Oct. 1, 2013
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — It would be hard to find two football programs that so closely match up over the years as the University of Iowa and Michigan State. The teams meet again Saturday inside Kinnick Stadium with kickoff at 11:01 a.m. (CT).
Most of the doozies of late have come in Spartan Stadium. Michigan State prevailed there 16-13 in 2008; it was Iowa’s turn in 2009, 15-13. Last season the Hawkeyes won in double overtime, 19-16. In all, Iowa leads the series 23-19-2 (13-9-1 at home).
“We have a big challenge this week playing a Michigan State team that looks very strong and powerful,” UI head coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday at his weekly news conference in the Hayden Fry Football Complex. “It’s going to be a tough football game so we have a big challenge.”
Iowa (4-1 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) enters the Homecoming contest with four straight wins; Michigan State (3-1, 0-0) lost its last time out at Notre Dame on Sept. 21 and has had two weeks to prepare for the Hawkeyes.
All season Ferentz has emphasized that the Hawkeyes need to keep their foot on the gas. They have extra incentive to do so Saturday: not only will Iowa have a bye between games against Michigan State and at Ohio State (Oct. 19), but this is the final meeting between the schools until 2017.
On paper, this matchup promises to be another good one. Michigan State leads the NCAA in total defense (188.8 yards per game) and Iowa is seventh (265.6). While the Spartans allow 58.3 rushing yards a game (second in the NCAA), the Hawkeyes are gaining 244.4 per outing (20th in NCAA).
“In a perfect world, if we can run it and stop the run, that’s a good thing,” Ferentz said. “(Michigan State) is playing with confidence. They have great senior leadership and their scheme has enough complexity where you can’t get comfortable.”
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On paper, this matchup promises to be another good one. Michigan State leads the NCAA in total defense (188.8 yards per game) and Iowa is seventh (265.6). While the Spartans allow 58.3 rushing yards a game (second in the NCAA), the Hawkeyes are gaining 244.4 per outing (20th in NCAA).
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In its first five games, Iowa has rushed for yardage totals of 202, 296, 218, 258, and 245. Ferentz said that after watching film of both teams, the Hawkeyes need to progress to compile those type of numbers against Michigan State.
“There is an awful lot of things we need to do better, and we’re going to have to do better this week or we won’t have anywhere near the production we need,” Ferentz said.
Other areas that Ferentz and his staff will attend to this week are production in the red zone and kickoff coverage. For the season, Iowa has been inside the opponents 20-yard line 23 times with 16 scores and 11 touchdowns.
“That’s a big thing on our list that we have to address,” Ferentz said. “We have to do a better job.”
Last week at Minnesota, the Gophers returned four kicks for an average of 39.5 yards per return.
“I am not happy about that, but we are not that far away on covering the things that happened (at Minnesota),” Ferentz said. “We’re on the right path.”
Ferentz said sophomore right cornerback Jordan Lomax “is fine,” but true freshman Desmond King is technically the veteran of the two.
“That seems funny to talk about a guy who was in high school six months ago,” Ferentz said of King.
REWIND TO A 2012 CLASSIC
There were 140 plays in last season’s football game between the University of Iowa and Michigan State. Of the 70 by the Hawkeyes, a big one stands out.
Iowa trailed 14-6 with less than 5 ½ minutes left in the game and the Hawkeyes faced second-and-26 from their own 16. Iowa’s drive had gone backwards on two plays — courtesy of a clipping penalty and a pass completion from James Vandenberg to Mark Weisman for negative two yards.
Field position flipped in a hurry when Vandenberg threw a perfect strike to Keenan Davis, who extended out and hauled in a 35-yard reception in front of Spartan cornerback Darqueze Dennard. Weisman scored six plays later to tie the score at 13. The Hawkeyes prevailed in double overtime, 19-16.
Vandenberg, who completed 19-of-36 passes for 134 yards, and Davis, who caught six for 65, will not play in Saturday’s rematch; Dennard, a 5-foot-11, 197-pound senior, will.
“I remember him throwing the ball and because of the down and distance, I was expecting a back shoulder throw,” Dennard said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “He threw it over top of me and got a completion.”
Dennard had four tackles in the game and two pass breakups. He is now one of six senior starters on a Spartan defense that leads NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in fewest yards allowed (188.8 per game).
Dennard enjoys the journey to Iowa City — the Spartans won here 37-21 in 2011, but lost 37-6 in 2010.
“I like playing in their stadium because of the experience with the pink lockers and how the fans are,” Dennard said. “They are very loud and talk to you throughout the game, which makes it a fun experience to go there. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m ready to go.”
Does Dennard participate in the fan-player conversation?
“A little bit, but I try to focus on the game,” he said.