Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says there is still plenty to play for as they get set for this weekend’s visit to Purdue. The Hawkeyes saw their Legends Division title hopes come to an end with a loss to Michigan State and take a 6-4 record on the road against a Boilermaker team that would become bowl eligible with a win.
Ferentz says the minute they are out of a race, then they start building for the next one. Ferentz says the program has been built on consistency and the approach will not change in the final two games. He says at the end of the day it’s about how they do things academically, socially and on the field on a daily basis. “If you’re doing things right there’s no way to predict what the season’s gonna be record wise, but I think over the long haul I think you’re gonna have success, and that’s kind of been our guiding light over 13 seasons,” Ferentz says.
Kick coverage has been a concern all season and it will be on Saturday against a Purdue team that leads the Big Ten in kick returns. He says they have three good returners and play hard on all their special teams. He says everyone has to be in the right place or you get a big return and they’ve seen that happen a couple of times.
Iowa has yet to win a road game this season and Ferentz says the reason is simple. He says they haven’t played as well as their opponent and that is the common denominator. Ferentz says it’s a challenge to ramp up their level of performance.
Purdue is 3-3 in the league race after knocking off Ohio State in overtime last week. He says they have a good football team with a couple of good quarterbacks and a group of good runningbacks.