Iowa Hawkeyes Football

When Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz was asked about the Heroes Game being a rivalry with Nebraska, he had some sharp words about where this series was at. 

"Yeah, I mean hopefully we can make it one," said Ferentz. "We haven't beaten them in awhile—I mean, like decades." 

The Huskers won the first two versions of this game as conference foes, 20-7 and 13-7. After Friday afternoon's 38-17 win by the Hawkeyes, could this game finally be considered an actual rivalry? 

Dominating a game the way Iowa did on Friday goes a long way toward making this game a legitimate rivalry. 

Just how dominating were the Hawkeyes, though?

Seven of Iowa's 15 possessions began in Nebraska territory, the team caused three turnovers and got after Huskers quarterback Ron Kellogg III throughout the game's entire second half. 

The Hawkeyes converted two of the three turnovers into touchdowns and the defense limited a very good Cornhuskers rushing attack to just 89 yards on the day.

Nebraska's star running back, Ameer Abdullah, was held in check, gaining just 85 yards on 23 carries.

Besides in the run game, the Hawkeyes defense did a great job of getting off the field on third downs, holding the Huskers to just 3-of-14 on third downs and 1-of-3 on fourth downs. 

A series of inexcusable moments by Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini also cost his team in a big way. 

Down 14-10, the Huskers' Zaire Anderson was called for pass interference, which amounted to a 12-yard penalty. Pelini was none too happy with the call, but his exuberance in protesting the call cost his team another 15 yards.

Instead of having the ball on the Huskers' 30-yard line, Iowa got a huge break and had the ball at the 15-yard line thanks to Pelini's hotheaded reaction.  

The Hawkeyes converted an easy field goal and went up 17-10 on the Huskers. 

On the following Huskers drive, Pelini compounded matters by calling for a fake punt inside his own 30-yard line. 

The results weren't good for the Huskers: 

It took all of one play for Iowa to strike after the botched fake punt. In a span of about five minutes, the Hawkeyes went from a four-point lead to up 24-10 and firmly in control of the game. 

The Hawkeyes also dominated Nebraska with their offensive attack throughout the game. They put up 175 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and leading rusher Mark Weisman had 92 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. 

Even the pass game was super-efficient for Iowa. Starting quarterback Jake Rudock was 9-of-15 for 126 yards and two touchdowns. 

Rudock's day was cut short by an inadvertent roll-up late in the third quarter, but backup C.J. Beathard found a way to get into the action, rushing one time for a four-yard touchdown. 

It was just insult to injury for a Huskers team that felt more like a walking M.A.S.H. unit than a football team at times. 

No longer can Nebraska lay claim to being the dominant team in this series or the Big Ten. 

Going into a place like Memorial Stadium and dominating the host Huskers sure makes a statement. Was it enough to ignite this game into a true rivalry, though?

As Ferentz put it after the game, "It's a start, I'll put it like that." 

Andy Coppens is Bleacher Report's lead writer for the Big Ten. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. You can follow Andy on Twitter @ andycoppens.

Ohio State enters its matchup with Iowa as the No. 3 team in the USA Today football coaches poll, but a victory is not a foregone conclusion.

This college football season has already seen a number of major upsets occur. Just last week, three of the top 10 teams in the country suffered losses, which changed the entire landscape of the season.

The Buckeyes would like to avoid a similar fate in this conference game, although it will not be easy. The Hawkeyes have a chance to pull off the upset if they follow these keys to victory.

Continue to Stop the Run

Iowa matches up with Ohio State very well in that the defense does a great job of stopping the run.

Not only does the unit rank eighth in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game, but it is the only team in the nation that has not allowed a rushing touchdown all season.

While Braxton Miller gets most of the headlines for the Buckeyes, running back Carlos Hyde proved against Northwestern that he can carry the team on his own. The senior finished with 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries.

This set up the entire offense, since it allowed Miller to have space on read-options and provided plenty of time to throw the ball on play-action passes. 

Still, this entire offense could be slowed down if Iowa's defensive line can handle Hyde early in the game.

Reestablish the Rushing Attack

A week after rushing for 246 yards against Minnesota, Iowa's run game was completely shut down by Michigan State.

Mark Weisman was forced to miss much of the loss with an injury, but he still only managed nine yards on seven carries while in the game. As a team, the Hawkeyes finished with 23 yards on 16 carries.

The embarrassing part of this statistic is that Iowa was actually competitive against Michigan State and even led at halftime. Still, the coaching staff decided it would be best to throw the ball 46 times.

Fortunately, things should be better against the Buckeyes, as Tim May of The Columbus Dispatch reports that Weisman is expected to return. Even with the poor performance against the Spartans, the running back ranks 19th in the country and third in the Big Ten in rushing yards.

If the squad can get him going on Saturday, it will have a strong chance to control the game.

Win the Turnover Battle

Northwestern put up a strong fight against Ohio State, but the Wildcats were helped tremendously by three turnovers by Miller. The quarterback fumbled twice—once inside the opposing 10-yard line.

Iowa would be quite fortunate if this happens again, although the team has to make its own luck in this one.

While the unit has done a good job of forcing turnovers, the offense has been giving away the ball too often this season. This has cost the team a couple of games this year.

In four wins, the Hawkeyes have a turnover differential of plus-five. In two losses, the differential is minus-three. A positive number in this category will likely lead to a positive result on the scoreboard.

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The long Iowa nightmare that was James Vandenberg now seems like a distant memory around Kinnick Stadium—and there's one person to thank for that: Jake Rudock. 

Iowa had a bit of a battle in training camp between Rudock and two other quarterbacks (Cody Sokol and C.J Beathard), but it was the sophomore who emerged as the winner, and he hasn't looked back since. 

However, there was still a serious lack of trust in the quarterback position overall. Given the results of the past few seasons, you could see why Hawkeyes fans were rattled. 

Last season read like a textbook of what not to do at quarterback. Iowa finished 11th in Big Ten in passing efficiency (107.72) and yards per attempt (5.8) in 2012. They also had only seven passing touchdowns all season, easily last in the conference. 

Fast-forward through the 2013 nonconference season and things are looking up. 

Under Rudock's leadership, the passing offense now ranks eighth in passing yards (199.2 yards a game) and passing efficiency (134.4), the latter of which is the most important takeaway from those stats.

Rudock has completed 62.1 percent of his passes (64-of-103) for 743 yards and has five touchdowns to three interceptions passing in just four games as a starter. 

Perhaps the biggest change is that unlike his predecessor, who more resembled the statue of Niles Kinnick than an actual human being at times, Rudock gives defenses two things to think about—the passing attack and a running option from the quarterback.  

Through four games, Rudock has 93 yards rushing and, more importantly, four touchdowns to his credit. Vandenberg had minus-17 yards at the same time a season ago. 

Couple a quarterback who can throw and run with Mark Weisman (468 yards, second in Big Ten), one of the best running backs in the Big Ten, and one can begin to see the old formula for winning games at Iowa returning.

Most importantly, though, the Hawkeyes are winning football games this season because they rank first in the Big Ten in time of possession, holding on to the football for 35:48 a game. 

For Iowa, keeping the opposing offense off the field is about as good as anything the actual defense has put down so far this season. 

While Rudock has things to improve on, the trend is going up instead of down like it did for Vandenberg. That alone gives Iowa a fighting chance heading into the Big Ten season—that's more than we could say this time last year.

Now the challenge for Rudock and Co. will be proving that improvement can still happen while playing a conference schedule. There are still doubters out there. After winning three games against teams who have a combined 0-10 record, you can see why they still exist.

It will be on Rudock's shoulders to get those folks back on their side and to prove that recent performances were no fluke.

Nothing will quell the uneasiness better than keeping Floyd of Rosedale this week against Minnesota.

*Andy Coppens is the Big Ten Lead Writer. Join the conversation on Twitter by following him there.

The way Iowa running back Mark Weisman treated the Iowa State defense Saturday night was almost criminal. But while the bruising junior was violating the Cyclones defense, a real crime happened in the Hawkeyes locker room.

During the Hawkeyes' 27-21 win in Ames, their locker room was broken into and some items belonging to coaches and players were missing, as reported by Randy Peterson and Rick Brown of the Des Moines Register (h/t Chris Huston of College Football Talk).

Iowa director of athletic communications, Steven Roe, confirmed to the Register that items were missing from the players and the coaches' locker room.

Brown and Peterson attempted to contact Iowa athletic director Gary Barta and Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard, but neither were available for comment.

The report by Brown and Peterson noted that the visiting locker room is on the main floor of the Jacobson Athletic Building, which houses the offices of the ISU athletic department and is adjacent to Jack Trice Stadium.

ISU spokesperson John McCarroll told the Register that the athletic department controls the building and employs a security firm, but Iowa State police officers are not stationed in the building.

The Register report also cited Iowa State police saying a report wouldn't be available until Monday at the earliest.

A sellout crowd of 56,800 watched Iowa's narrow win at Jack Trice Stadium, breaking ISU's two-game winning streak in the rivalry.

The fans were nearly treated to a miraculous comeback by the Cyclones that netted 14 points in the final five minutes.

Their rally fell short, however, as Iowa notched the victory thanks to 145 rushing yards from Weisman, a solid day from quarterback Jake Rudock and an incredible one-handed interception by senior B.J. Lowery in the fourth quarter. 

Thirteen years, thirteen times the favorite for the Kirk Ferentz-led Iowa Hawkeyes in their intra-state rivalry with the Iowa State Cyclones, a game better know simply as the "CyHawk" game. 

It should be old hat for Iowa's head coach Kirk Ferentz, however he knows more so than anyone else that taking this game for granted is anything but wise. Playing the favorite hasn't exactly worked out well for the Hawkeyes.

Ferentz should also know that this game, this year could be the most important one in his history as part of the rivalry. It isn't just about bragging rights in 2013 anymore (not that it ever was and those who've been witness to this game know what I'm talking about).

Why? Well, between the results of last season (4-8 record anyone?) and a less than spectacular start to the 2013 season, the prospects of facing a three-game losing streak to the Cyclones don't bode well for the future of the coach in Iowa City.

Simply put, a win is a must for Ferentz and for the Hawkeyes' hopes in 2013.

There are people jumping on the "Fire Ferentz" bandwagon faster than those that jump on the Hawkeye Express every weekend. 

A win over Iowa State, whom Ferentz holds a less than stellar 6-8 record against, would stop the haters in their tracks and also give his team some confidence.

Taking down a rival from another BCS conference and starting the season 2-1 would be about the best Ferentz could've hoped for with the schedule that was put in front of him. 

Conversely, starting the season 1-2 and looking ahead towards a Big Ten slate that includes Wisconsin and Ohio State out of the Leaders division is less than appetizing to say the least.

However, not only is the history of this game against Ferentz's favor, so to is the history he has in rivalry/trophy games period. 

In fact, he has struggled mightily in Trophy games his entire career.

Ferentz is all of 21-21 against rivals Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska (since 2011 when the Heroes game became an annual thing) in his time as Iowa's head coach. 

Let's face it; this is Big Ten country and trophies as well as Rose Bowls are what its all about. Losing to your rivals on a regular basis is the quickest way to find yourself on the unemployment line in the Big Ten. 

Perhaps more so than in any other conference outside of the SEC—right, Gene Chizik? 

Speaking of Chizik, that brings us up to Saturday's matchup in Ames (see what I did there?). 

Both teams come in struggling some against the one thing that may prevent them from winning—the passing game. 

Will Jake Rudock grow up before our eyes and lead his team to victory in hostile territory or will the Hawkeyes defensive backfield lead them down a path of failure once again against an ISU passing attack that can stretch you every way possible? 

If Kirk Ferentz wants to find a way to quell the ground swell calling for his firing, stopping the ISU pass attack and thus the win streak in their own backyard sure would be a heck of a way to do it.

There is also one lesson history can tell us about this Saturday's game and that is to key on how many points Iowa is putting up. In the eight previous losses, the Hawkeyes have failed to score more than 14 points in all but two of those games and have allowed ISU to score more than 14 points in six of those losses. 

So, if Iowa is struggling to score points early on, this could be another disastrous game for Ferentz and his critics will have yet another notch in their argument for his firing.

This is about the last thing Iowa fans want to see on Saturday:

On the bright side of things for Hawkeye fans, Ferentz did stop a huge five-game win streak (four of which were on his watch) from becoming six early in his career at Iowa and that season ended with Iowa ranked No. 8 in the country.

If Ferentz wants to see another season in Iowa City and hope to see similar results to end 2013 he may need to stop a two-game streak from becoming three this time around. Otherwise the Hawkeyes run the risk of becoming second fiddle in their own state and worse than that in the Big Ten and that's a fate no one wants to see in the IC.

Andy Coppens is the lead Big Ten writer for Bleacher Report. For more on all things Big Ten, follow him on Twitter.

Losing to a team fresh off an Orange Bowl appearance usually isn't seen as a panic moment, yet as Iowa watched a 36-yard field goal sail through the uprights to send it to a 30-27 defeat at the hands of Northern Illinois on Saturday afternoon, that's exactly what should be going on in Iowa City.

No, not because it just lost to a MAC opponent or any other holier-than-thou statement about the Big Ten in general. Rather, it is because what took place on the field should have reminded a lot of people of exactly what has doomed Iowa over the past few seasons—inexcusable mistakes at the most inopportune of times.

Iowa had the Huskies exactly where it wanted them, tied 27-27 with one minute, 48 seconds left and the ball near midfield.

All the Hawkeyes needed was a quarterback not to make mistakes and get them 25 or 30 yards to set their kicker up for a game-winning field goal. Simple enough, right?

Instead, Jake Rudock, making his first ever collegiate start, made a bad mistake and threw an interception to Jimmie Ward at midfield that was returned 20 yards to set up the visiting Huskies at the Hawkeyes' 30-yard line with just 1:24 remaining.

Eleven yards and one minute, 13 seconds later, the Hawkeyes watched on as Mathew Sims' 36-yard field goal put the Huskies up 30-27 with just four seconds left on the clock. Game, set, match to the visitors.

Thankfully, not all was lost in this game for Rudock, who was 21-of-37 for 257 yards passing in his debut. 

However, even those numbers are misleading, as Rudock also threw two interceptions, suffered some bad drops from his receivers and couldn't get any help when he and the rest of the team needed it from the secondary or special teams.

It sure seems like we've seen that script play out over and over before in the Kirk Ferentz era.

2006 against Indiana surely is the best example of what I'm talking about as Drew Tate was leading the 15th-ranked Hawkeyes on a comeback drive late against the Hoosiers, only to throw an interception at the Indiana 14-yard line and effectively end their comeback bid.

Iowa lost that one despite an amazing performance on offense (even from Drew Tate), yet it was this loss that broke open the floodgates for a bad season—as Iowa finished 2006 with a 6-7 overall record. 

Sound familiar? 

Then there is the whole mountain of mediocre-at-best performances from the Hawkeyes since they won 10 games or more for three straight years (2002 to 2004). Since then, Ferentz has had all of one season in which his Hawkeyes have won 10 or more games (2009). 

Take that 2009 season out of the equation, and Ferentz is all of 47-41 since those three straight 10-win seasons, and in fact, he's just 100-75 in his 14 years and one game at Iowa.

But, that's not even the worst of it.

The biggest issue of all for Ferentz? This loss marked the seventh straight for his Hawkeyes. That's simply not going to cut it for the $3.8 million man in Iowa City.

So, what exactly is keeping the Hawkeyes from taking action and getting their program back to the competitive level it was at in the early part of the 2000s?

Well, there is that 75 percent buyout clause hanging over this whole situation. 

Iowa would owe Ferentz roughly $15 million following this season if it wanted to let him go (while he would owe nothing to the school if he left—how do you like them apples?).  

If you are Ohio State or Michigan or anyone in the SEC, that's a drop in the bucket for your athletic department. However, at Iowa (where budgets are tight on an annual basis), that amount looms large in the decision-making process. 

At the end of the day, it will be up to Director of Athletics Gary Barta to figure out what he values more—money coming into the athletic program from a winning football team or not paying Kirk Ferentz's buyout? 

Sooner or later, Hawkeyes fans are going to stop donating at the pace they currently are in direct correlation to the product they see on Saturdays. Much more of this and Bret Bielema's phone may start ringing with Iowa on the other end of the line.

For more coverage of all things Big Ten, follow the author on Twitter.

The long offseason is finally over for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The 4-8 record in 2012 marked the Hawkeyes' worst season since 2000, and the 2012 season was the first time they hadn't gone bowling since 2007. It was a season full of close losses at home that left Kinnick Stadium a quiet place for most of the Fall.

Now Iowa turns the page and begins the 2013 campaign against a familiar and potent Northern Illinois squad.

Last year on opening weekend, the Huskies led the Hawkeyes 17-9 going into the fourth quarter, but Iowa rallied late and escaped Soldier Field with an 18-17 victory.

With sunny skies and temperatures expected to be in the upper 80s, both teams will need to exercise all the stamina they have for a crucial non-conference showdown in Iowa City.

Game Information

Date: Saturday, August 31

Time: 2:30 p.m. CT

Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA

TV: BTN

Spread: Iowa -3 (per Bovada)

Series History: Iowa leads 8-0

Two-deep rosters can be found here

Iowa's Biggest Advantage: Running Game

I'm not a believer in jinxes, even though I'm fully aware of the rough history behind how AIRBHG (The Angry Iowa Running Back Hating God) has doomed the Iowa backfield in the past. So I'll just say it, Iowa has great depth at running back.

It's essentially a three-headed monster for the Hawkeyes, consisting of Mark Weisman, Damon Bullock and Jordan Canzeri. Weisman brings the old-school and hard-nose running style, Bullock has the vision with the shiftiness and Canzeri is the 5'9" speedster. 

Last season Iowa sustained a late comeback largely due to the fact they could run the ball to the left side with Bullock. Since Weisman was still at fullback, and Canzeri missed last season with an ACL injury, Bullock was the primary back and finished the game with 30 carries for 150 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.

The Huskies face the challenge of stopping this multi-dimensional ground game with only four returning starters on defense, including just two of their front seven (per Phil Steele). However, Northern Illinois does bring back strong safety Jimmie Ward, who led the Huskies with 104 tackles and three interceptions.

If the Hawkeyes' offensive line wins the battle in the trenches, and they rotate running backs in the heat, it's an optimal time to run some of the no-huddle the Hawkeyes have been working on (via hawkeyesports.com). It would take its toll on the inexperienced NIU defense.

Northern Illinois' Biggest Advantage: Jordan Lynch

Had it not been for Johnny Manziel, Jordan Lynch would have been the most dynamic quarterback in college football last season.

The dual-threat playmaker became the first quarterback in FBS history to throw for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,500. Lynch finished with 3,138 yards passing and 1,815 rushing.

Lynch torched the Hawkeyes on the ground last season with his 119 yards on just 18 carries. Unlike the Huskies defense, they return eight players on offense including all of their offensive linemen. 

The Iowa secondary did its part last season against Lynch by holding him to just 54 yards passing, but it was the NIU quarterback's first start and the Hawkeyes lost cornerback Micah Hyde to the NFL draft. Despite having a new head coach in Rod Carey (who coached NIU in the 2013 Orange Bowl), the Huskies offense should be more explosive and balanced this time around. 

If the Hawkeyes can't contain Lynch, and get pressure on him from Carl Davis and the front four, this will put a burden on first-time starter Jake Rudock.

Biggest Question: Protecting Jake Rudock

With quarterback James Vandenberg graduated, Iowa fans are eager to see how Rudock will do in his first outing. 

The best way to help him succeed is with good protection from the offensive line. That's something the Hawkeyes struggled with last year as the Huskies sacked Vandenberg six times and Iowa only put up 129 yards through the air. 

Granted Northern Illinois will have a lot of new faces on defense, but the Iowa offensive line will look different as well. While Austin Blythe moves to center, Conor Boffeli and Jordan Walsh, with just four starts between them in 2012 (Per Steele), start at left and right guard.

Should the offensive line allow Rudock to step up in the pocket, keep an eye on C.J. Fiedorowicz.

The senior has only 600 yards receiving in his college career, but with his 6'7" 265-pound frame and monstrous hands, that should increase significantly. The Hawkeyes will use many more two tight-end sets this year, especially with Jake Duzey on the other side.

Considering that Iowa has been a gold mine for producing NFL tight ends under head coach Kirk Ferentz, Fiedorowicz's involvement is crucial to Rudock's success.

If the offensive line can't protect its new quarterback, the Hawkeyes will have a tough time keeping up with Lynch.

Prediction

Despite having a new quarterback in place, with the Hawkeyes' running backs, Fiedorowicz, Kevonte Martin-Manley and Jordan Cotton returning, Rudock has a lot of experience around him.

I'd expect the Hawkeye offense to run about 60 percent of the time, increase the tempo occasionally and try to beat the Huskies up front. With an established run game, that should make life on Rudock a lot easier when throwing the ball, and the Hawkeyes should control the line of scrimmage.

On the defensive side, Lynch will put up good numbers. With a year of starting experience and Iowa being the only team he lost to in the regular season, Lynch will come in full-steam ahead.

However, the Hawkeyes and their senior linebackers will have an easier time preparing for him this time around, now that they've seen how impressive Lynch really is.

Furthermore, NIU doesn't return its top running back and receiver from last year, and running back Akeem Daniels is out with a foot injury, according to Rick Brown and Andrew Logue of The Des Moines Register.

Lynch keeps the game close, but the Hawkeyes' depth prevails.

Iowa 30, Northern Illinois 24