Gary, The Pig and More

Nov. 19, 2005

Floyd the pig, 24 seniors and post-season bowls games. Yes, there’s quite a bit riding on today’s Iowa-Minnesota football game slated for an 11 a.m. kickoff and televised nationally by ESPN2.

Iowa, playing before its 17th straight sellout crowd at home and, by so doing, setting a new six-game attendance record at Kinnick, would savor a victory that meant Floyd of Rosedale – the bronze pig awarded to the winner of the annual border war on the gridiron – because it would say farewell to the likes of Ed Hinkel, Chad Greenway, Abdul Hodge and a handful of other veteran Hawkeyes in the best of ways.

It would also mean victory No. 7 for the Hawkeyes, a number that could land Iowa back into the national polls and perhaps anywhere from Tampa and the 2006 Outback Bowl to Detroit and this year’s Motor City Bowl depending upon the outcome of games involving Big Ten Conference teams this week and even next.

Iowa’s second victory in a row – a pair of wins that would come on the heels of heart-breaking, last-minute losses to Michigan and Northwestern – would push Iowa’s league record to 5-3 and give the Hawkeyes a share of third place in what proved to be one of the nation’s most balanced, most competitive football conferences.

It won’t come easy, however. Minnesota boasts the nation’s No. 1 rushing attack, a veteran quarterback and an improved defense. The Gophers are aiming to push their league record to 5-3 and their overall mark to 8-3.

“We have another stiff challenge. We’ll work hard, look to build on what we’ve done the first 10 weeks of the season and put it all out there on the field,” said Kirk Ferentz earlier this week during his weekly visit with the media.

Gary Dolphin offers his unique perspective on today’s meeting with the Gophers in this week’s installment of “The View from the Press Box,” an audio feature exclusively available inside Hawkeye All-Access, the multimedia area of hawkeyesports.com.

Dolphin’s play-by-play and Ed Podolak’s analysis of the game is also available inside Hawkeye All-Access thanks to the Hawkeye Radio Network. Fans of the Hawkeyes can also watch Ferentz’s post-game press conference live inside Hawkeye All-Access.

To get there, click HERE.