Tag: Kirk Ferentz

Athlon Sports lists Iowa among top 2022 spring quarterback battles

Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan included Iowa in his top 2022 spring quarterback battles.

Iowa started two different quarterbacks last season, senior [autotag]Spencer Petras[/autotag] and  junior [autotag]Alex Padilla[/autotag]. Before Padilla earned the starting nod versus Minnesota, Petras had started 17 consecutive games in a row for Iowa dating back to the start of the 2020 season.

Padilla initially stepped in at Northwestern after Petras started but a lingering shoulder injury limited his effectiveness. Padilla led three scoring drives, completed 18-of-28 passes for 172 yards and the Hawkeyes beat Northwestern, 17-12. After throwing for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his first official start against Minnesota, Padilla passed for just 83 yards versus Illinois. Then, at Nebraska, Padilla was replaced by Petras in the second half after completing 6-of-14 passes for 76 yards.

Though he was replaced in the third start, Iowa did win all three games Padilla started. Petras owns a 13-5 career record in his own right. Iowa head football coach [autotag]Kirk Ferentz[/autotag] noted that Iowa has won with both Petras and Padilla in his first spring press conference.

“We’re going to let them both play. I think the good news is that we feel they’re both capable of really playing good football for us and our goal is to try to get them to play a little bit better and everybody around them to help them a little bit more. I think really that’s the story of our offense right now,” Ferentz said.

Petras was listed as the starting quarterback with Padilla as the backup in the initial spring depth chart that Iowa released. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Joe Labas[/autotag] was also listed as the No. 3 quarterback for the Hawkeyes as spring begins.

After a season where both Padilla and Petras saw serious action and Labas’ name is mentioned on the first depth chart, it has the makings of a legitimate spring quarterback battle. Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan listed Iowa among his top 2022 spring quarterback battles.

As evidenced last season, the Hawkeyes don’t need a prolific passing game to win the Big Ten’s West Division. A standout (and opportunistic) defense, combined with a few timely plays on offense, was good enough to get to 10-4 last fall and might be enough to claim the division crown again. However, relying on turnovers isn’t a sustainable formula, and Iowa’s offense could relieve some of the pressure on its defense by upping its production (4.5 yards per play in Big Ten games last year). Petras (11 starts) threw for 1,880 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, while Padilla (three starters) contributed 636 yards and two scores through the air. Both quarterbacks had moments of production, but the two players combined to complete 55 percent of their throws and tossed 11 picks. Also, Iowa’s offense generated only eight plays of 30-plus yards in ’21. Padilla and Petras are back in the mix, with Labas, a redshirt freshman, a wild-card name to watch. – Lassan, Athlon Sports.

As Ferentz touched on, Padilla and Petras have a leg up in the experience category.

“Obviously, two guys have a real distinct advantage knowing what to do. So just getting up to the line and getting the ball snapped and having us in the right place. That’s a heck of a start. And it sounds pretty routine and easy. But that for Joe right now, there’s a process to that like any first-year guy. Tate was on, he was the backup as a true freshman, so there’s an exception to the rule.

“But usually if a guy redshirts, like that’s part of the thing right now, is him processing, reading things and just all the ABC stuff. So he’s in a little different category as far as the learning process. It’ll be really interesting for us to watch how much he can pick up and how fast in 15 days. Whereas, both Alex and Spencer have a little bit, obviously an edge there. They’ve played and they’ve been out there when games start and they’ve been there when the games end,” Ferentz said.

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‘I think everybody’s competing right now’: Kirk Ferentz weighs in on Iowa quarterback situation

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz shared thoughts on his quarterbacks as the Hawkeyes begin their spring practices.

Iowa started multiple quarterbacks last season. Of course, senior quarterback Spencer Petras had started 17 games in a row dating back to the start of the 2020 season before an injury sidelined him ahead of the week 10 game versus Minnesota.

That’s when junior quarterback Alex Padilla stepped in and started three games in succession before Petras started the final two versus Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game and against Kentucky in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Joe Labas was also listed on the Hawkeyes’ initial spring depth chart.

Now, as Iowa begins spring practices, Petras is listed atop the depth chart with Padilla as his backup. Redshirt freshman quarterback Joe Labas was also listed on the Hawkeyes’ initial spring depth chart. Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz evaluated where his group stands entering the spring.

“Obviously, two guys have a real distinct advantage knowing what to do. So just getting up to the line and getting the ball snapped and having us in the right place. That’s a heck of a start. And it sounds pretty routine and easy. But for Joe, right now, there’s a process to that. Usually if a guy redshirts, that’s part of the thing right now, is him processing and reading things and all the ABC stuff. So he’s in a little different category as far as the learning process. It will be really quick or interesting for us to watch how much he can pick up and how fast in 15 days; whereas, both Alex and Spencer have a little bit, obviously an edge there. They’ve played. They’ve been out there when games end.

“I think the good news is that we feel they’re both capable of playing really good football for us. And our goal is to try to get them to play a little bit better and everybody around them helping a little bit more. I think really that’s the story of our offense right now,” Ferentz said.

Asked if it was accurate to say that it’s Petras’ job to lose, Ferentz didn’t commit to that idea.

“I think everybody’s competing right now. And on one hand, he’s got an edge or things he does better than Alex, but I can flip that around saying there’s some things Alex does a little bit better, too. We’re just going to ride it out and see where it all goes, but we’ll get it figured out certainly and the good news is I think both guys are totally capable,” Ferentz said.

The hope is that either Petras or Padilla will see a big enough leap in their play throughout the spring to make it a clear decision for the Hawkeye coaching staff.

“I know it wasn’t Spencer’s second year. I mean, this is his third year coming up, but it wasn’t his best year and I think he’s got room and I think he feels that. I think there’s some things we probably can do from our standpoint, the coaches, to give him a little bit, set him up for more success if you will. Play to his strengths when he’s in there and Alex whatever his strengths may be. If they differ, you know, lean left or right depending on who’s in there, but I think both guys have an opportunity to be better players this year,” Ferentz said.

He pointed out that one of the positives for Iowa’s quarterbacks is that his team has had success with both quarterbacks. Still, Ferentz is hoping the offensive line, skill players and the coaching staff can help make life easier for either Petras or Padilla.

“We’ve won with both of them, so that’s kind of exciting. But I also know this, we’ve got to help them more. You know, like I said, I’d like to gain an edge up front, not just try to break even, but gain an edge. Obviously, we’ll be more veteran at receiver than we were last year,” Ferentz said.

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‘First-class all the way around’: Kirk Ferentz excited to welcome Abdul Hodge back to program as tight ends coach

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz is excited to welcome back Abdul Hodge to the program as the Hawkeyes’ tight ends coach.

Former Hawkeye linebacker Abdul Hodge is returning to the program as Iowa’s tight ends coach. Hodge has spent the past three years as outside linebackers coach and NFL liaison at the University of South Dakota.

During his player career with the Hawkeyes, Hodge was a star. The former team captain was a three-time All-Big Ten linebacker with Iowa and he finished his career with 453 tackles. In 2005, Hodge racked up 13.2 tackles per game and 158 on the season, which ranks second best for the Hawkeyes in a single season.

Hodge sold Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz on switching over to coaching the offensive side of the ball as he returns to Iowa City.

“Obviously great to get Abdul back in the program. I think most of you know, or the guys who have been around here know that just a tremendous player, tremendous person, first-class all the way from start to finish. And has done a great job in his adult life. It’s scary how many years have passed by a little bit, but he is a young adult now. Has done a great job in his personal life and professional life. And really waited until his daughter went off to college, she was a softball player, wanted to get her established in a college situation before he ventured into college coaching. Has been up at South Dakota now for several years and has done a great job up there. Outstanding to get him back.

“He knows the program obviously and I think nobody knows better than Abdul or appreciates the role a coach has in terms of developing a real meaningful relationship with the players. He had that with the coaches here. And conversely I know he’ll have that with the players that he coaches as well as other players in the program, too, so really great to have him back,” Ferentz said.

Ferentz related the hiring of Hodge to the hiring of running backs coach Ladell Betts. Ferentz said it was the pair’s approach as players that gave him confidence each would make good assistant coaches.

“Look at Abdul, his career was prolific as a player in terms of production, but the guys that I consider to be really great players, they do more than make plays, they do more than tackle guys or make yards. They just make your team better. And Abdul was always just such a strong, dominant—in a very quiet way—but a very strong, dominant personality, if that makes sense. It’s a contradiction in terms, but there was never any doubt about what he was thinking about out there on the field, his intensity, his focus, his concentration. He just had that when he walked in here. We didn’t give it to him.

“And I’ve kind of witnessed that over the years talking to him. And, to me, the ultimate, when he moved his wife—talk about being a recruiter and a salesman, he got his wife to move from Fort Lauderdale to move to South Dakota—with all due respect—or Iowa. He got them and his son A.J. to go up there. It’s a pretty good sale. She’s part of the community. She’s teaching at the college up there. And they jumped in and were part of the community, not just there for a transactional stay. So everything about him just speaks, he’s a solid, standup productive guy. He’s got a great personality,” Ferentz said.

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‘It just made perfect sense’: Kirk Ferentz weighs in on Brian Ferentz taking over quarterback coaching duties

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz discussed Brian Ferentz taking over the quarterback coaching duties in his spring availability.

After completing his second stint as the Iowa quarterbacks coach, Ken O’Keefe stepped down at the end of last season. Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said in his opening spring media availability that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz was the natural fit to take over those quarterback coaching duties.

Brian Ferentz has served as the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator since the 2017 season and also coached running backs in the 2017 season before coaching tight ends the past four seasons. Now, he will directly oversee a position group that fans are pining to see growth from.

“To me, it just made perfect sense. I thought he was in the best position to handle that role at this point. And I think the bigger hope is that he’ll help us add to our efficiency and proficiency offensively. And that’s the thinking behind that, but he’s embraced that and done a good job as well. Feel really good about where our staff is at now and eager to get started here in the football aspect,” Kirk Ferentz said.

It seems like shifting Brian Ferentz over into the quarterback coaching role was the initial plan, too.

“When Ken made that decision, then my thoughts were to shift Brian over. I think it makes sense. And really all that, outside of 1999 and then the last couple years, that’s been the way we’ve been operated. The guy calling the plays is coaching the quarterback directly. I just think that personally is if he can get that situation, it’s better. And Brian is more than capable of doing that job. And he knows our offense better than anybody, quite frankly. I think it’s going to be a good, positive move for us,” Kirk Ferentz said.

There’s continuity with the transition in this sense. Brian Ferentz has benefitted from working with and learning from O’Keefe the past five seasons.

“Immensely. That was a big part of—after the ’16 season I was hoping when Greg (Davis) talked about getting out and then retiring, I was hoping Ken would be interested. A, available, and then B, interested, because he’s got so much history with the program. And certainly knows our program and certainly has expertise in that area.

“So for a brand new coordinator to have a guy who not only is a coordinator by trade but also a guy who coordinated in this system, I thought that was a real plus, certainly. And I never put numbers on things or targets. But I guess in my mind, I felt like if we could get three good years out of Ken, we’d be doing really well and that would get us up and running. And fortunately we got more than three,” Kirk Ferentz said.

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Iowa announces Cody Ince, Elijah Yelverton have elected to leave the program

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz announced offensive lineman Cody Ince and tight end Elijah Yelverton have left the program.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz met with the media as the Hawkeyes begin their spring slate of practices. Ferentz announced a pair of players have elected to leave the program, offensive lineman Cody Ince and tight end Elijah Yelverton.

“A couple of roster updates. We had two players decide that they’re not going to finish their careers. Most recently Elijah Yelverton came in before spring break and just said that he’s going to put football on the shelf, finish out this semester and go back home, finish up his degree down in Texas. And then Cody Ince has been through a lot of things medically as has Eli. He’s decided he’s not going to take his next year this year. And so he’ll graduate here in May. I think he’s got about eight, nine hours to go, so he’ll get his degree and move on from there. Whether it’s these two guys or anybody that leaves our program, we certainly wish them the best moving forward. And they’re taking advantage of a new start as well, so wish them the best,” Ferentz said.

Ince started the first four games of last season for Iowa at left guard before Kyler Schott took over for the remaining 10 games. Over the course of his Hawkeyes career, Ince started a total of 10 games. The 6-foot-4, 282 pound offensive lineman dealt with injuries last year and also the death his grandfather.

Yelverton arrived in Iowa City as a three-star prospect according to 247Sports. The Dallas, Texas, native was ranked as the nation’s No. 28 tight end in the 2020 class according to the recruiting service, but he ends his Hawkeyes career without having caught a pass.

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Iowa earns crystal ball prediction for 5-star OL Kadyn Proctor

Iowa earned a big crystal ball prediction from 247Sports reporter Sean Bock on five-star offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor.

No pun intended, but Iowa could be adding a big commitment at some point soon. Sean Bock of HawkeyeInsider submitted a 247Sports crystal ball prediction for five-star class of 2023 offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor to Iowa.

The 6-foot-7, 330 pound offensive tackle is out of Southeast Polk High School in Des Moines, Iowa. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Proctor is the nation’s No. 5 player overall in the 2023 class, the top offensive tackle and the No. 1 player from the state of Iowa.

Rivals rates Proctor as the country’s No. 12 overall player in the 2023 class, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the top player from the state of Iowa. HawkeyeReport publisher Tom Kakert also predicted Proctor would land with Iowa on Dec. 24, 2021.

According to On3, Proctor is the nation’s No. 31 overall player in the 2023 class, the No. 3 offensive tackle and the best player from the state of Iowa. In the On3 consensus rankings, Proctor checks in as the country’s No. 4 2023 prospect, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 1 player from the state of Iowa. ESPN rates Proctor as the No. 6 overall player in the 2023 class, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the top player from the state of Iowa.

247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu evaluated Proctor on Aug 4, 2021, and wrote this about the elite recruit.

Prototypical height, length and size. Lines up at left tackle and currently projects as a future college blind side protector. Good natural athlete. Shows explosiveness off the ball, twitch and quickness for a big man. Gets out of his stance quickly in pass protection. Has strength and a powerful punch. Can run and get out in front of plays to make blocks in space. Shows few glaring weaknesses, but can still tweak technique and steaily improve on testing numbers. Is a high-end prospect who can play for any school in the country and has the upside and work ethic to play beyond that. – Allen Trieu, 247Sports.

According to 247Sports, Proctor currently has 36 offers. In addition to Iowa, that list includes fellow Big Ten foes Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State. He has offers from all over, though.

Out of the SEC, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M have all offered. Big 12 schools Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and West Virginia have also extended offers.

Proctor’s Pac-12 offers list includes Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and USC. From the ACC, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina have offered Proctor. Lastly, Proctor also holds offers from Arkansas State, Charlotte, Notre Dame and Tulane.

When Proctor released his top-seven schools on Feb. 9, Iowa made the cut.

Kadyn Proctor’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 7 1 1
Rivals 5 12 1 1
ESPN 5 6 1 1
On3 Recruiting 4 31 1 3
247 Composite 5 5 1 1

Vitals

Hometown Des Moines, Iowa
Projected Position OT
Height 6-7
Weight 330
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered on Sept. 9, 2020

Crystal Ball

Film

Here’s a look at Proctor’s sophomore season Hudl film.

Twitter

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ESPN selects Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Jack Campbell to have biggest defensive presence in 2022

ESPN writer Tom VanHaaren chose Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell as his defensive player to have the biggest presence in 2022.

Iowa enters the spring slate off a 10-4 season that included a Big Ten West division championship. Hawkeyes defensive coordinator Phil Parker and assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Seth Wallace have reason to be excited about what Iowa returns defensively.

One of the biggest reasons for excitement is senior linebacker Jack Campbell. The 6-foot-5, 243 pound linebacker enjoyed a monster 2021 season. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native racked up 143 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, six passes defensed, a pair of fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one sack.

It’s no surprise then that Campbell is receiving national attention. In ESPN’s college football roundtable, a panelists of writers were asked to pick which defensive player not named Will Anderson Jr. would have the biggest presence in 2022. ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren chose Campbell.

Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell played in only five games of the 2020 season, but he had 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and one interception in those games. He was healthy in 2021, and all he did was lead all FBS defenders with 143 tackles. He also had two interceptions and three tackles for loss last season.

He could have made the jump to the NFL, but decided to return for his senior season and is one of the unquestioned leaders on the Hawkeye defense. If we’re talking about presence, Campbell’s return to Iowa was a huge deal, and he has a chance to improve on an excellent season in 2022. – ESPN, VanHaaren.

Campbell’s return provides Iowa with defensive star power. Campbell is joined by another talented starting linebacker’s return. Senior Seth Benson is back as well after registering 105 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, eight quarterback hurries, three passes defensed, two sacks and one interception.

Defensively, Iowa was one of the nation’s best a season ago. The Hawkeyes finished ranked No. 13 in scoring defense, surrendering just 19.2 points per game. That was thanks to a total defense that ranked No. 17 nationally and allowed just 328.8 yards per game.

Campbell and Benson helped anchor the country’s No. 13 rushing defense in 2021 as the Hawkeyes allowed just 3.15 yards per carry and 114.4 rushing yards per game. Iowa also led the nation with 25 interceptions and finished tied-third nationally with 30 total takeaways.

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Iowa earns No. 6 seed in ESPN’s fictional 64-team college football bracket

ESPN’s Chris Low took a crack at what a 64-team college football bracket might look like for the 2022 season. How far would the Hawkeyes go?

Recent reports indicate that the College Football Playoff won’t be expanding any time soon. In fact, according to CBS Sports reporter Barrett Sallee’s report from last month, the CFP will remain at four teams for the duration of the current contract through the 2025 college football season.

Still, that can rain on our parade as we enjoy the festivities of March Madness and wonder what if college football had a 64-team bracket like college basketball. ESPN’s Chris Low took a stab at what that might look like for the upcoming 2022 college football season.

With help from ESPN’s 2022 SP+ projections, Low put together a 64-team team tournament field for college football. Iowa ranked No. 26 in ESPN’s 2022 SP+ projections. That projection for the Hawkeyes checked in as just the seventh-highest ranking among Big Ten teams.

Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s 2022 SP+ projections, Michigan No. 4, Wisconsin No. 10, Penn State No. 16, Michigan State, No. 17 and Minnesota No. 19.

Using the SP+ projections as a tool to help create the 64-team bracket, Iowa ended up as the No. 6 seed in the South region playing No. 11 seed North Carolina. Low predicted the Hawkeyes would win their first-round matchup against the Tar Heels, 27-20, and wrote this about the matchup.

Between them, Kirk Ferentz and Mack Brown have 58 years of head coaching experience in college football. The Hawkeyes’ experience, though, is the difference in this one, as their defensive line takes control of the game in the second half. – Low, ESPN.

North Carolina State earned the No. 3 seed in the South region. The Wolfpack got a test from 14th-seeded Oregon State, but North Carolina State scored three unanswered touchdowns to top the Beavers, 28-14. That set up Iowa’s second-round matchup against N.C. State. Low predicted that Iowa would bow out of the tournament in a close, 20-17, loss to the Wolfpack.

Played in rainy, sloppy conditions, this slugfest goes down to the final minutes when N.C. State star linebacker Drake Thomas, one of several talented Wolfpack linebackers, makes a diving tackle inside the 5-yard line on fourth down. – Low, ESPN.

The No. 1 seeds in Low’s 64-team college football bracket included Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia. Low predicted that Alabama would top North Carolina State in the South region final, 41-21. The Midwest region champion was Ohio State after a 34-17 win over Cincinnati, the East region champion was Texas A&M after a 24-23 win over Georgia and the West region champion was Oklahoma beating USC, 35-28.

Low had Alabama beating Oklahoma 41-21 and Ohio State topping Texas A&M 38-24 to set up the national championship game between the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes.

In Low’s fictional national championship game, Ohio State captured the crown in a classic, beating Alabama, 34-30.

Obviously, there’s nothing to this outside of a fun exercise in imaginary December and January Madness. Still, it’s nice to see that Iowa was safely inside the tournament field and expected to win a game.

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What Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said about Michigan football after the Big Ten Championship Game

As you can imagine, he extremely complimentary of the Wolverines.

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INDIANAPOLIS — It was some tough sledding for the No. 13 Iowa Hawkeyes, with Michigan football winning the Big Ten Championship thanks to an utterly dominant performance.

The Hawkeye offense could get nothing going, and while the defense occasionally stymied the Wolverines, a couple early big plays opened things up before Michigan football pulled away in the second half, to win, 42-3.

After the game, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz minced no words. It wasn’t about his team as much as it was about the maize and blue — particularly the defensive side of the ball — that kept the Hawkeyes at bay. It’s the worst loss that Iowa has had since losing to Penn State in 2016.

Here are the pertinent things that Ferentz said about Michigan football.

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What they said: Kirk Ferentz compares Aidan Hutchinson to HOF defensive linemen

The Iowa coach has a ton of respect for Aidan Hutchinson and Michigan football.

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No. 2 Michigan has made the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time since the Big Ten started the annual game between the two divisions back in 2011.

The Wolverines are set to take on one of the tougher tests they have faced this season when the 13th-ranked Iowa defense takes the field on Saturday. While the Hawkeyes have an offense that ranks towards the bottom of the country, the defense has carried Iowa this far, and it’s a big reason why Iowa was ranked No. 2 in the nation once this year.

Games are all played for a reason, but Michigan vastly has more talent than Iowa when looking at both teams on paper. Kirk Ferentz had some high praises for Michigan in his opening statement on Tuesday with the media, and he says this will be a big challenge for his Hawkeyes. Ferentz says this may be one of the best Michigan teams that he has seen, but he can’t see the Wolverines playing much better than they did against Ohio State — it can’t get much better than that.

“Looking at Michigan, my first experience in this game was in 1981,” Ferentz said. “They were awfully good then. And they had a lot of good teams in the ’80s. Since I’ve been back, they’ve had a lot of good teams, too. This team certainly looks like they’re right at the top of that list from what we can tell.” 

“They’re extremely talented in all phases. They have good depth. Very talented and well-coached. And to me, this is typical of good teams. But Michigan has a real identity, offensively, defensively, special teams. You can tell their players fully believe in what they’re doing. They do it well and they do it with a lot of energy and play at a high level.”

“So it’s a real credit to their football team. They’ve had a great season. Got off to a good start. Had the one bump in the road and came right back and finished out the season in impressive fashion. I can’t imagine them playing a lot better than they did this past Saturday against a team that’s extremely talented and a very good football team. They played a tremendous football game.”

Iowa has the 110th-ranked passing offense in the nation, and while the running attack is ranked 106th, the Hawkeyes will want to lean on their run game on Saturday. Iowa is going to try and shorten the game by having long drives and running out the clock, in other words, the Hawkeyes need to run the ball. Ferentz says Michigan is so strong up the middle, and he knows that Iowa won’t gain a ton of yards, but he wants to see his team do it effectively.

“We’ll have to bang away at it, see what we can do,” said Ferentz. “Starts with blocking. Try to block them and pick runs maybe that are smart. And we’re still working on that part of it. These guys, they’re really big inside. They look like a pro-defense. They’ve got big, strong players inside. 

“They roll a lot of guys through, depending on your personnel. The outside guy, 97 is not coming off the field. But on the other side, they’ll put a big physical guy in there if you’re in a run group if you will. So they match up strategically. They’re smart that way. So they pose a lot of problems for you, they really do. We’re going to have to — and I don’t think we’ll be running for 300 yards. That’s not realistic. But we have to try to find a way to run efficiently.”

Switching over to the defense, Ferentz had to answer questions about Aidan Hutchinson. Ferentz compares Hutchinson to two former NFL defensive linemen, and he says that Hutchinson’s counterpart is pretty dang good as well.

“Yes, and he’s got a running mate that kind of gets your attention,” said Ferentz. I don’t know what you do to neutralize him. He’s an outstanding player. And better know where he lines up. And it’s fairly predictable, but the only problem is the guy on the other side is, I don’t want to say equally dangerous, but it’s pretty close. It’s a 1-2.”

“I was thinking this morning, I don’t know how often we’ve faced a team that has two guys outside like that that can be as disruptive as they are. And I said to somebody in the last 48 hours, when I was in the NFL there were two guys — there a lot of good players in the NFL, needless to say, that’s an obvious statement. A guy like Reggie White doesn’t count because he’s so freakishly talented. His size, speed, strength, just extraordinary, plus a better person than he was a player. Two guys that always stood out in my career, my time, at least my six years, my long career at six years, right, but Howie Long was one of them. And John Randle played more inside than outside, he was a Tasmanian devil. Howie Long the same way. If you relaxed one play, he was going to be in there wrecking the play and really causing havoc.”

“They’re not the same players, those two guys I described. Hutchinson is not. But he doesn’t stop. And that’s part of the reason he’s so good. Plus he has a good skill set. He has a motor that’s really impressive.”

Ferentz was asked what it would take to win the game on Saturday against Michigan. He brought up the last time Iowa was a big underdog against the Wolverines, back in 2016, and Iowa knocked the maize and blue off. He says that Michigan is really good at every position, and his team will need to catch a break during the game, but anything is possible.

“I’m still trying to get my head around that a little bit,” said Ferentz. “We’ve played in some games, I’m thinking, just off the top of my head, the last, what, two times ago, when we played these guys in ’16, I think we were 34 underdogs, 26, something like that.”

“These guys are just so good in every position. They just put a lot of pressure on you. And I don’t mean like blitzing pressure or tempo pressure, you just know what they’re capable of. You really just have to try to make them earn everything. It’s easier said than done.  And then we’re going to have to come up with something. Somewhere along the way, create a break or whatever. And somehow someway find a way to get it done.”

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