If the oddsmakers are correct Saturday’s 52nd meeting between Iowa and Iowa State will be a yawner. The 13th ranked Hawkeyes are favored by nearly four touchdowns but coach Kirk Ferentz can’t figure out why, as he says he doesn’t even know if they can score 25. Ferentz says the oddsmakers obviously aren’t going to practice.Ferentz says this is not just another non-conference game. He says if you’ve even been in the state for a week you realize that it’s a big game. He says this is more unique than some other games because you have two separate conferences involved as well as the state. After a solid first half quarterback Drew Tate missed the second half of the Hawks 39-7 win over Kent State due to dehydration. Ferentz says they have taken precautions to make sure it does not happen again. He says he hopes they’re through it, and he says it was probably a lot more for Tate than just the heat. He says Tate expended a lot of energy getting to the game and if was his first game. Cyclone coach Dan McCarney says his team is such a big underdog in part because of last year. He says Iowa had a tremendous season and his team stunk. He says they’ve been able to win before when his team was a big underdog and they’re going to try and do it again this week.Bret Meyer started Saturday’s 23-0 win over UNI at quarterback and Austin Flynn also played. McCarney says both will see action on Saturday as he trusts both of them, likes them and respects them. McCarney says there’s no controversy in the program, and he says they both will play this week. McCarney says the Iowa-Iowa State game is a showcase for college football in the state. He says everyone ought to be proud of the football in the state, as he says all the programs are good. The Cyclones will try to find a way to score against a tough Iowa defense and the Cyclone defense will need to keep them in the game. Junior defensive lineman Nick Leaders says they have to play as a team and play great football to win. He says they have to shore up the mistakes they made and work hard against a great football team. Leaders says posting a shutout in the season opener was a great first step as he says you never know how good you are before the first game. He says there are signs that they can be a really good team.
