Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says the Hawkeyes need to make major strides this week if they hope to leave Ames with a victory. The Hawks looked sluggish in a 17-16 victory over UNI this past weekend and will be out to snap a two game losing skid at Iowa State this weekend. Ferentz says they didn’t look "real cohesive’ on offense, and had a couple of good plays, but overall the execution was just okay.
Ferentz says it will be up to the veterans to lead the way this week. After a slow start quarterback Ricky Stanzi had a solid second half against the Panthers while tight end Tony Moeaki and wideout Trey Stross led the receiving corps. He says the more experienced players will have to make plays and the passing game will have to help out too as he says Sean Green is not coming back.
Redshirt freshman Adam Robinson has passed Paki O’Meara on the depth chart. Robinson led the Hawks with 63 yards on 15 carries against UNI. Ferentz says it was a good start for Robinson, but he is still a young player, and O’Mera will still play too.
Ferentz says the Cyclones looked good in a season opening win over North Dakota State. He says the Cyclones have a lot of experience coming back and they played well in the opener.
Ferentz says Paul Rhoads is a good fit for the Cyclone program with a tremendous resume and great association with the program, having coached there before and growing up in Ankeny. Ferentz says it looks like Rhoads has assembled a great staff.
Ferentz says a trip to Jack Trice Stadium is as tough as any stop in the Big Ten. He says he’s not been there for any other games, but says when Iowa shows up it is as tough to play there than anywhere else and "We really better be ready to go."
Ferentz says the Hawks need to be ready to play another highly motivated opponent. He says UNI was ready to play and they expect the same thing out of ISU as they have about the same number of returning starters as UNI.