Sept. 22, 2015
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By DARREN MILLER
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Twenty-four hours is 24 hours.
And even if the University of Iowa football program packed more “enthusiasm” into its day-long celebration sparked by Marshall Koehn‘s game-winning 57-yard field goal that sank Pittsburgh on Saturday evening, the Hawkeyes are now fixated on North Texas and a potential 4-0 start to the season.
“Our coaching staff has done a good job the entire time I have been here making sure we refocus every week,” said redshirt freshman defensive end Parker Hesse. “Good or bad, come Sunday, we have to start preparing for the next game.”
It has been all good for the Hawkeyes so far this season. A dominating performance against Illinois State was followed by a road win at Iowa State that was followed by an impressive win against Pittsburgh.
Koehn’s game-winner reminded some Hawkeye fans of the 31-yard field goal by Daniel Murray on Nov. 8, 2008, to knock off No. 3 Penn State, 24-23. Iowa didn’t suffer a letdown after that, finishing with victories against Purdue and Minnesota before whipping South Carolina, 31-10, in the Outback Bowl.
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“This is exactly what we came out and wanted to do. It is expected. We have to build on the success and be ready for the next team. It is one game we will never forget; it was exciting and awesome. But we are mature in that aspect.”
Jordan Canzeri
UI running back |
Leading tackler Cole Fisher, a senior starting for the first time, is a veteran at avoiding the hype that comes after big victories. But he admits, “you guys make it kind of hard,” referring to a throng of reporters that converged on the Stew and LeNore Hansen Football Performance Center on Tuesday.
“Coach has been harping on taking it one game at a time,” Fisher said. “I’m a guy who doesn’t like to get caught up in all the hype. I stay away from it. I treat every game the same — look at the mistakes I made in the past, fix them, and move on.”
There are those — like senior running back Jordan Canzeri — who don’t know what all the fuss is about in the first place. Sure, he called the outcome against the Panthers thrilling, but he sounded like a guy with bigger fish to fry.
“This is exactly what we came out and wanted to do,” Canzeri said. “It is expected. We have to build on the success and be ready for the next team. It is one game we will never forget; it was exciting and awesome. But we are mature in that aspect.”
In wins against Iowa State and Pittsburgh, senior tight end Henry Krieger-Coble has seven receptions for 82 yards.
“It is a positive feeling and we’re all excited about it, but we know that the past three games don’t matter at this point,” Krieger-Coble said. “All that matters is North Texas and we really have to improve in order to beat North Texas and then move on after that.”
In 17 seasons under head coach Kirk Ferentz the Hawkeyes have started 3-0 six times: 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2015, and 4-0 three times: 2003, 2006, 2009.
The Hawkeyes and Mean Green tangle Sept. 26 with a 2:32 p.m. (CT) kickoff from Kinnick Stadium. It is the first meeting between the schools; North Texas head coach Dan McCarney is an Iowa City native, a University of Iowa graduate (1975), and a Hawkeye assistant coach from 1977-89.
