Kirk Ferentz making it a priority to start Big Ten play on high note

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Hawkeyes will open up conference play on the road Friday night, and their head coach expects them to play with discipline in a hostile environment.

SHI Stadium packs 52,454 fans, and Kirk Ferentz is anticipating they’ll all be a factor when Iowa invades the venue to battle Rutgers. Although the Scarlet Knights are 3-0, and playing with confidence, Ferentz has his team ready for the national spotlight. Iowa (2-1) is coming off a blowout win over Massachusetts, and Ferentz wants to keep the momentum going.

It’s no mystery that the Hawkeyes have only had five days to prepare for this pivotal matchup, and practice been intense for the players and coaching staff.

“Exciting to get into Big Ten play,” Ferentz said. “Got nine weeks ahead right now, and again we have a big challenge with a short week, playing a good team, and walking into a tough environment.”

Iowa has never lost to Rutgers, and boasts a 4-0 record in the series. Not to mention the Hawkeyes have outscored the Scarlet Knights 79-10 over the past three meetings. Still, Ferentz refuses to underestimate the opposition. Greg Schiano, and Ferentz are veteran coaches, with longevity at their respective programs, which is rare in today’s game.

Both coaches will field a team that’s physical, has discipline and a hunger to win. The Scarlet Knights are eager to end the losing streak to the Hawkeyes, so Ferentz knows the Hawkeyes will have a slim margin for error on the road.

“A big challenge for our football team,” he said. “It will be a test of our maturity and ability to focus, and hopefully we’ll be at our best Friday night, but it’s going to be a tough challenge.”

Quarterback Mark Gronowski will get his introduction to the Big Ten’s brand of football, and needs to keep his head on a swivel. He threw for two touchdowns, and ran for another against the Minutemen, which Ferentz found impressive. However, the stakes are higher now, and Gronowski has to have involvement from his teammates at the skill positions.

Defensively, Iowa has shutout Rutgers in two of the past three games, but those victories took place at Kinnick Stadium. Still, Phil Parker understands the Big Ten’s style of play like the back of his hand, and his defense will set the tone in the trenches.

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis continues to play out of his mind for Rutgers, with eight touchdown passes, and no interceptions through three games. The Scarlet Knights are averaging a jaw-dropping, 46.3 points per game, while the Hawkeyes are only allowing 10, so something has to give in Ferentz’s eyes.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for our defense,” the 70-year old coach said. “It’s probably going to be the biggest one we’ve faced so far.”

In a contest of evenly-matched teams, it could very well come down to special teams, and field position, which are aspects of the game Iowa specializes in. Drew Stevens is one of the nation’s best kickers, who has tremendous leg power, accuracy and usually delivers in the clutch.

At the end of the day, this clash will be a great measuring stick for the Hawkeyes, and they’ll need to display mental toughness in front of a loud crowd. Regardless of the matter, Ferentz is confident his team will give a solid performance, and silence all of the rowdy fans with great execution on the gridiron.

“It’s going to be a Blackout there, and expect the place to be pretty electric that way.”