Oct. 28, 2003
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Senior wide receiver Maurice Brown will likely see game action Saturday against Illinois, Kirk Ferentz said during his weekly meeting with the media.
Brown, one of Iowa’s top offensive threats entering the 2003 season, has been sidelined since injuring an ankle during Iowa’s victory at Iowa State in the third game of the season. The Hawkeyes have pressed forward in Brown’s absence and will enter Saturday’s game ranked 13th by Associated Press with an overall record of 6-2.
“We feel pretty lucky to get Mo back,” said Ferentz. “Anything we get from him this year will be a bonus.”
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“Clearly, we’ve gone through two phases. The first 20 or so games, we got our you-know-what kicked pretty good. The last 20, other teams have had to practice for us. It goes without saying that I’m enjoying the second phase much more.”
Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz
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Ferentz said it’s probably fair to characterize him as cautious with respect to injuries and bringing a player back to the playing field.
“Over the years I’ve learned that every injury is different and every player responds differently to injury,” he said.
“My experience has taught me that it’s a pretty good practice to give it an extra week,” Ferentz added.
Ferentz also talked about his team’s recent problems with penalties and turnovers, and the possibility of breaking through the .500 barrier as Iowa’s head football coach. A win on Saturday against the Fighting Illini would be Iowa’s first under Ferentz and would push his all-time record as the Hawkeyes’ head coach to 29-28.
“Clearly, we’ve gone through two phases. The first 20 or so games, we got our you-know-what kicked pretty good. The last 20, other teams have had to practice for us. It goes without saying that I’m enjoying the second phase much more,” said Ferentz with a smile.
Iowa’s game against Illinois Saturday will kick off shortly after 11 a.m. inside historic Kinnick Stadium. The game is sold out and will be televised live by ESPN Plus.