The Iowa Hawkeyes open a tough three-game stretch to close out the regular season on Saturday with a trip to 14th-ranked Purdue. The Hawks are 7-2 over and 10th in the coaches poll after a 41-10 win over Illinois. The Hawkeyes are still alive in the Big Ten title chase. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says if you’re playing for something in November, then things really get interesting.Running back Fred Russell topped the thousand yard mark for the second straight season and Russell says the offense received a lift with the return of receiver Mo Brown and running back Jermelle Lewis. Russell says Lewis and Brown are sparks in the offense and he says hopefully they won’t lose anyone else to injury. Iowa scored first in this past Saturday’s game, thanks to an 18-play drive that consumed better than nine minutes after the opening kickoff, a drive that was capped off by a Nathan Chandler one yard scoring pass to Tony Jackson.
