0 IIP31R11Wn S~ORTrS www.michigandaily.com/sports sportsdesk@umich.edu FRIDAY OCTOBER 26, 2001 8 4 Wolverines' power lies in the trenches against Hawkeyes By Jeff Phillips Daily Sports Editor Iowa has been the surprise of the young Big Ten season. Coach Kirk Frentz has done a noble job in turning around the Hawkeyes, and at 4-2, his team could reach its first bowl game since the 1998 Sun Bowl. But this dramatic turnaround is deceiving, as Iowa's two Big Ten wins have come against Penn State and Indiana - 10th and 11th in the confer- ence, respectively. With an upset victory over Michigan, which has had trouble in recent years after the bye week, the Hawkeyes could jump into the national spotlight. MICHIGAN RUSHING DEFENSE VS. IOWA RUSHING OFFENSE: Iowa's Ladell Betts is a workhorse back who is averaging over 80 yards per game and has four touchdowns this season. Last week against Indiana, he ran over the Hoosiers for more than 170 yards and a score. But the Michigan rush defense is at least five times as good as Indiana's and hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher all season. Don't expect that to change for Larry Foote and company. Edge: Michigan of animal and the Wolverines may need some time to adjust. Edge: Iowa MICHIGAN RUSHING OFFENSE VS. IOWA RUSHING DEFENSE: Defense has been the pride of Iowa this season as it leads the conference in total defense, allowing fewer than 290 yards per game. But 130 yards of that comes on the ground and the Hawkeyes allowed Antwaan Randle El and Levron Williams to run all over them last week. With a healthy Chris Perry and offensive line, the Wolverines' rushing offense should be too strong for Iowa. Edge: Michigan MICHIGAN PASSING OFFENSE VS. IOWA PASSING DEFENSE: Iowa is first in the Big Ten in pass defense and is allowing just 160 yards through the air. But it has yet to face a receiver as strong as Marquise Walker. Walker is having one of the best seasons ever for a Michigan wide receiver, and he has been a security blanket for quarterback John Navarre. This is too close to call and could be decided by each team's supporting class. Edge: Even In the end, Michigan will again have too many weapons for its opponent. With another solid game, the Wolverines should retain their No. 7 spot in the BCS and keep their hopes'up for a Rose Bowl berth. Michigan 28, Iowa 17 Resurgent Iowa looms for Varsity By Arun Gopal Daily Sports Writer Two years ago, Kirk Ferentz suffered through a nightmarish first sea- son as Iowa's football coach. The Hawkeyes went 0-11 in Ferentz's inaugural campaign, and bright spots were few and far between for a once-proud program. Fast forward two years to this season. In his third year at Iowa, Fer- entz has transformed the Hawkeyes from Big Ten doormats into a poten- tial bowl team. When No. 8 Michigan (3-0 Big Ten, 5-1 overall) takes the field at Kinnick Stadium tomorrow against Iowa (2-2, 4-2), the Wolverines will see a vastly different squad than they faced three years ago. For one thing, it will be the first time that they see the team under Ferentz's lead- ership. Behind efficient play from senior quarterback Kyle McCann and tough running by senior tailback Ladell Betts, the Hawkeyes have demonstrated an overpowering offense and have opened some eyes by winning both of their nonconference games. Consecutive conference losses at Michigan State and Purdue tem- porarily slowed Iowa's momentum, but the Hawkeyes rebounded nicely last week by defeating Indiana, 42-28, at home. "Winning last week makes this game a little more interesting," Fer- entz said. "It ought to be a great environment. This game will be a meas- uring stick in the development of our team." Tomorrow's game - which will be regionally televised on ABC - will give Iowa a chance to make a real statement to the rest of the nation. Ferentz realizes that for his squad to win, it will have to play a near- perfect game against the Wolverines. "Michigan is an outstanding football team," Ferentz said. "It is going to be a great challenge, and we are looking forward to it." From Michigan's standpoint, this game is an opportunity to get the inside track on the Big Ten title and the BCS bowl bid that comes with it. Behind the undefeated Wolverines lie three teams with one confer- ence loss: Purdue, Illinois and Ohio State. But the Wolverines have already beaten Purdue and Illinois, so in effect, Michigan has a two- game advantage on both of those schools. If Michigan can knock off Iowa, the Wolverines will be in very good shape for the second half of the Big Ten season. Alas, beating the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium is a lot easier said than done, something of which Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is well aware. "I'm impressed with (Coach Ferentz's) teams because they don't beat themselves," Carr said. "Our team knows this is going to be a big game for us:' MICHIGAN PASSING DEFENSE VS. IOWA PASSING OFFENSE: Iowa quarterback Kyle McCann leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a 146.7 rating, and until he threw four interceptions in a loss at Michigan State, he was second in the nation behind Florida's Rex Grossman. He found his form again last week by completing 12-of-16 passes and throwing for three touchdowns. Big-play wideout Kahlil Hill also had a great day against the Hoosiers with three catches for 93 yards and two scores. Michigan has limited the passing attacks of Illinois and Purdue this season, but both of those were home games. Road games in the Big Ten are a different kind D/ANNY UMULUOMH ./UDiy Michigan Senior wide receiver Marquise Walker will need another big day on the road against the Hawkeyes. N . Mkchijan at loui Tomorrow, 3:30 p~mL Tomorrow, the Wolverines (3-4 g T - overafl) face towa (2-2, 4-2) fr the three years. Michi n is looking to r alone atop the Bige n as i ed oKnik This will be the first time that Michigan fa Iowa under its new coach, Kirk Ferenti, who replaced the legendary Hayden Fry in 9. Elsewhere, Michigan sports will e very s active this weekend, For previews women's soccer, men's swimming and fekd hockey, go online to wwwmichigandat.sprt PROC RASTINATION STATION Before every football game this sea- son, Daily football writers Jeff Phillips and Jon Schwartz will take the week- end's matchup to the Playstation 2. For this week's matchup, coach Phillips led the home Hawkeyes and coach Schwartz took the helm for the Wolverines. Michigan key stats Passing: QB No. 16 - 11-24, 280 yards passing, 2 TDs Rushing: RB No. 23 - 13 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles, 1 lost Receiving: WR No. 4 - 3 recep- tions, 68 yards, 1 TD Defense: SS No. 26 - 12 tackles Iowa key stats Passing: QB No. 4- 13-of-24, 215 yards passing, 2 TDs Rushing: RB No. 46 - 21 carries, 141 yards, 3 TDs Receiving: TE No. 35 - 8 recep- tions, 100 yards, 2 TDs Defense: LB'No. 30 - 1 sack, 3 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble MICHIGAN 28, IOWA 38 PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: Michigan coach Jon S$tiwartz: I have just one thing to say. HB No. 23 will never play another game in the maize and blue. I hope that he's humiliated. Questions?.. I think that my players were rattled by the fact that they can't catch. I think that inability got into their heads and made them even worse ... QB No. 16 spread the ball around well, but no one wanted to catch it ... Today, I consider myself, the coach of the worst team on the face of the earth. Iowa coach Jeff Phillips: Too much RB No. 46. He is fast, he is strong, he is the best back Ive ever coached.s Coach Schwartz had no answer for him, only questions like, "What the hell?" and "What play was that?" STAFF PICKS WEEK 8 SELECTIONS ALL PICKS MADE AGAINST THE SPREAD. HOME TEAMS IN CAPS. CHIGAN (5.) at lowa WISCONSIN (-4.5) vs. Michigan State PURDUE (-6 ) vs Nrhwestern OHIO STATE (-7) vs. Penn State NEBASA (4) vs. Okiahoma UCLA (-7.5) at STANFORD STONCOLEGE f3) vs. Notre Dame FLORIDA STATE (-8) vs. Maryland FLORIDA (-19) vs. Georgia TENNESSEE (-7.5) vs. South Carolina TEXAS AM (-.5)vs, Iowa State VIRGINIA TECH (-17.5) vs. Syracuse Clemo -7. t WAKEFOREST Oregon (-2.5) at WASHINGTON STATE LOUIS ANA STATE(-10.) vs, Mississippi Best bet Record last week fN Raphael Arun Jeff Jon Goodstein Gopal Phillips Schwartz Michig .ih.a Mchgn.:hia Michigan State Wisconsin Wisconsin Michigan State *t... :r...: :. :rr ., ......:: ..r..:::....:.... . - .. 44 r ..,. Northwestern P r ,rw. 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