With an eighth straight win over Nebraska, Iowa secures a return trip to Indianapolis.
Iowa (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) head football coach Kirk Ferentz shared his thoughts about the Huskers earlier this week.
“Our opponent, they’ve been really I think impressive if you consider the changes that have been to the program. They’ve had a couple injuries, quarterback in and out. Just continue to play and compete and do really well. Upgraded their roster over the course out of season. They got a lot of transfer guys in, a lot of guys that are dangerous, productive players.
“But the biggest thing is they’ve continued to compete. All you got to do is look back at last week, they had a 14-3 lead on Wisconsin, who had to really work hard to pull that out at the end. We know firsthand how difficult it is to beat Wisconsin. It’s never been easy. They’re playing well. They’re competing hard. We expect a tough, tough ballgame here Friday needless to say,” Ferentz said.
Naturally, Nebraska interim head coach Mickey Joseph said much of the same flowery things about the Hawkeyes and he also understands what this Heroes Trophy game means for both.
“Yeah, we talked about that. I know it’s a rival game, so I know they’re going to be up for it. They’re gonna be up for it and they’re going to come out and play in full force this game,” Joseph said.
What about some of the national voices? Pete Fiutak of College Football News shared some of his thoughts on this installment in the rivalry between the Hawkeyes and Huskers.