Hawks move to 17th after holding off Purdue

The Iowa Hawkeyes have climbed to 17th in the latest Associated Press top-25 after a late rally in a 31-28 win over Purdue. Brad Banks hit Dallas Clark with a seven yard scoring pass on fourth down with a minute-seven remaining to provide the winning margin. The winning score was one of two touchdown catches for Clark who tied an Iowa record with a 95-yard touchdown on a short pass in the third quarter. Clark says he doesn’t train for big sprints down the field, but the defense was playing tight looking to shut down the offense. He says it felt like there were 100 guys running behind him as he headed down the field for the touchdown. Clark says Banks was in total command on the winning drive and took care of any doubters with his performance.Iowa’s Fred Russell finished with 109-yards of rushing but as a team the Hawks managed just 158. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says Purdue was geared up to take the running game away, but the Hawkeyes found a way to win despite playing less than their best. He says not every week will work out the way they planned it. He says they got outplayed for most of the game, but the special teams and heart of the team carried them through.Ferentz says special teams have been a point of emphasis this season and it has paid off. Clark was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week for his effort.