The Iowa Hawkeyes visit the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday in the 55th meeting in the series. The Hawkeyes are 2-0 while the Cyclones enter 0-2 after a loss to UNI. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says regardless of the records this is a big game for both teams. He says whether you are from Iowa or not, everyone lives in Iowa and that gives a little momentum to both teams.
The Hawkeyes are a heavy favorite but Ferentz says that means nothing. Two years ago the Cyclones dominated the heavily favored Hawkeyes 23-3. Ferentz says what both teams have done is irrelevant, and he says he doesn’t know how to handicap the game. Ferentz says it ultimately comes down to how well you prepare.
The Iowa defense has yet to yield a touchdown but Ferentz says Cyclone receiver Todd Blythe is a tough matchup for the Hawks. He says Blythe has great size and that makes it a tough matchup, and he says they don’t have anyone who can match up.
Iowa State coach Gene Chizik says the Cyclones need to slow down Iowa’s ground game without giving up big pass plays. Chizik says you have to be careful with what you do, but he says you can’t go into any game without trying to stop the run first. He says the Hawkeyes are good enough on offense that you have to be able to defend both the pass and the run.
Chizik says in-state rivalries are part of what makes college football so great and he wants the Cyclones to play hard without feeling too much pressure. He wants the team to have fun and enjoy it, and wants it to be a game they can remember. Chizik says they can’t get so caught up in the rivalry that they don’t do what they need to do to continue to get better.
Chizik says the Cyclones need to eliminate the mistakes that have plagued them in an 0-2 start. he says their margin of error is very slim to be successful and still make mistakes. Kickoff in Jack Trice Stadium is 12:37.