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Game Day Six-ring circus
Iowa +6.....Im all over it...Homer Pick
Hubbard Park.... Chris, Lee and Kirk will be there. Stop by and say hello with a couple thousand of your closest friends and that kooky guy with the Washington State flag.
The No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) did their part Saturday afternoon, punching out Illinois (1-3, 0-1), 24-7, before 43,006 fans at Memorial Stadium.
After a sluggish first quarter, the Hawkeyes blitzed the Fighting Illini with three touchdowns in a four-minute span of the second quarter.
Running back Damian Sims scored on a 1-yarder at 5:55. Running back Albert Young scored on a 6-yarder at 2:57. One play after safety Miguel Merrick picked off a Tim Brasic pass, quarterback Drew Tate hit tight end Tony Moeaki for a 35-yarder and a 21-0 lead with 1:47 left in the second.
Cue the "College GameDay" theme.
A formal announcement won't be made until later today or Monday, but ESPN has been talking to Iowa for more than a week on what would be "GameDay's" first stop in Iowa City since Ohio State '96.
An Iowa official said Saturday that the popular pregame show just needed to see the Hawkeyes and No. 1 Ohio State win Saturday. The Buckeyes (4-0) sealed the deal with a 28-6 victory over Penn State.
The only thing up in the air was location. ESPN wants something close to Kinnick. Iowa pointed toward Hubbard Park, a nice green spot by the Iowa Memorial Union that wouldn't eat up parking spots at Kinnick.
Wherever "GameDay" does its schtick, the national spotlight is turned on Iowa City and the university. This is the klieg lights, this is the closeup.
"I don't know about 'GameDay,'" quarterback Drew Tate said. "But I do know it's a night game, it's ABC and everyone is going to be watching this game.
"It's huge for the state, it's huge for Iowa football and it's going to be big for a lot of players on this team to get some national (attention)."
That begs the question, will "GameDay" analyst Lee Corso wear the Herky head and pick Ohio State?
Stay tuned.
"This is potentially going to be a six-ring circus instead of a three-ring circus," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We don't get a lot of six-ring circuses, so we're going to have to talk about a few things."
Iowa's biggest week, arguably, since Michigan '85 will begin with an injury inventory.
Several Hawkeyes came out of Saturday's game. Backup safety Devan Moylan seemed to be the most serious with a strained left hamstring. Defensive end Kenny Iwebema suffered a shoulder injury and left the field with his right arm in a sling. He indicated he was OK.
Center Rafael Eubanks (right knee sprain), left offensive tackle Dace Richardson (right knee) and free safety Marcus Paschal (right hamstring) left the game. Young left the game in the third quarter. Wide receiver Andy Brodell (shoulder sprain) didn't see the field. Paschal returned after his backup, Moylan, got hurt.
"I'm 22 years old," Paschal said. "I've got a lot more licks in this body."
Only defensive end Alex Kanellis is out for Ohio State. Kanellis had an appendectomy in a Champaign hospital during the third quarter Saturday.
Other than that, they're fine.
Nope, forgot defensive tackle Mitch King, who limped off in the last minutes with what looked to be a muscle thing in his left leg.
"At that point, you are thinking, 'Jeez, how many of these guys are going to be affected next week,'" Ferentz said. "We're not good enough to play anybody shorthanded. Hopefully, that's not going to be the case big picture-wise."
Besides Moylan, Ferentz said the other injuries didn't have him "alarmed or concerned."
Iowa went into Saturday's game with the worst turnover margin in the Big Ten, at minus-5. The Hawkeyes turned it around with oopmh, picking off four Illinois passes, including three off freshman quarterback Juice Williams. Iowa has had two turnovers, a fumble and interception, overturned by replay.
The turnovers turned into 10 points for Iowa. A 12-yard Illinois punt set up Iowa's first score and Iowa's fourth consecutive victory over the Illini, the longest streak by either school in the rivalry's 67 games.
Cornerback Adam Shada had two interceptions. Merrick and Moylan each had one.
"You feel like it's going to be a matter of time before you get some (turnovers)," Merrick said. "But when they don't, you start to wonder."
Tate took the blame for Saturday's slow start. Iowa had just two first downs, 8 yards rushing and punted three times in the first.
The Hawkeyes have scored 10 points in the first quarter this season.
The Hawkeyes punted on five of their six second-half possessions. Ferentz said the running game is a problem. Iowa gained 154 yards, but averaged just 3.7 yards on 42 carries.
"We haven't hit our stride," said Tate, who threw his 50th career TD pass to Moeaki. "We've been close, but we weren't even close today."
They've got a week to find their stride. "GameDay" is coming. Chris, Lee and Kirk. The guy with the Washington State flag, too.
"It's little weird when Ohio State's playing Penn State and you see an Auburn flag in the back," Tate said. "There's Washington State, too. It's a little weird."
It's a little weird six-ring circus starting right now. And the Hawkeyes are the main attraction.
Hubbard Park.... Chris, Lee and Kirk will be there. Stop by and say hello with a couple thousand of your closest friends and that kooky guy with the Washington State flag.
The No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) did their part Saturday afternoon, punching out Illinois (1-3, 0-1), 24-7, before 43,006 fans at Memorial Stadium.
After a sluggish first quarter, the Hawkeyes blitzed the Fighting Illini with three touchdowns in a four-minute span of the second quarter.
Running back Damian Sims scored on a 1-yarder at 5:55. Running back Albert Young scored on a 6-yarder at 2:57. One play after safety Miguel Merrick picked off a Tim Brasic pass, quarterback Drew Tate hit tight end Tony Moeaki for a 35-yarder and a 21-0 lead with 1:47 left in the second.
Cue the "College GameDay" theme.
A formal announcement won't be made until later today or Monday, but ESPN has been talking to Iowa for more than a week on what would be "GameDay's" first stop in Iowa City since Ohio State '96.
An Iowa official said Saturday that the popular pregame show just needed to see the Hawkeyes and No. 1 Ohio State win Saturday. The Buckeyes (4-0) sealed the deal with a 28-6 victory over Penn State.
The only thing up in the air was location. ESPN wants something close to Kinnick. Iowa pointed toward Hubbard Park, a nice green spot by the Iowa Memorial Union that wouldn't eat up parking spots at Kinnick.
Wherever "GameDay" does its schtick, the national spotlight is turned on Iowa City and the university. This is the klieg lights, this is the closeup.
"I don't know about 'GameDay,'" quarterback Drew Tate said. "But I do know it's a night game, it's ABC and everyone is going to be watching this game.
"It's huge for the state, it's huge for Iowa football and it's going to be big for a lot of players on this team to get some national (attention)."
That begs the question, will "GameDay" analyst Lee Corso wear the Herky head and pick Ohio State?
Stay tuned.
"This is potentially going to be a six-ring circus instead of a three-ring circus," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We don't get a lot of six-ring circuses, so we're going to have to talk about a few things."
Iowa's biggest week, arguably, since Michigan '85 will begin with an injury inventory.
Several Hawkeyes came out of Saturday's game. Backup safety Devan Moylan seemed to be the most serious with a strained left hamstring. Defensive end Kenny Iwebema suffered a shoulder injury and left the field with his right arm in a sling. He indicated he was OK.
Center Rafael Eubanks (right knee sprain), left offensive tackle Dace Richardson (right knee) and free safety Marcus Paschal (right hamstring) left the game. Young left the game in the third quarter. Wide receiver Andy Brodell (shoulder sprain) didn't see the field. Paschal returned after his backup, Moylan, got hurt.
"I'm 22 years old," Paschal said. "I've got a lot more licks in this body."
Only defensive end Alex Kanellis is out for Ohio State. Kanellis had an appendectomy in a Champaign hospital during the third quarter Saturday.
Other than that, they're fine.
Nope, forgot defensive tackle Mitch King, who limped off in the last minutes with what looked to be a muscle thing in his left leg.
"At that point, you are thinking, 'Jeez, how many of these guys are going to be affected next week,'" Ferentz said. "We're not good enough to play anybody shorthanded. Hopefully, that's not going to be the case big picture-wise."
Besides Moylan, Ferentz said the other injuries didn't have him "alarmed or concerned."
Iowa went into Saturday's game with the worst turnover margin in the Big Ten, at minus-5. The Hawkeyes turned it around with oopmh, picking off four Illinois passes, including three off freshman quarterback Juice Williams. Iowa has had two turnovers, a fumble and interception, overturned by replay.
The turnovers turned into 10 points for Iowa. A 12-yard Illinois punt set up Iowa's first score and Iowa's fourth consecutive victory over the Illini, the longest streak by either school in the rivalry's 67 games.
Cornerback Adam Shada had two interceptions. Merrick and Moylan each had one.
"You feel like it's going to be a matter of time before you get some (turnovers)," Merrick said. "But when they don't, you start to wonder."
Tate took the blame for Saturday's slow start. Iowa had just two first downs, 8 yards rushing and punted three times in the first.
The Hawkeyes have scored 10 points in the first quarter this season.
The Hawkeyes punted on five of their six second-half possessions. Ferentz said the running game is a problem. Iowa gained 154 yards, but averaged just 3.7 yards on 42 carries.
"We haven't hit our stride," said Tate, who threw his 50th career TD pass to Moeaki. "We've been close, but we weren't even close today."
They've got a week to find their stride. "GameDay" is coming. Chris, Lee and Kirk. The guy with the Washington State flag, too.
"It's little weird when Ohio State's playing Penn State and you see an Auburn flag in the back," Tate said. "There's Washington State, too. It's a little weird."
It's a little weird six-ring circus starting right now. And the Hawkeyes are the main attraction.
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