PREGAME The Daily Iowan
Friday, September 28, 2012 Iowa vs. Minnesota Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City
Who Hates Iowa? The battle for Floyd, as told by those who fight it. Page 4B
PLUS: Page 20B - Behind Enemy Lines | Page 26B - Experts’ picks
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REMEMBER WHEN...
STAFF
Trey Stross throws a stiff arm during the fourth quarter of Iowa’s 55-0 victory over Minnesota in Minneapolis in 2008. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
HAWKS IN THE NFL
8
FEATURED MATCHUP Iowa will need to generate a pass rush against Minnesota’s star left tackle
14
GAME ROSTER The complete rosters for both the Hawkeyes and Gophers; bring it with you to Kinnick Stadium
18
AROUND THE BIG TEN Check out our conference power rankings and players to watch
20
BEHIND ENEMY LINES See what a Minnesota Daily football reporter had to say from the other side of the Floyd rivalry
22
POINT-COUNTERPOINT
Would Iowa win the Mid-American Conference this season?
On The Line Contest Want to win a free pizza? Go to www.dailyiowan.com/ontheline and place your college football predictions.
Social Media Follow Daily Iowan Pregame @DIPregame and like Daily Iowan Sports on Facebook.
CONTACT US
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4
WEB EXTRAS
DITV Program Catch the most extensive weekly Iowa football preview show in the state at www.dailyiowan.com.
Greenway has been a leader and standout this season for the surprising Vikings, who have the eighth-best defense in the NFL after three games. The Vikings pulled off an upset of the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 23, and the former Iowa star made several huge plays. He led the team with 13 tackles and two first-quarter sacks — one of which was on third down. Greenway is third in the entire league with 33 tackles on the season. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
COVER STORY An oral history of the 2010 and 2011 battles for Floyd of Rosedale
Bill Casey Publisher Emily Busse Editor-in-Chief Sam Lane Managing Editor Sam Louwagie Pregame Editor Allie Wright Design Editor Adam Wesley and Rachel Jessen Photo Editors
25
LEADERBOARD See where the Hawkeyes stack up with the rest of the Big Ten
26
ON THE LINE Check which teams our football staffers and fans picked in some of the NCAA’s biggest games this weekend
Got a question for the Pregame staff or a story idea for a future issue? Email us at dipregame@ gmail.com.
Go to dailyiowan.com for a photo slideshow after the game The Hawks don’t play next week. Pregame will be back on October 12th.
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2012
Minnesota defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey returns a fumble by Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg at TCF Bank Stadium in 2011. Kirksey gained 23 yards on the play as Minnesota defeated Iowa, 22-21. (The Daily Iowan/Adam Wesley)
The most sought-after pig
By Sam Louwagie samuel-louwagie@uiowa.edu
The Iowa football team will play Minnesota on Saturday for the 105th time. At stake since since 1935 is the Floyd of Rosedale, a bronze pig trophy. Iowa won the trophy in 13 of 17 games leading up to 2010. But this season, the programs seem to be moving in opposite directions. And the foundation for the Gophers’ improvement was built on Floyd’s back. Keanon Cooper, Minnesota senior linebacker: Being a kid from Texas, I inherited the rivalry — I didn’t grow up in it. Coming here, I thought Wisconsin was Minnesota’s biggest rival. But then as a freshman, I heard the random chants of “Who hates Iowa,” when we’re not even playing Iowa. Ed Olson, Minnesota junior offensive tackle: My dad played in ’82, as a captain, so he tells me a lot of history about Iowa. He always told me about the pink locker room. He showed me film of the Iowa fans taking the goal posts. I’ve always not liked Iowa growing up. MarQueis Gray, Minnesota senior quarterback: The whole week of that game, we have people — even the custodial staff at the stadium — talking about how we need to beat Iowa.
2010
Minnesota was struggling at the end of the 2010 season. The Gophers had fired their head coach, Tim Brewster, midway through that season and were limping to the end of senior quarterback Adam Weber’s statistically accomplished career, bringing a 2-9 record into the season’s final game. Iowa was also limping to the end of the season, but it had started its 2010 with Rose Bowl hopes. An onside-kick recovery, a touchdown drive in the final five minutes and an ensuing Marcus Coker fumble gave Minnesota a 27-24 win under the lights of stillnew TCF Bank stadium. The Gophers had the Floyd of Rosedale for the second time in 10 years. Olson: That was a really cool experience. We knew we weren’t going to a bowl game, and it was our last game, and it was against Iowa. We treated that like it was our Rose Bowl. Weber went out on top, just how he should’ve. Cooper: That game, we were able to pull off a win, not only for our coaching staff but for the state of Minnesota, which hadn’t seen the pig in a long time.
2011
Things didn’t seem to improve for Minnesota the next year. The Gophers were See Floyd, 6B
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Floyd
Continued from 4B just 1-6 entering their game against 5-2 Iowa. For the second year in a row, the game was in Minneapolis. Olson: We had that trophy, and we didn’t want to lose that. We wanted to keep it so bad. Gray: We felt complete that whole week. Guys were doing their assignments right the whole week. It was our best practice week of the season. Early in the game, the Hawkeyes moved the ball with ease — until they reached the red zone. Iowa turned the ball over on downs in Minnesota territory on its first drive. Kicker Mike Meyer missed a 24-yard chip shot on its third drive. He missed another kick on its fourth. Iowa went into halftime tied 7-7, having left several points on the field. Meyer: It was definitely an eye-opener for me. It showed I need to focus a lot more on my job, and I think it’s helped me progress to how I’m doing right now. I’m not going to forget what I learned from that game. James Vandenberg, Iowa senior quarterback: We were getting in the red zone and not getting any points. We needed to do a better job of that. Gray: I told the guys, they’re missing field goals, and they’re turning the ball over. That’s a sign that we’re going to win this game. We’re still in this. That’s what I told our guys at halftime. Olson: That’s when MarQueis Gray became a vocal leader. He took us over on the sideline and he put a spark under us. Up 14-7 in the third quarter, Iowa experienced its most dramatic red zone failure yet. It had brought the ball down to the Minnesota 14-yard line and was looking to throw it into the end zone. Vandenberg: I was rolling out to the right, and somebody came up from the front side and made me pull up. You can’t ever really do that on a rollout. That’s the play I remember most. Cooper: [Defensive back] Kyle Harrison came on a corner blitz and hit him in the back. Our D-tackle picked the ball up. And if you watch the footage from that game, you can see our sideline just erupt. That’s the type of energy you have to play with in those types of games. Iowa scored on a one-yard Marcus Coker run to start the fourth quarter. The Gophers answered with a one-yard scoring plunge of their own, making the score 21-16 Iowa with just over eight minutes to play. Cooper: We usually go to the opposite side of the field to get ready to go on the field after the offense scores. My teammate came down, and I asked him if he had a play yet. He said, “Hopefully,
we won’t need one, because we’re going to run the onside kick.” Our bench tried to play it off like it was a typical play. Jerry Kill, Minnesota head coach: If you followed my career, we did the same kick at Northern Illinois. We did the same kick at Southern Illinois. We’ve been maybe 60 or 65 percent on it. Two out of three, we’ve been able to get. We needed to change the momentum of the game, and I’m convinced if Iowa gets the ball back, the game is over. Cooper: You get to a point during the year, where we’ve played some tough games, gotten blown out, and it’s like, “We keep practicing this onside kick.” It gets repetitive after a while. Olson: We came off the field, and we had just scored a touchdown. I sat down on the bench and then just heard the crowd go crazy. I knew exactly what was going on. Kevonte Martin-Manley, Iowa sophomore receiver: We were really down after that. It was a bad play. Minnesota recovered the kick and went on a 12-play, 59-yard, 5:34 drive. It ended with a fourth-down and goal from the 3-yard line. Micah Hyde, Iowa senior cornerback: [Gray] is huge, definitely hard to tackle. He got out of the pocket on us. Gray: The tight end threw me a great block, and I was able to get to the pylon. Olson: He’s our playmaker. He’s the guy we want with the ball in his hands. And he scored and won us the game.
FLOYD
Cooper: Oh man, that night was crazy. Being in Dinkytown, a lot of fans showing love, having the pig down there downtown with us. That night was special. Gray: It’s a huge thing for the Gopher program, bringing that trophy home two years in a row. It’s a weird trophy. It’s awfully heavy. Most people don’t think it’s that heavy. I don’t even try to carry it, I just go rub it a few times. I’m not going to injure myself trying to carry it. Cooper: Floyd is everywhere now. This summer I worked in the ticket office. I worked freshman Orientation, and Floyd would be down there. People come and show Floyd love and take pictures with him. He has been our own for two years now. I believe Floyd’s enjoying himself. We love having him.
2012
Vandenberg: I don’t think we’re going to have to talk much to get guys going for this game. It’s a trophy game, a rivalry game, and one we haven’t had success in for two years. Hyde: You do try to forget. But you’ve got to look back because you want to know what they did well against us. But you definitely want to forget about the last couple losses. Because those were big losses.
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2012
FEATURED MATCHUP
SAM LOUWAGIE samuel-louwagie@uiowa.edu
OFFENSE Name: Ed Olson
DEFENSE Name: Dominic Alvis
After he was benched for the final two games of 2011, Ed Olson made it his mission to get stronger. He entered this season weighing a reported 312 pounds, and he’s in no danger of losing that starting spot again. Olson has led the Gophers offensive line to an excellent performance so far this season, blasting open holes for a powerful running game and protecting Minnesota’s quarterbacks well enough for the team to rank second in the Big Ten in passer rating. A relatively untested sophomore quarterback will take snaps for Minnesota in Kinnick Stadium, so Olson and the rest of the offensive line will need to provide him plenty of time to get comfortable and throw.
The Hawkeye defensive front wasn’t able to get any pressure on Central Michigan’s quarterback in last week’s loss. The Chippewa offensive line was too big and physical. Olson is both of those things, and Iowa will need to pressure sophomore Gopher quarterback Max Shortell to rattle him. Joe Gaglione has had moments as a pass-rusher this season on the other side of the line. But Alvis needs to emerge as a second threat to quarterbacks — and if he could do it against Olson, Iowa’s chances of winning would go up dramatically.
Position: Minnesota left tackle Year: Junior
Position: Iowa defensive end Year: Junior
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IOWA HAWKEYES
Marshall Koehn Greg Castillo Barkley Hill Greg Garmon Kyle Anderson Tanner Miller Keenan Davis Sean Draper Trent Mossbrucker Don Shumpert Blake Haluska Collin Sleeper Kevonte Martin-Manley Anthony Gair Tom Donatell Kevin Buford John Wienke Jonny Mullings Jake Rudock James Vandenberg C.J. Beathard Jacob Hillyer Micah Hyde B.J. Lowery Cody Sokol Christian Kirksey Nico Law Torrey Campbell Jordan Cotton Ruben Lile Jordan Lomax Maurice Fleming Nick Nielsen Andre Dawson Anthony Hitchens Damon Bullock Jordan Canzeri Adam Cox Nate Meier Gavin Smith Cole Fisher John Lowdermilk Brad Rogers Travis Perry Jack Swanson Jacob Reisen Macon Plewa Jim Poggi James Morris Mark Weisman George Krieger Kittle Melvin Spears Palmer Foster Drew Clark Laron Taylor Quinton Alston James Ferentz Steve Bigach Marcus Collins Faith Ekakitie Tommy Gaul Eric Simmons Conor Boffeli Matt Tobin Casey Kreiter Austin Blythe Jordan Walsh Casey McMillan Jaleel Johnson Brandon Scherff Ryan Kolka
ROS
- Friday, September 28, 2012
6-0/160 5-11/187 6-0/210 6-1/200 6-3/210 6-2/201 6-3/215 6-0/180 5-11/204 6-3/190 6-4/210 6-2/200 6-0/205 6-2/195 6-2/205 5-10/170 6-5/220 6-3/210 6-3/200 6-3/212 6-2/180 6-4/205 6-1/190 5-11/188 6-2/205 6-2/220 6-1/195 5-11/183 6-1/185 6-3/200 5-10/190 6-0/185 6-3/210 6-2/207 6-1/224 6-0/195 5-9/180 5-11/210 6-2/235 5-10/175 6-2/218 6-2/203 5-10/230 6-3/230 5-11/200 6-2/231 6-2/225 6-2/218 6-2/230 6-0/225 6-4/210 6-2/255 6-3/210 6-4/288 6-0/215 6-1/224 6-2/284 6-3/282 6-0/215 6-3/275 6-3/264 6-3/300 6-5/290 6-6/290 6-3/250 6-3/275 6-4/270 6-4/305 6-4/300 6-5/310 6-0/208
PK DB RB RB QB DB WR DB PK WR WR DB WR DB LB DB QB P QB QB QB WR CB DB QB LB DB DB WR DB DB WR WR RB LB RB RB FB RB/LB DB OLB DB FB DB DB FB LB LB LB FB ATH DE OLB OL LB LB OL DL LB DL OL OL OL OL LS OL OL OL DL OL LS
RS FR SR FR FR RS FR JR SR FR SR JR SO SR SO FR SR FR SR SO RS FR SR FR RS FR SR JR JR JR SO RS FR JR FR SO FR SR JR JR SO SO RS FR FR JR RS FR SO JR RS FR SR JR RS FR SO JR SO FR RS FR SO JR FR SO SR SR SO FR SO SO JR SR JR RS FR RS FR SR FR SO RS FR
IOWA VS. MINNESOTA • SATU Solon, Iowa Mount Laurel, N.J. Denver, Iowa Erie, Pa. Ames, Iowa Kalona, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cleveland, Ohio Mooresville, Ind. St. Louis, Mo. Carroll, Iowa Solon, Iowa Pontiac, Mich. Plano, Texas Duluth, Ga. Canton, Mich. Tuscola, Ill. Canberra, Australia Weston, Fla. Keokuk, Iowa Franklin, Tenn. Somerset, Texas Fostoria, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio Phoenix, Ariz. St. Louis, Mo. Clinton, Md. Naples, Fla. Mount Pleasant, Iowa Detroit, Mich. Upper Marlboro, Md. Chicago, Ill. Humboldt, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Lorain, Ohio Mansfield, Texas Troy, N.Y. Chana, Ill. Tabor, Iowa North Liberty, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Carrollton, Ohio Toledo, Ohio Urbandale, Iowa Naples, Fla. Iowa City, Iowa Franklin, Wis. Towson, Md. Solon, Iowa Buffalo Grove, Ill. Norman, Okla. Allen, Texas Davenport, Iowa Marion, Iowa Detroit, Mich. Sicklerville, N.J. Iowa City, Iowa Cleveland, Ohio Yeadon, Pa. Brampton, Ontario Des Moines, Iowa Madrid, Iowa West Des Moines, Iowa Worthington, Iowa DeWitt, Iowa Williamsburg, Iowa Glendale Heights, Ill. Billings, Mont. Westchester, Ill. Denison, Iowa St. Charles, Ill.
70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 98 99
Brett Van Sloten Carl Davis Ryan Ward Mitch Keppy Dean Tsopanides Nolan MacMillan Reid Sealby Andrew Donnal Dominic Alvis Henry Krieger Coble Tevaun Smith Ray Hamilton Steven Staggs Zach Derby C.J. Fiedorowicz Jake Duzey Greg Mabin Cameron Wilson Louis Trinca-Pasat Daumantas Venckus-Cucchiara Jonathan Gimm Nathan Lyman Riley McMinn Drew Ott Mike Meyer Darian Cooper Connor Kornbrath Mike Hardy Joe Gaglione
6-7/292 6-5/310 6-5/275 6-5/290 6-2/240 6-6/290 6-4/250 6-7/302 6-4/265 6-4/235 6-2/190 6-5/248 6-3/195 6-3/240 6-7/265 6-4/235 6-2/190 6-1/195 6-3/270 6-5/230 6-3/240 6-3/280 6-7/245 6-4/245 6-2/185 6-2/280 6-6/240 6-5/270 6-4/264
OL DL OL OL DL OL OL OL DL TE WR TE WR TE TE TE WR WR DL DL FB DL DE DL K DL P DL DL
JR SO FR FR RS FR JR FR SO JR RS FR FR SO SR SR JR RS FR FR FR SO FR SR JR RS FR FR JR RS FR FR SO SR
Decorah, Iowa Detroit, Mich. New Lenox, Ill. Port Byron, Ill. Torrington, Conn. Toronto, Ontario Byron, Ill. Monclova, Ohio Logan, Iowa Mount Pleasant, Iowa Toronto, Ontario Strongsville, Ohio Oskaloosa, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Johnsburg, Ill. Troy, Mich. Plantation, Fla. Dublin, Ohio Chicago, Ill. Weston, Fla. Houston, Texas Grundy Center, Iowa Rochester, Ill. Trumbull, Neb. Dubuque, Iowa Elkridge, Md. Bridgeport, W.V. Appleton, Wis. Novelty, Ohio
Keenan Davis WR #6
Troy Stoudermire CB #2 D.L. Wilhite DE #95 Derrick Wells S #13
Brett Van Sloten RT #70
Mark W RB
Aaron Hill LB #57
Austin Blythe James Vandenbe RG #63 QB #16
Cameron Botticelli DT #46
Mike Rallis LB #26
Keanon Cooper LB #4 Cedric Thompson S #27
Ra’Shede Hageman DT #99
James Ferentz C #53 Michael Amaefula DE #98
Brad Rogers FB #38
Matt Tobin LG #60
Brandon Scherff LT #68
C.J. Fiedorowicz TE #86
Michael Carter CB #23 Kevonte Martin-Manley WR #11
STER
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MINNESOTA GOPHERS
URDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012
Weisman B #45
erg
Brendan Beal 6-3/250 Brandon Green 6-0/190 Troy Stoudermire 5-10/200 Dexter Foreman 6-1/220 Martez Shabazz 5-11/165 Keanon Cooper 6-0/220 KJ Maye 5-10/190 MarQueis Gray 6-4/245 Grayson Levine 5-11/195 Mitch Leidner 6-4/230 Damarius Travis 6-2/205 Spencer Reeves 6-2/230 Cameron Wilson 6-3/210 James Manuel 6-2/215 Philip Nelson 6-2/225 Antonio Johnson 6-0/190 Max Shortell 6-6/235 Andre McDonald 6-2/200 Derrick Wells 6-0/205 Connor Cosgrove 6-0/175 Isaac Fruechte 6-3/205 Marcus Jones 5-8/170 Jamel Harbison 5-11/195 Steven Montgomery 5-10/205 C.J. Cesario 5-10/185 Nick Rallis 5-11/220 Derrick Engel 6-2/180 Peter Westerhaus 6-3/230 Cedric Dicke 6-3/200 Kendall Gregory-McGhee 6-5/260 Donnell Kirkwood 5-10/216 James Gillum 5-11/204 Brock Vereen 6-0/195 Jeremy Baltazar 6-0/195 Michael Carter 5-11/185 Edward Sardinha 6-1/185 Matt Kloss 6-0/200
1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 23 23 24
Devin Crawford-Tufts WR #80
JR SR SR FR JR SR FR SR SO FR FR SR SO JR FR FR SO FR SO SO SO SO FR FR SO FR JR FR FR JR SO JR JR JR SR FR SR
Bangor, Penn. Chicago, Ill. Dallas, Texas Manvel, Texas Desoto, Texas Dallas, Texas Mobile, Ala. Indianapolis, Ind. Eden Prairie, Minn. Lakeville, Minn. Pensacola, Fla. Dallas, Texas Rockwall, Texas Indianapolis, Ind. Mankato, Minn. Cleveland, Ohio Shawnee Mission, Kans. Minnetonka, Minn. Lehigh Acres, Fla. Fitchburg, Wis. Caledonia, Minn. Wake Forest, N.C. Charlotte, N.C. Miramar, Fla. Arlington Heights, Ill. Edina, Minn. Chaska, Minn. Chanhassen, Minn. Cannon Falls, Minn. Aurora, Colo. Delray Beach, Fla. Pearl River, La. Valencia, Calif. Corona, Calif. Pompano Beach, Fla. Wellington, Fla. Coon Rapids, Minn.
Micah Hyde CB #18 Christian Kirksey OLB #20
Ed Olson LT #58
Donnell Kirkwood RB #20
LB WR DB QB DB LB WR QB DB QB DB LB WR LB QB DB QB WR DB WR WR WR WR DB WR LB WR LB DB TE RB RB DB DB DB WR WR
Tanner Miller FS #5
Tommy Olson LG #53 Dominic Alvis DE #79
John Rabe FB #81
Steve BIgach DT #54 Max Shortell QB #11
Zac Epping C #52 Caleb Bak RG #64
Louis Trinca-Pasat DT #90
James Morris MLB #44
Anthony Hitchens OLB #45
Drew Gooder TE #83 Josh Campion RT #65
Marcus Jones WR #15
Joe Gaglione DE #99
Tom Donatell SS #13
B.J. Lowery CB #19
25 26 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 31 32 33 34 35 35 36 36 37 38 39 39 40 40 41 42 42 43 44 45 46 47 47 48 49 50 52 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 62 62 63 64 65 66 68 69 70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Devon Wright Mike Rallis David Cobb Cedric Thompson Moses Alipate Kenny Watkins Briean Boddy Mike Henry Cole Banham Eric Murray Lamonte Edwards John McKelvey Jephte Matilus Dominic Schultz Rodrick Williams Jr. Chris Hawthorne Cavonte Johnson Peter Mortell David Schwerman Duke Anyanwu Jordan Wettstein Jared Hartman Nathan Tow-Arnett Dan Orseske Gavin Bronson JoJuan Harper Ryan Grant Gabe Mezzenga Ben Holcomb Cameron Botticelli Quinn Bauducco Alex Bisch Jake Filkins Matt Garin Jack Lynn Zac Epping Yoshoub Timms Tommy Olson Thieren Cockran Curran Delaney Aaron Hill Ed Olson Joey Balthazor Augustine Pupungatoa Eric Jacques Zach Mottla Jon Christenson Caleb Bak Josh Campion Luke McAvoy Isaac Hayes Tyler Hartmann Sean Ferguson Kyle McAvoy Joe Bjorklund Marek Lenkiewicz Ernie Heifort Jimmy Gjere Foster Bush Ben Lauer Jonah Pirsig Devin Crawford-Tufts John Rabe A.J. Barker Drew Goodger Victor Keise Lincoln Plsek Malcolm Moulton Sahr Ngekia Maxx Williams Logan Hutton Jackson Miller Alex Keith Roland Johnson Ben Perry Harold Legania D.L. Wilhite Dave Ramlet Scott Ekpe Michael Amaefula Ra’Shede Hageman
6-0/195 6-2/245 5-11/220 5-10/205 6-5/280 6-0/200 5-11/185 6-1/240 5-9/177 6-0/178 6-2/210 6-0/190 6-1/230 6-1/215 5-11/228 6-6/200 5-11/190 6-2/200 6-0/195 6-4/230 5-11/185 6-3/235 6-1/205 6-3/205 6-4/245 5-10/195 6-2/230 6-4/240 6-4/200 6-5/280 6-3/225 6-6/245 6-2/240 6-4/250 6-3/210 6-2/310 6-2/265 6-4/295 6-6/235 6-1/300 6-2/225 6-7/305 6-3/235 6-6/265 6-2/290 6-2/290 6-4/290 6-3/290 6-5/315 6-5/285 6-2/275 6-3/245 6-6/300 6-5/305 6-5/295 6-5/275 6-5/250 6-7/325 6-5/300 6-6/265 6-9/295 6-2/195 6-4/255 6-1/197 6-5/255 6-1/180 6-4/245 5-11/185 6-4/245 6-4/235 6-1/180 6-5/230 6-3/230 6-1/295 6-5/245 6-4/300 6-3/250 6-2/240 6-4/275 6-2/245 6-6/300
RB LB RB DB TE DB DB FB RB DB LB WR LB LB RB K DB P K WR K LS DB P DL RB LB TE DB DL LB TE LS DE LB OL DT OL DE DL LB OL LB OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OT OT WR TE WR TE WR DE WR TE TE WR DE DE DT DE DL DE LS DT DE DE
SO SR SO SO JR JR SO JR SO FR SO FR FR FR FR JR FR FR SR FR SR FR SR JR FR FR SR SO FR SO FR SO JR JR FR SO FR SO FR SR JR JR JR FR JR JR FR SO FR FR FR FR SO FR FR SO FR SO FR FR FR SO SR JR SO JR FR JR JR FR SO FR FR JR SO SO SR SO FR SO JR
Coral Springs, Fla. Edina, Minn. Killeen, Texas Calipatria, Cali. Bloomington, Minn. Detroit, Mich. Wilmington, Del. Mahtomedi, Minn. Lakeville, Minn. Milwaukee, Wis. Woodbury, Minn. Huntsville, Ohio Delray Beach, Fla. Port Huron, Mich. Lewisville, Texas Raleigh, N.C. Edina, Minn. Green Bay, Wis. Kewaskum, Wis. Blaine, Minn. De Pere, Wis. Falcon Heights, Minn. Redwood Falls, Minn. Chicago, Ill. Burnsville, Minn. Columbia Heights, Minn. Eden Prairie, Minn. Shoreview, Minn. Germantown, Wis. Milwaukee, Wis. Moorpark, Calif. Northfield, Minn. Prescott, Wis. Apple Valley, Minn. Lake Zurich, Ill. Kenosha, Wis. Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Mahtomedi, Minn. Homestead, Fla. Waconia, Minn. St. Charles, Mo. Mahtomedi, Minn. Hartland, Wis. River Falls, Wis. Pompano Beach, Fla. Edina, Minn. Minnetonka, Minn. Columbia Heights, Minn. Fergus Falls, Minn. Bloomington, Ill. Brooklyn Park Minn. Andover, Minn. Philedelphia, Pa. Bloomington, Ill. Rosemount, Minn. Tinley Park, Ill. Bemidji, Minn. New Brighton, Minn. Menasha, Wis. Plymouth, Minn. Blue Earth Minn. Edina, Minn. Iowa Falls, Iowa Saint Paul, Minn. Shawnee Mission, Kan. Coral Springs, Fla. Waco, Texas Lawrenceville, Ga. Richfield, Minn. Waconia, Minn. La Marque, Texas Okemos, Mich. Columbia, Mo. Camden, S.C. Southlake, Texas New Orleans, La. Lexington, Ky. Appleton, Wis. Lewisville, Texas Arlington, Texas Minneapolis, Minn.
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AROUND THE BIG TEN
OFFENSIVE IMPACT
POWER RANKINGS
1. Ohio State As much as I hate to say it, Ohio State is the only team giving the Big Ten an ounce of credibility, and the Buckeyes won’t even play in the postseason. If Ohio State can top Michigan State this weekend, Urban Meyer’s squad could run the table. 2. Nebraska Rex Burkhead is back. And averaging 17 yards a carry. Looks like he’ll unseat the Big Ten’s reigning rushing leader Montee Ball. I mean Montay Ball. Right? 3. Purdue I’m still on the Purdue bandwagon, and a big win over Marshall this weekend will sit nicely with Boilermaker Nation as it awaits Michigan on Oct. 6. 4. Michigan State Le’veon Bell has been dominating everything. He will have to be at his Boise State hurdling style if his squad is to have a chance against Big Ten dandy Ohio State this weekend. 5. Northwestern Northwestern is the only Big Ten team that passed its nonconference schedule test with flying colors. Don’t expect Indiana to play the role of upset maker this weekend against the Wildcats. Or ever, for that matter. 6. Michigan The Wolverines have a bye this week, and man, does it need a break after Denard Robinson threw 4 interceptions against Notre Dame last week. As with Robinson, my athletic skills peaked my sophomore year. But in high school for me. 7. Minnesota Yes, the ground-dwelling rodents are 4-0 but who have they played? I honestly think backup quarterback Max Shortell is better than former starter MarQueis Gray, who is out with an injury. And with all the drought Iowa has had, Floyd’s pigpen here isn’t as muddy as most swine prefer.
8. Wisconsin What’s going on with the Badgers this year? All of its wins are coming by the skin of their teeth, and they really don’t have a quarterback, even with free-agent acquisition Danny O’Brien — who did get benched at Maryland, after all. 9. Iowa The last two years, the Hawkeyes fell to the Gilded Rodents on onside kicks. Last week, Iowa lost to MAC opponent Central Michigan on an onside kick. On the plus side, Kirk Ferentz did offer me a spot to appear on Iowa’s hands team this week. Let the high-school football glory return. 10. Penn State This is a big game for the Nittany Lions, especially because it’s going against a coach in Todd Beckman who tried to steal a handful of players from Penn State after that school’s heavy sanctions. Can you say karma? 11. Illinois Illinois had a decent amount of talent returning, but first-year head coach Beckman has yet to get his squad on the same day, let alone the same Google doc. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase could be back, but this team just got shellacked by Louisiana Tech. You read that right. 12. Indiana Sometimes, I think of this year’s Iowa football team and get sad. Then I think of Indiana and what’s happening in Bloomington and smile. Seriously, try it. And don’t give me that “Indiana has a better record than Iowa” crap. If records meant anything, then this year would be the Chicago Cubs’ year.
GAMES TO WATCH Ohio State versus Wisconsin versus Michigan State Nebraska
Penn State versus Illinois
Key Highlights This is a matchup between possibly the best two teams in the Big Ten. Urban Meyer wants his first signature win as the replacement for the sweater vest. But things could get bad for the Buckeyes if they let Michigan State and Le’veon Bell establish the run, because that’s the only time Spartan quarterback Andrew Maxwell has looked like a quarterback (see James Vandenberg). Earlier this week, Meyer said quarterback Braxton Miller was more talented than his golden boy Tim Tebow at Florida. That’s scary. In the worst way possible.
Key Highlights Even though both squads are a meager 2-2, this game is interesting because Illinois actively recruited Penn State players in Happy Valley over the summer. While neither team likely has any postseason aspirations (Penn State can’t have any) both teams are in rebuilding stages. And it looks as though these teams will be in limbo for quite some time.
Time: 2:30 p.m. Saturday Location: East Lansing, Mich. Where to watch: ABC
BEN ROSS BENJAMIN-D-ROSS@UIOWA.EDU
Time: 7 p.m. Saturday Location: Lincoln Where to Watch: ABC
Key Highlights The Cornhuskers are nearly two-touchdown favorites after getting welcomed to the Big Ten with a 48-17 blowout by the Badgers a year ago. Bo Pelini has been given a clean bill of health, and Rex Burkhead is back to 100 percent. All this doesn’t bode well for a Wisconsin squad that has O-line problems, which leads to Montee Ball problems, and no quarterback as the cherry on top. If I were a betting man — which I am — I’d bet my house on the Huskers.
Time: 11 a.m. Saturday Location: Champaign, Ill. Where to Watch: ESPN
Name: Montee Ball Position: Wisconsin running back Year: Senior At this time last year, Montee Ball had 10 touchdowns. Now he has but three scores. Granted, the Heisman hopeful missed Wisconsin’s last game with a concussion, and the entire Badger offense has struggled. And even though Wisconsin has great backups in James White and Melvin Gordon, neither has the “it” factor Ball possesses. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema iterated that when talking about the eagerness of Ball to return to practice from his injury. “Montee will get evaluated, has the possibility of practicing on Tuesday,” Bielema told the Badger Herald. “We’ll see where that goes. Obviously, if not, we’ll take it as the week moves forward. I know he’s very encouraging about where it’s at.”
DEFENSIVE IMPACT Name: William Gholston Position: Michigan State defensive end Year: Junior The junior playmaker is leading Spartan defensive linemen with 14 tackles, including 3 for a loss and a sack. He will be charged with primarily stopping Braxton “Tebow” Miller when the Buckeyes travel to East Lansing this weekend. Last season against Ohio State, Gholston had 5 tackles and wrapped up Miller for a big sack on third down in the fourth quarter. The Spartans tallied 9 sacks that day, and Gholston said earlier this month that when his team’s defense gets going, it doesn’t stop. “Once the ball gets rolling, we’re rolling,” Gholston told the State News. “Now, all we have to do is roll from the beginning.”
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BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Gophers chomp Hawks, Gopher says
For some perspective from the other side of the Battle for Floyd, we got in touch with Sam Gordon, who covers Gopher football for the Minnesota Daily. Gordon told us about Minnesota’s defensive improvements and its backup quarterback. He also picked a Gopher victory.
DI: Minnesota is off to its best start since 2008. How much have the Gophers improved from last year? What’s driving the improvement? Sam Gordon: The Gophers have really improved defensively this year. The defense is faster and a lot more athletic than it was in 2011. Minnesota has done a tremendous job of pressuring the passer this year, something it struggled to do the last few seasons. In turn, the secondary is able to take more chances. The Gophers have 7 interceptions this year. They had just 4
in 12 games last season. Ball security has been huge, too. Minnesota has only turned the ball over five times and its turnover margin of plus-5 is tied for 16th nationally. DI: How big a rivalry is Minnesota-Iowa to Gopher fans? How big has it been for the program to keep Floyd the last two years? Gordon: Gopher fans definitely care about the rivalry. They will randomly chant, “Who hates Iowa? We hate Iowa,” during home games, no matter the opponent. Minnesota’s wins over Iowa in 2010 and
2011 have been especially big because the team was just 3-9 in both seasons. Keeping the Floyd was one of the few things fans took pride in. DI: MarQueis Gray gave Iowa fits last season. He’s reportedly unlikely to play this weekend. How big a loss is that for Minnesota’s offense? What should we expect from backup Max Shortell? Gordon: The running game suffers without MarQueis Gray and his ability to run the zone-read option. But Max Shortell is a much better pure passer. That being
said, the Gophers’ offense is more balanced when Shortell is in the game. He played the “game-manager” role in Saturday’s Sept. 22] win over Syracuse, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the coaches turn him loose against Iowa. Minnesota’s win over Syracuse was Shortell’s first as a starter, and he’s playing with a ton of confidence. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs on the road. DI: Got a score prediction? Gordon: Minnesota wins 23-20 on a late field goal and improves to 5-0.
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Overstock On Full Size Mattress Sets
9/28/12
9/29/12
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POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Could the Hawkeye football team win the MAC? Yes
Losing to a team that finished last in the MAC last year certainly doesn’t scream superiority. But Iowa would win the MAC if it were a member. Sound ridiculous? Maybe it is. But let’s put it this way: If Iowa were in the MAC, the Hawkeyes would be wrapping up their nonconference schedule. They’d head into their conference slate this week with four games settled in Greg Davis’ offense un-
der their belts. The Iowa defense had its struggles against Central Michigan, but the offense showed significant improvements. And the defense performed well in its first three contests. Mark Weisman has had his way against Northern Iowa and Central Michigan, and the big question is whether he can keep pace in the Big Ten. But he wouldn’t have to worry about that in the MAC, which would make quarterback James Vandenberg’s job much easier. Vandenberg excels in play-action plays, and he showed it right away against the Chippewas when he hit Keenan Davis on a deep ball on his first play. That would be a more common sight in the MAC than in the Big Ten. There’s no reason to think Iowa wouldn’t compete in a conference loaded with below-average programs. The current Hawkeyes may be on that same level, but they aren’t below it. — by Tork Mason
No
Iowa is so bad this season, I’m convinced it wouldn’t even win the MAC. The Hawkeyes lost to Central Michigan last week — Central Michigan went 3-9 overall last year, with a 2-6 conference record. The Chippewas barely edged Northern Illinois, the same Northern Illinois that won 11 games a year ago. Seven of those wins came in conference play. You’re probably thinking, It’s just the MAC. Iowa is from the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes would crush that conference, and to that, I’d say this: Don’t be so naïve. Just look at last week’s results, and you’ll find a bigger, badder, scarier conference than most people expected. Ball State topped South Florida, 31-27. Western Michigan beat Connecticut, 3024. Northern Illinois beat Kansas, 30-23. And it should be noted that, in a losing effort, Akron still hung 26 points on a tough Tennessee team. This MAC conference is tough. Really tough. It has some silent killers that can sneak up on any given weekend and trump some fairly tough teams. What feeds a small mouse is momentum. When bigger teams find out that these Davids can compete with alleged Goliaths, there’s a sort of alarming feeling that rings through certain teams. Their mentality gets shot completely. Seeing as Iowa got dropped by the Chippewas, and narrowly escaped Northern Illinois, I can’t imagine such teams as Miami (Ohio) and Toledo would have any trouble building up the confidence to place another sharp dagger into the heart of Hawkeye Nation. — by Cody Goodwin
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LEADERBOARD Third-down-conversion Penalty yards per game percentage, Big Ten against, Big Ten
1. Michigan State 59.6 2. Nebraska 56.0 3. Northwestern 53.1 4. Michigan 46.9 5. Penn State 46.8 6. Minnesota 43.1 7. Ohio State 42.6 8. Michigan State 40.9 9. Indiana 40.7 10. Iowa 40.4
1. Purdue 30.3 2. Wisconsin 36.0 3. Illinois 40.2 4. Penn State 48.8 5. Michigan State 54.0 6. Michigan 55.5 7. Nebraska 57.0 8. Minnesota 59.5 9. Northwestern 60.5 10. Iowa 61.2
Rushing yards per game, Big Ten
1. Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State 152.5 2. Denard Robinson, Michigan 110.2 3. Braxton Miller, Ohio State 110.2 4. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska 104.0 5. Venric Mark, Northwestern 99.8 6. Damon Bullock, Iowa 93.3 7. Donnell Kirkwood, Minnesota 90.2 8. Montee Ball, Wisconsin 90.0 9. Mark Weisman, Iowa 84.5 10. MarQueis Gray, Minnesota 78.0
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ON THE LINE
Matchups Minnesota at Iowa
No. 14 Ohio St. at No. 20 Michigan St. Penn State at Illinois
Molly Olmstead
Ian Martin
Sports Editor (9-11)
Asst. Sports Editor (12-8)
Iowa
With Gray out, the D-line can get a little redemption.
Michigan State Buckeyes have to lose eventually, right?
Illinois I really don’t care.
Wisconsin at No. 22 Nebraska
Nebraska
No. 25 Baylor at No. 9 West Virginia
West Virginia
I love Rex.
The only school that can party harder than Iowa gets my vote.
Iowa
Minny minus Gray Gophers worse than Chippewas So Hawkeyes win close
Michigan State OSU escaped Against UAB last week Not Spartan Stadium
Penn State Illini aren’t good Nittany Lions: We are … Ineligible
Nebraska In this down Big Ten Any game is a toss up My coin landed heads
West Virginia Weisman for Heisman Second place is Geno Smith Couch burning-type win
2012
Ben Ross
Football Reporter (13-7)
Iowa
Gilded rodents don’t go 5-0. Also did I mention they denied me admission?
Ohio State
The Buckeyes are the only team giving the Big Ten any ounce of credibility, and they’re not even bowl-eligible.
Penn State Illinois just lost 42-24 to Louisiana Tech.
Nebraska
Badgers have no quarterback and possibly no Montee Ball. And no offensive-line coach.
West Virginia Geno Smith is a dark-horse Heisman contender and has the tools to give his squad a title run
Tork Mason
Football Reporter (12-8)
Minnesota I just don’t see Iowa putting things together against an improved Gopher squad.
Ohio State Does anybody even care about the Big Ten anymore?
Penn State Karma’s a b****, Coach Beckman.
Nebraska This one will be close, but Wisconsin lacks enough offensive punch to win.
West Virginia Geno Smith is the new RG3. That’s not good for Baylor.
Sam Louwagie Pregame Editor (10-10)
Iowa
Banking on that weird “bounce-back” phenomenon. Last time I’m sticking my neck out for the Hawkeyes.
Michigan State I still think Spartans are the Big Ten’s best.
Penn State Wow — Illinois is bad.
Wisconsin The Badgers surprise everyone and figure it out this week.
West Virginia Baylor’s not good. Blowout.
Sam Lane
Fans’ Picks
Managing Editor (13-7)
Iowa
Iowa
Please let them get that stupid pig before I graduate.
Hawks rediscover that old Kinnick magic and take back Floyd.
Ohio State Urban Meyer has pulled together a solid Buckeye squad. Maybe they’ll all get matching tattoos.
Ohio State Buckeyes stay undefeated, while Urban Meyer Tebows on the sideline.
Penn State
Penn State
Bill O’Brien has to be salty about Tim Beckman’s poaching.
Nittany Lions pull out a win as more players leave.
Nebraska
Nebraska
Badgers won’t “Stave” off the Huskers here.
Huskers aren’t Badgered as they take the W.
West Virginia
Baylor
Mountaineers take down the Bears at home.
Upset alert!
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