An Iowa team with a lot of question marks will open the season at home on Saturday afternoon against Northern Illinois. The Hawkeyes were 4-8 in 2012 and if you believe the prognosticators they will struggle, again.
“We know we have a real challenge, Northern Illinois comes in here, they’ve had tremendous success — especially over the last 3 years– and return an excellent football team that played in the Orange Bowl,” coach Kirk Ferentz says. He says they will have to be at their absolute best and that is what they are working for this week.
Ferentz says they are fully aware of how good the Huskies are after playing them in a close game last year. Sophomore Jake Rudock will get the start at quarterback after edging out junior Cody Sokol and freshman C.J. Beatherd.
“All three of the returning quarterbacks I thought improved and did a good job during camp. At this point I think that Jake is probably the most consistent in the big picture,” Ferentz says. He says they’ve had a good competition and he is pleased with all three.
Ferentz said he wants Rudock to handle his own position in the opening game and do what he is supposed to do and not do too much. He says Rudock has practiced hard and the big thing now is to carry the practice work over to the game field and try “do what you do well.”