Oct. 24, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa sophomore running back Mark Weisman continues to progress toward being completely healthy as the Hawkeyes continue preparations for Saturday’s contest at Northwestern (11:01 a.m., ESPN2).
Weisman suffered an injury while scoring a touchdown late in Iowa’s win at Michigan State. He saw limited action in the first half of the loss to Penn State last weekend, with five rushing attempts and a pass reception. He has felt more comfortable upon returning to the practice field this week.
“I have felt better each and every day,” said Weisman, following Wednesday’s practice. “We’ll continue with the treatment and hopefully I’ll be good to go by Saturday. It feels better each day.”
Iowa is 2-1 in Big Ten play and 4-3 overall. The Hawkeyes had the elation of a road win two weeks ago before a home loss last weekend.
“We need to stay together, stay on the same page, which we are,” said Weisman. “We have a 24-hour rule, you have to forget about last week. Our focus is on getting better each and every day and getting ready for Northwestern.”
In addition to feeling better, Weisman is happy to be playing close to his home in Buffalo Grove for the second time in eight games. The Hawkeyes opened the season with an 18-17 win over Northern Illinois at Soldier Field. Weisman saw limited action in that contest, rushing twice for eight yards. Through seven games, Weisman leads Iowa’s ground game with 105 attempts for 640 yards. He is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and has scored eight touchdowns. He has gained over 100 yards in four games, with a career-best of 217 yards.
“I’m not sure it’s a bigger deal, each game is very big to me. It doesn’t matter where we play,” said Weisman. “Maybe a little different being close to home. It will be cool and fun to play in front of family and friends.”