Bowl trips are underway for Iowa and Iowa State as both teams headed south over the weekend. The Hawkeyes are in Miami as they prepare for the January fifth Orange Bowl against Georgia Tech. This will be the sixth January bowl in eight years for the Hawks and junior defensive end Adrian Clayborn says they know how to mix fun and practice.
Clayborn says they know how to stay focused on preparing amidst all that is going on and the sun and fun in Florida. Clayborn says they will try to have some fun before turning their attention to Georgia Tech. He says they have a couple of days to do that and then they have to get ready for the game.
Safety Brett Greenwood says the Hawkeyes handled it right a year ago leading up to a lopsided win over South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Greenwood says it came down to the senior leadership that led them to prepare throughout the month of December. And while they had fun, they were business like in ensuring they got the win.
Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi says early on bowl practice were about working on fundamentals, now it is about getting ready for the game. He says as they get closer to the game they put the game plan in, so they can focus on the plan and it is not too spread out.
Today’s expected high in Miami is 75 degrees. It is supposed to be in the mid 60s in Phoenix where the Iowa State Cyclones get ready Thursday’s Insight Bowl against Minnesota. ISU coach Paul Rhoads is not concerned about his team mixing football and fun.
Rhoads says this is an opportunity for a reward and you have to look at it that way to avoid the distractions. He says they can enjoy everything that goes with the bowl, but will go to work when it is time.
Senior linebacker Jesse Smith says the Cyclones are not satisfied with just being in a bowl game. They want to end it with a victory. He says it’s a series of things for the seniors that will be their last as Cyclones and that is important to them and the team.