickers and a new punter leading the special teams in '14. Iowa is using a new kick returner and punt returner. The Hawkeyes have new holder and deep snapper. The special teams didn't play well, with three missed field goals and one turnover.

With a big in-state rivarly game ahead, Iowa needs to clean up in all three phases of the game. Many expected an offensive game from either of today's opponents, but it turned out to be a grind out defensive game.

The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday, hosting Iowa State (0-2) in an Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN. The game is sold out.