Iowa-MSU video: Broderick Binns

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa senior defensive end Broderick Binns finished with six tackles, a sack and a pass break up in the Hawkeyes’ 37-21 loss on Saturday to No. 13 Michigan State at Kinnick Stadium.




Iowa-MSU video: Adam Gettis

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa senior offensive guard Adam Gettis got the start at right guard on his Senior Day for the Hawkeyes in their 37-21 loss to No. 13 Michigan State on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa finished with 349 yards of total offense in defeat.




Iowa-MSU video: Jordan Bernstine

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa senior safety Jordan Bernstine recorded five tackles for the Hawkeyes in their 37-21 loss to No. 13 Michigan State on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.




Iowa-MSU video: Steve Bigach

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa junior defensive end Steve Bigach recorded two tackles for the Hawkeyes on Saturday in their 37-21 loss to No. 13 Michigan State at Kinnick Stadium.




Iowa-MSU video: Jason White

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa senior running back Jason White was one of 18 senior players to be recognized as part of Senior Day festivities prior to the Hawkeyes’ 37-21 loss to No. 13 Michigan State on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.




Iowa vs. Michigan State (What to expect)

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

To get you all ready for Saturday’s game between Iowa and No. 13 Michigan State, I put together a list of things you ought to know before heading to Kinnick Stadium.

At the end, I’ll provide what I think are three keys to an Iowa victory.

Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-2) vs. No. 13 Michigan State Spartans (7-2, 4-1)

Kinnick Stadium; Iowa City, Iowa

Nov. 12, 2011

11 a.m. Central

TV: ESPN2 (Beth Mowins, Mike Bellotti)

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin, Ed Podolak, Rob Brooks)

Weather: 47 degrees

Brendan’s Three Keys to the Game:

1. Be physical

If Iowa is going to pull the upset Saturday, it needs to punch Michigan State in the mouth at the start, much like it did last season when these teams met at Kinnick Stadium. The two times the Spartans have lost this season, both occasions were road games and both were contests where they fell behind early and needed to play catch up. Knowing that Michigan State will be attempting to supply payback for each of the last two seasons’ meetings, the Hawkeyes just need to be ready to match their physicality.

2. Prevent the big play

Michigan State has playmakers in both the backfield and receiving corps. The two-headed monster of Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell in the backfield, along with wideouts like B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin ought to be enough to have the Iowa defense’s attention, so keeping them and quarterback Kirk Cousins from making big plays is going to be important in order for the defense to get off the field and allow Iowa’s offense to go to work.

3. Take advantage of home-field

It’s Senior Day, and Iowa has a chance to finish perfect at home for the first time since the 2004 season. Also of note, Michigan State hasn’t won a game at Kinnick Stadium in 22 years. The intangibles are on the Hawkeyes’ side this weekend. Not to mention this is the team’s official Blackout game. Given everything at stake this Saturday, this can and should all play to Iowa’s advantage and assuming the first two keys are addressed, the atmosphere at Kinnick Stadium will only get more electric as the game wears on.




11/11/2011: I-Club breakfast video

Iowa senior wide receiver Marvin McNutt handled the invocation duties at the Johnson County I-Club Breakfast on Friday at the Sheraton Hotel in Iowa City. McNutt was one of 18 seniors recognized at the event.

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — As he does every Friday morning before a home football game, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz spoke at the Johnson County I-Club Breakfast inside the Sheraton Hotel. This week, he discussed the Hawkeyes’ upcoming game against No. 13 Michigan State.

With Saturday’s game being Iowa’s home finale, the Hawkeyes’ senior class of 18 players was recognized for their achievements at Friday’s breakfast. Ferentz was introduced by Iowa radio analyst Ed Podolak.

Below are videos of speeches from both Podolak and Ferentz, as well as Ferentz introducing the 2011 senior class:




11/10/2011: Talkin’ Hawks podcast (Iowa vs. Michigan State)

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

Every Thursday during the 2011 football season, HawkeyeDrive.com will feature “Talkin’ Hawks,” a podcast to get you ready for the Hawkeyes’ upcoming game and other college football action.

This week, we preview Iowa’s showdown against No. 13 Michigan State on Nov. 12 at Kinnick Stadium. Once again, former Iowa defensive back Chris Rowell (2005-09) joins us during the final segment to provide insight on the Hawkeyes and give his thoughts on all the games featured in this week’s HawkeyeDrive.com Pick ‘Em. Also joining as a guest this week is my former colleague Jordan Garretson, who is The Daily Iowan’s Pregame editor.

The podcast is about 65 minutes in length, so enjoy:

Talkin’ Hawks podcast (Iowa vs. Michigan State)

*Intro sound byte credit to my former Daily Iowan colleague Ryan Young for putting that together.




11/8/2011: Iowa football notebook

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz discusses the Hawkeyes' upcoming game against No. 13 Michigan State with the local media during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011, at the Hayden Fry Football Complex in Iowa City.

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three years ago to the day, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz picked up one of his biggest coaching victories, as Iowa upset then-No. 3 Penn State, 24-23. Exactly three years later, the first question to come Ferentz’s way during his weekly press conference Tuesday had to do with Joe Paterno, but for much more gruesome reasons.

Ferentz, who idolized Paterno as a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, refused to comment on Paterno and on the ongoing fallout from Penn State as a result of a sex abuse scandal. In fact, Ferentz was very direct in his desire to keep conversation on Iowa’s upcoming game Nov. 12 against No. 13 Michigan State.

“I’m just thinking about Michigan State,” Ferentz said. “I don’t know what anyone can say at this moment.”

Ferentz has good reason to keep his focus (and his team’s focus) on the Spartans. Michigan State (7-2, 4-1) comes to Kinnick Stadium one game ahead of the Hawkeyes in the Legends Division. The winner of this weekend’s game controls its destiny towards playing in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 3 in Indianapolis.

Iowa enters the contest with a 3-2 Big Ten mark after defeating Michigan last weekend, 24-16. But the records are the last thoughts on the minds of the players.

“We’re not worried about the winning the division at all,” senior defensive end Broderick Binns said. “We’re just worried about getting this next win.”

Senior Day

When wide receiver Marvin McNutt was a sophomore two seasons ago, he made perhaps the biggest catch of his Hawkeye career scoring on the final play of Iowa’s 15-13 win over Michigan State.

Coincidentally, McNutt will be one of 18 seniors playing their final game inside Kinnick Stadium against, who else, but the Spartans.

“I don’t if it’s fitting, if it’s drama, or whatever,” McNutt said. “But it’s a funny kind of story. These guys were the first time that people really knew what my name was.”

Players like McNutt, Binns and cornerback Shaun Prater have been staples for the Hawkeyes the past few seasons. Then there are those such as senior defensive end Lebron Daniel, who will be starting at defensive end for an injured Dominic Alvis.

“It means a lot,” Daniel said about getting to start. “What happened to Dom was tough and unfortunate. He’s my teammate, and none of us want anything bad to happen to our teammates.”

This senior class also has a chance to accomplish something that hasn’t been done at Iowa since 2004 — a perfect season at Kinnick Stadium. All six of the Hawkeyes’ wins this season have been at home.

“That would be nice, obviously,” Binns said. “But thinking about that right now, with everything else, that would probably just put too much pressure on ourselves as a team.”

A family divided, still

When Iowa and Michigan State met last season, one of the storylines was cornerback Micah Hyde facing his older brother Marcus, who was a starting safety for the Spartans.

Marcus might not wear the Michigan State uniform any longer, but that won’t prevent him from staying true to his school, even if it comes at his younger brother’s expense.

“He just said, of course, that he wants Michigan State to win,” Micah said. “That’s just how he is.”

Micah said Marcus would be in attendance Saturday along with the rest of his family, with his parents no longer torn on who to cheer for.

“It’s a good feeling knowing that they’ll be able to root for the Hawks this year,” Micah said.

A building rivalry

The Hawkeyes and Spartans have played every season since 2007, Mark Dantonio’s first as Michigan State’s head coach. Iowa has won three of these four meetings. The first meeting in this timespan came at Kinnick Stadium in 2007 when the Hawkeyes overcame a 20-3 deficit to defeat the Spartans in double overtime, 34-27. Michigan State won 16-13 in 2008 after stuffing a 4th-and-2 run by former Iowa running back Shonn Greene, then Iowa returned the favor in 2009 with the aforementioned McNutt touchdown.

Last season, the Spartans were 8-0 and ranked fifth in the country before the Hawkeyes built up a 30-0 lead and prevailed in a route, 37-6. The defense, specifically the secondary, forced three interceptions of Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, one of which was lateraled by Tyler Sash to Hyde and ended up resulting in an Iowa touchdown.

Senior cornerback Shaun Prater, who was the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week following last year’s contest, said the game plan that week was simple and that a similar plan would be in place this week given most of the Spartans’ offensive personnel remaining the same.

“The whole week, the coaches weren’t stressing, they weren’t being nervous,” Prater said. “They just said, ‘Hey, go out there and get the job done.’ Everyone felt that pressure to go out there and get the W.”

Now with the stakes becoming greater with both teams being in the same division, it’s worth wondering whether this series has the ingredients to continue evolving into an ongoing rivalry.

“It has been a nitty, gritty series lately,” Hyde said. “At Iowa, we like to think we’re the toughest team in the Big Ten. That’s how we try to go out and play every weekend.

“I know Michigan State, from talking to my brother, they want to be that team, too. So every year when we come against each other, it’s a hard-hitting game. It’s a physical game.”

More Campbell than Bettis

Dantonio likened sophomore running back Marcus Coker to former Pittsburgh Steeler back Jerome Bettis during his press conference with Michigan State media Tuesday in East Lansing. Coker was honored by the compliment but didn’t think it was accurate.

Coker, who currently leads the Big Ten in rushing, said the two running backs he idolized growing up were Earl Campbell and Walter Payton. Not coincidentally, both Campbell and Payton wore Coker’s number, 34.

“My parents were huge football fans,” Coker said. “They loved that type of running.”

As for the numbers, Coker is not only the conference’s top rusher, but ranks fifth in the entire FBS. He has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last four games while also compiling eight touchdowns in that same span.

“I think every player should try to play to their strengths, and I think he has done a good job of that the last month,” Ferentz said.

Injury update

Ferentz said at the start of his press conference sophomore defensive end Dominic Alvis would have surgery on his knee this week to repair a torn ACL he suffered in Iowa’s 24-16 win over Michigan last weekend.

He also took accountability for not playing freshman running back Mika’il McCall last weekend like he initially had said he would. McCall was set to play against Michigan but never took the field or had any carries spelling Coker.

“It has nothing to do with Mika’il or anybody else. It’s just me,” Ferentz said. “I’ve got to get over it and we’ve got to go. He’s a good player.”

Two other names that were brought up towards the end of the press conference were redshirt freshman linebacker Jim Poggi and sophomore offensive lineman Nolan MacMillan. Poggi was dressed last weekend and Ferentz said he had been practicing for a few weeks now. As for MacMillan, Ferentz hinted at him not returning anytime during the final three weeks of the regular season.




11/8/2011: Iowa player audio with photos (premium)

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — On Tuesday, 11 members of the Iowa football team spoke with the media to discuss the Hawkeyes’ upcoming game on Nov. 12 against No. 13 Michigan State.

Below is audio from each of the following players — sophomore running back Marcus Coker, senior offensive lineman Adam Gettis, junior quarterback James Vandenberg, senior defensive tackle Thomas Nardo, senior cornerback Shaun Prater, senior defensive end Broderick Binns, senior defensive end Lebron Daniel, sophomore fullback Brad Rogers, senior wide receiver Marvin McNutt, junior cornerback Micah Hyde and sophomore tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz:

Marcus Coker, Nov. 8, 2011

Marcus Coker, sophomore running back

Adam Gettis, Nov. 8, 2011

Adam Gettis, senior offensive guard

James Vandenberg, Nov. 8, 2011

James Vandenberg, junior quarterback

Thomas Nardo, Nov. 8, 2011

Thomas Nardo, senior defensive tackle

Shaun Prater, Nov. 8, 2011

Shaun Prater, senior cornerback

Broderick Binns, Nov. 8, 2011

Broderick Binns, senior defensive end

Lebron Daniel, Nov. 8, 2011

Lebron Daniel, senior defensive end

Brad Rogers, Nov. 8, 2011

Brad Rogers, sophomore fullback

Marvin McNutt, Nov. 8, 2011

Marvin McNutt, senior wide receiver

Micah Hyde, Nov. 8, 2011

Micah Hyde, junior cornerback

C.J. Fiedorowicz, Nov. 8, 2011

C.J. Fiedorowicz, sophomore tight end