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Gophers Game Preview: Rival Iowa at Minnesota - Floyd and Much More on the Line
By Travis Erickson and Grant Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/293625?referrer_id=388419
Iowa (3-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Minnesota (4-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)
Minneapolis, Minnesota – TCF Bank Stadium
Saturday 2:30 p.m. CT – ABC
Spread: Minnesota +1
PREGAME NOTES
Series History
The Gophers hold a dominating 61-43-2 advantage in the series that began in 1891 with the Hawkeyes. Since playing for the coveted Floyd of Rosedale trophy, Minnesota again holds the series advantage at 41-35-2. Iowa has closed the gap in recent years, winning nine of the last 12 meetings. Two of those losses for the Hawkeyes came at TCF Bank Stadium where Iowa is a winless 0-2.
“Their crowd is going to be in the game and our backs are going to be against the wall,” said Iowa linebacker Christian Kirksey. “We have to go up there and get the job done. We know what happened the previous two games (at Minnesota), we just have to have a different approach to the game.”
The expectation is that this matchup will be an old-school, tough contest between long-time rivals.
“It certainly will be an old-fashioned football game,” said Jerry Kill. “I like that. It’s good for football. We look forward to the challenge. We know we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
Last Meeting
In Iowa City last year, the Gophers struggled mightily out of the gate; falling behind 24-0 at the half. The Maroon and Gold played better in the second, outscoring the home team 13-7 but eventually falling 31-13. The Hawkeyes were led by running back Mark Weisman who tallied 177 yards on over eight yards per carry. Looking back at the game, Kill was not pleased with his team’s performance.
“They honestly just kicked our butt,” said Kill. “They kicked it for four quarters. They lined up and kicked our butt for four quarters. It was very disturbing as a head football coach…That’s about as simple as I can put it. They beat our butt for four quarters. I don’t have any excuses; they just did.”
Last Time Out
Iowa breezed by Western Michigan, 59-3, last week at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeye’s electrified the home crowd with explosive plays on defense and special teams. Junior wide receiver Kevonte Martin-Manley returned back-to-back punts for touchdowns while defensive back B.J. Lowery returned a pair of interceptions for scores.
Playing for Floyd
The border battle between Minnesota and Iowa has a storied history that reaches an extra level when playing for a traveling trophy like Floyd of Rosedale. Bringing Floyd back to Minneapolis will make TCF Bank Stadium feel similar to a postseason atmosphere when the two rivals face off on Saturday.
“First of all, it’s great for our fans, it’s great for our state,” said Kill. “To me it’s like playing a bowl game…You treat it like a bowl game. You get excited about it but you’ve still got to keep the team focused and keep them concentrated on the most important thing they need to do and that’s to play well on Saturday.”
Coaching Preview
Kirk Ferentz is in his 15th season on the sidelines for the Hawkeyes. During his time in Iowa City, Ferentz has compiled an overall record of 103-75 while posting a winning record of 59-53 in the conference. He has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year three times and won two conference titles with Iowa.
Although he boasts an impressive resume, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have struggled recently, posting a 4-8 record last season. The Iowa coach also hasn’t great luck in conference openers, winning just six of 14 games to start Big Ten play. Despite the recent struggles, the Gophers know the Hawkeyes will be a well-coached squad on Saturday.
“They’re just fundamentally coached-up,” said Kill. “Anybody in the Big Ten that plays them, or anybody that coaches against [Ferentz], can tell you the same thing. They are fundamentally coached-up in all phases…The nuts and bolts is that they beat people on fundamentals and technique…They make you earn everything.”
Stopping Iowa
After getting dominated by the Hawkeyes offense last season, Minnesota will look to contain Iowa in the trenches in order to stop Weisman and the running game.
“The whole key for us defensively; you don’t prepare for one guy, you’ve got to prepare for the guys up front,” said Kill. “Things you’ve got to do: you’ve got to play with a low pad level, you better stay in your gap, you’ve got to make sure you fit right as a linebacker, and you’ve got to be able to tackle, and your eyes got to be in the right place or they’ll kick your tail-end with the play-action pass.”
Matchup to Watch
If Iowa wants to bring Floyd back to Iowa City it will need to find a way to slow down Minnesota's prolific rushing attack. The Gophers rank 13th nationally in rushing yards—averaging 282.3 yards per game. Minnesota has amassed 1,129 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
The Gophers will test Iowa’s defense, which has been stout this season. The Hawkeyes are holding opponents to 91.5 yards per game and have yet to give up a rushing touchdown.
"We feel like we're a physical front, especially in the front seven, and we can stop the run game," said Hawkeyes junior defensive tackle Carl Davis. "I am confident going against anybody that we can stop the run.”
Players to Watch
#45 Mark Weisman – Weisman, who carved up the Gophers’ defense last year, is off to a terrific start this season. The junior has scored three touchdowns and is averaging 117 yards per game. The 6-foot, 236-pounder’s bruising, down-hill running style will test the tenacity of Minnesota’s defense.
“He’s a big back, he’s hard to tackle, he’s got good balance, great vision and he fits in to what they do,” said Jerry Kill.
#31 Anthony Hitchens – The 6-foot-1, 233-pound linebacker leads Iowa in tackles (37), TFLs (4), and is tied for the team-lead with one sack. If the Hawkeyes are able to quell the Golden Gophers’ rushing attack on Saturday, Hitchens should play an integral part.
Background
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Enrollment: 31,498
Conference: Big Ten
Mascot: Hawkeyes
Colors: Black and Gold
Coach: Kirk Ferentz (15th Season)
By Travis Erickson and Grant Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/293625?referrer_id=388419
Iowa (3-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Minnesota (4-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten)
Minneapolis, Minnesota – TCF Bank Stadium
Saturday 2:30 p.m. CT – ABC
Spread: Minnesota +1
PREGAME NOTES
Series History
The Gophers hold a dominating 61-43-2 advantage in the series that began in 1891 with the Hawkeyes. Since playing for the coveted Floyd of Rosedale trophy, Minnesota again holds the series advantage at 41-35-2. Iowa has closed the gap in recent years, winning nine of the last 12 meetings. Two of those losses for the Hawkeyes came at TCF Bank Stadium where Iowa is a winless 0-2.
“Their crowd is going to be in the game and our backs are going to be against the wall,” said Iowa linebacker Christian Kirksey. “We have to go up there and get the job done. We know what happened the previous two games (at Minnesota), we just have to have a different approach to the game.”
The expectation is that this matchup will be an old-school, tough contest between long-time rivals.
“It certainly will be an old-fashioned football game,” said Jerry Kill. “I like that. It’s good for football. We look forward to the challenge. We know we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
Last Meeting
In Iowa City last year, the Gophers struggled mightily out of the gate; falling behind 24-0 at the half. The Maroon and Gold played better in the second, outscoring the home team 13-7 but eventually falling 31-13. The Hawkeyes were led by running back Mark Weisman who tallied 177 yards on over eight yards per carry. Looking back at the game, Kill was not pleased with his team’s performance.
“They honestly just kicked our butt,” said Kill. “They kicked it for four quarters. They lined up and kicked our butt for four quarters. It was very disturbing as a head football coach…That’s about as simple as I can put it. They beat our butt for four quarters. I don’t have any excuses; they just did.”
Last Time Out
Iowa breezed by Western Michigan, 59-3, last week at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeye’s electrified the home crowd with explosive plays on defense and special teams. Junior wide receiver Kevonte Martin-Manley returned back-to-back punts for touchdowns while defensive back B.J. Lowery returned a pair of interceptions for scores.
Playing for Floyd
The border battle between Minnesota and Iowa has a storied history that reaches an extra level when playing for a traveling trophy like Floyd of Rosedale. Bringing Floyd back to Minneapolis will make TCF Bank Stadium feel similar to a postseason atmosphere when the two rivals face off on Saturday.
“First of all, it’s great for our fans, it’s great for our state,” said Kill. “To me it’s like playing a bowl game…You treat it like a bowl game. You get excited about it but you’ve still got to keep the team focused and keep them concentrated on the most important thing they need to do and that’s to play well on Saturday.”
Coaching Preview
Kirk Ferentz is in his 15th season on the sidelines for the Hawkeyes. During his time in Iowa City, Ferentz has compiled an overall record of 103-75 while posting a winning record of 59-53 in the conference. He has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year three times and won two conference titles with Iowa.
Although he boasts an impressive resume, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes have struggled recently, posting a 4-8 record last season. The Iowa coach also hasn’t great luck in conference openers, winning just six of 14 games to start Big Ten play. Despite the recent struggles, the Gophers know the Hawkeyes will be a well-coached squad on Saturday.
“They’re just fundamentally coached-up,” said Kill. “Anybody in the Big Ten that plays them, or anybody that coaches against [Ferentz], can tell you the same thing. They are fundamentally coached-up in all phases…The nuts and bolts is that they beat people on fundamentals and technique…They make you earn everything.”
Stopping Iowa
After getting dominated by the Hawkeyes offense last season, Minnesota will look to contain Iowa in the trenches in order to stop Weisman and the running game.
“The whole key for us defensively; you don’t prepare for one guy, you’ve got to prepare for the guys up front,” said Kill. “Things you’ve got to do: you’ve got to play with a low pad level, you better stay in your gap, you’ve got to make sure you fit right as a linebacker, and you’ve got to be able to tackle, and your eyes got to be in the right place or they’ll kick your tail-end with the play-action pass.”
Matchup to Watch
If Iowa wants to bring Floyd back to Iowa City it will need to find a way to slow down Minnesota's prolific rushing attack. The Gophers rank 13th nationally in rushing yards—averaging 282.3 yards per game. Minnesota has amassed 1,129 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
The Gophers will test Iowa’s defense, which has been stout this season. The Hawkeyes are holding opponents to 91.5 yards per game and have yet to give up a rushing touchdown.
"We feel like we're a physical front, especially in the front seven, and we can stop the run game," said Hawkeyes junior defensive tackle Carl Davis. "I am confident going against anybody that we can stop the run.”
Players to Watch
#45 Mark Weisman – Weisman, who carved up the Gophers’ defense last year, is off to a terrific start this season. The junior has scored three touchdowns and is averaging 117 yards per game. The 6-foot, 236-pounder’s bruising, down-hill running style will test the tenacity of Minnesota’s defense.
“He’s a big back, he’s hard to tackle, he’s got good balance, great vision and he fits in to what they do,” said Jerry Kill.
#31 Anthony Hitchens – The 6-foot-1, 233-pound linebacker leads Iowa in tackles (37), TFLs (4), and is tied for the team-lead with one sack. If the Hawkeyes are able to quell the Golden Gophers’ rushing attack on Saturday, Hitchens should play an integral part.
Background
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Enrollment: 31,498
Conference: Big Ten
Mascot: Hawkeyes
Colors: Black and Gold
Coach: Kirk Ferentz (15th Season)
