Northwestern coach says Iowa lives up to its hype

The sixth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes look to equal a school record with their tenth victory tomorrow when they close out the home season against Northwestern. The Wildcats are coming off their first Big Ten victory over Indiana and coach Randy Walker says they will need the momentum from that win to have a chance against the Hawkeyes. He says Iowa deserves all the attention and credit they’re getting right now.Iowa running back Fred Russell is expected to return for the game and Walker says Russell is one of the top weapons in the conference. He says Iowa does some things that give Russell the chance to be very good, and he says Russell is also a special player. He says Russell is powerful and explosive, despite his small size.But Walker says it is the play of quarterback Brad Banks that has moved Iowa into the national picture and noone in the conference is having a bigger year. And Walker says the Iowa defense has raised its level of play.