Hawkeyes on the prize
Purdue goes on the road to face an Iowa team with a win streak and BCS aspirations
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Kirk Ferentz is trying to keep his team grounded after No. 2 Iowa achieved the program’s highest ranking since 1985.
The Hawkeyes (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are on a 12-game winning streak with their victory over a top-five Penn State last week and have taken control of the Big Ten West entering their game against Purdue (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday.
“We’re just at the halfway mark,” Ferentz said. “I have no idea how many Kentucky Derby winners won that were leading at halftime or the first whatever.”
If there’s one team that should be able to keep the Hawkeyes focused, it’s Purdue. Jeff Brohm’s Boilermakers have won three of the last four meetings.
The Boilermakers have beaten Iowa with their passing game, averaging 292.8 yards through the air over the last four matchups.
“We have at times had the ability to throw the football, maybe more so than some other Big Ten teams, so that probably has helped us to a certain degree,” Brohm said.
Ferentz said the Boilermakers have hurt his team with deep balls: “And it sounds pretty basic, but a lot of people won’t try it that way and they have done a good job of that.”
Purdue’s longest completion in last year’s 24-20 win was 22 yards, but the year before the Boilermakers hit on passes of 54 and 42 yards, and in 2019 they had completions of 82, 36 and 57 yards.
Iowa’s secondary leads the nation in interceptions (16), takeaways (20) and turnover margin (plus-15).
“If a team isn’t performing well at all 11 positions on offense and there’s some weak link, they’re going to find it,” Brohm said. “They’re going to have their eyes strapped on the quarterback, break on the ball and make plays, and they’ve done that against every single opponent they’ve had.”
Iowa will be without cornerback Riley Moss, who injured his knee on an interception against Penn State. Moss, who leads the Hawkeyes with four picks, won’t require surgery and should return in a couple weeks, Ferentz said.
Terry Roberts will move into Moss’ spot. Roberts has an interception and two pass breakups and has been a key contributor on special teams.
Purdue wide receiver David Bell has a combined 26 catches for 318 yards and four touchdowns in his two previous games against Iowa. Bell comes into this game second in the Big Ten with 27 catches for 439 yards and three TDs.
Purdue has quarterback options, and the Hawkeyes are preparing for all of them.
Junior quarterback Jack Plummer started the first four games, then was replaced by Aidan O’Connell in the second half of the 13-9 win over Illinois. O’Connell started Oct. 2 against Minnesota, throwing for 357 yards and a touchdown in a 20-13 loss.
O’Connell threw for three touchdowns in last year’s game against Iowa; Plummer threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns against the Hawkeyes in 2019.
Purdue is 5-10 all-time against opponents ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll. A Brohm-coached team played a No. 2 team in 2018, when the Boilermakers upset Ohio State 49-20.
Spartans look to reclaim spitoon from Hoosiers
Indiana coach Tom Allen is staying relatively quiet this week.
He’s not talking about his options at quarterback for Saturday’s home game against No. 10 Michigan State and he’s certainly not going to provide practice updates on injured starter Michael Penix Jr. or backup Jack Tuttle.
Allen thinks it’s more beneficial to keep his decision secret secret until kickoff.
“Jack, as always, will be ready to go,” he said, declining to expand on Penix’s
status. “That’s been something that’s one of his strengths, his ability to be locked in and focused, and prepare at a high level, no matter what role he’s asked to perform.”
Tuttle started two games last season in place of Penix, leading the Hoosiers to a victory at Wisconsin in Indiana’s regular-season finale before losing to Ole Miss in last season’s Outback Bowl, finishing the game with a separated throwing shoulder.
Now it’s Penix with the separated throwing shoulder joint that could keep him out as the Hoosiers (2-3, 0-2
Big Ten) try to right their season.
A year ago, Indiana recaptured the Old Brass Spittoon by shutting out Michigan State 24-0 in East Lansing. But this season, they’ve lost three times to teams currently ranked in the top seven and they’re about to face a foe making one of the nation’s biggest turnarounds.
Kenneth Walker leads the nation in rushing at 152.2 yards per game. Quarterback Payton Thorne and receiver Jalen Nalor appear to be in perfect alignment after last week’s impressive showing against Rutgers.