The Daily Iowan Pregame - 12.11.2020

DYNAMIC DUO

ONE OF THE BEST RUSHING TANDEMS IN THE COUNTRY IS LEADING IOWA’S OFFENSE DURING THE TEAM’S FIVE-GAME WIN STREAK.

The Daily Iowan

PREGAME SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 IOWA VS. WISCONSIN KINNICK STADIUM

2 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020

REMEMBER WHEN...

Iowa Starters WR TE LT LG C RG RT WR QB RB FB PK

12 84 77 73 65 61 79 6 7 15 38 3

Brandon Smith Sam LaPorta Alaric Jackson Cody Ince Tyler Linderbaum Cole Banwart Jack Plumb

LE DT DT RE LEO MLB WLB LC SS FS RC P

57 54 96 97 35 44 49 8 26 28 33 9

Chauncey Golston Daviyon Nixon Jack Heflin

Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Spencer Petras Tyler Goodson Monte Pottebaum Keith Duncan

Zach VanValkenburg

Barrington Wade Seth Benson Nick Niemann Matt Hankins

Kaevon Merriweather

Jack Koerner Riley Moss Tory Taylor

6-2 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-1 6-5 5-10 6-1 5-10

215 249 315 285 289 296 293 179 231 200 244 178

SR. SO. SR. SO. SO SR. SO. SR. SO. SO. SO. SR.

6-5 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-4

270 305 312 270 236 231 233 180 205 205 191 225

SR. JR. SR. SR. SR. SO. SR. SR. SO. JR. JR. FR.

6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-0 5-11 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-2 5-10

305 319 290 319 310 194 189 245 224 210 240 185

SR. SR. SO. JR. JR. SR. SR. JR. FR. FR. SR. JR.

6-7 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-3

287 318 285 225 236 255 240 185 206 203 183 232

SR. SO. SR. FR. JR. SO. SR. JR. JR. SR. SR. JR.

Wisconsin Starters

Nick Loomis/The Daily Iowan Matt Roth sacks Wisconsin quarterback John Stocco for a loss of eight yards in the first quarter of the 2004 football game between Iowa and Wisconsin and Kinnick Stadium.

The 2004 Iowa football team lost two of its first four games of the season, including its Big Ten opener. But heading into the final game of the regular season, the No. 17 Hawkeyes could clinch a share of the Big Ten title by defeating the No. 9 Badgers. Earlier in the day, Ohio State defeated Michigan, meaning Iowa had a shot at a conference championship. And it capitalized. Iowa defeated Wisconsin, a team that was 9-1 coming into the game, 30-7, at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa finished as co-champions in the conference with Michigan. Iowa’s win over Wisconsin prevented the Badgers from playing in the Rose Bowl. For a battle between ranked teams, the game wasn’t particularly close. Iowa opened the scoring with a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Tate to Clinton Solomon late in the first quarter.

Wisconsin responded with its own score just under the Publisher: Jason Brummond Executive Editor: Sarah Watson Pregame Editor: Robert Read Managing Editor: Alexandra Skores Managing Digital Editor: Kelsey Harrell

STAFF|

Design Editor: Kate Doolittle Sports Editors: Austin Hanson, Asst. Isaac Goffin Visuals Editors: Katie Goodale, Assts. Hannah Kinson, Ryan Adams TV Sports Director: Kade Overton Copy Editors: Katie Ann McCarver, Elijah Helton

two-minute mark in the first half to tie the game. But less than a minute of game time later, Tate spun out of a hit and delivered a 51-yard pass to Solomon for another score to make it 14-7 Hawkeyes at halftime. Tate threw another touchdown in the third quarter, this time to tight end Scott Chandler. Kicker Kyle Schlicher nailed three field goals in the second half as well, and Iowa rolled on its way to its second conference crown in three seasons. Tate finished the game with 186 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Defensively, Sean Considine and Jovon Johnson both intercepted passes for the Hawkeyes. Iowa finished the 2004 season on an eight-game win streak, culminating in a last-second victory in the Capital One Bowl. To read more on the 2004 game against Wisconsin, go to page eight for the DI’s one-on-one interview with Tate.

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GOT QUESTIONS FOR THE PREGAME STAFF OR A STORY IDEA FOR A FUTURE ISSUE? EMAIL US AT DAILY-IOWAN@UIOWA.EDU

LT ­ LG C RG RT WR WR TE QB RB FB PK

71 67 62 60 75 7 3 84 5 8 34 19

Cole Van Lanen Jon Dietzen

DE NT DE OLB ILB ILB OLB CB SS FS CB P

97 95 93 19 57 45 41 1 9 25 21 38

Isaiahh Loudermilk Keeanu Benton

Cormac Sampson

Logan Bruss Tyler Beach Danny Davis Kendric Pryor Jake Ferguson Graham Mertz Jalen Berger Mason Stokke Collin Larsh

Garrett Rand

Nick Herbig Jack Sanborn Leo Chenal Noah Burks Faion Hicks Scott Nelson Eric Burrell Caesar Williams Andy Vujnovich

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020 - 3

ON THE LINE Matchups Wisconsin vs.

No. 16 Iowa

Minnesota vs.

Nebraska No. 17 North Carolina vs.

No. 10 Miami

Washington vs.

Oregon

Army vs. Navy

Robert Read

Austin Hanson

Isaac Goffin

Chris Werner

Kade Overton

PREGAME EDITOR (17-16)

SPORTS EDITOR (20-13)

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR (18-15)

FOOTBALL REPORTER (23-10)

DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (17-16)

John Bohnenkamp Jason Brummond

IOWA It’s about time.

IOWA Time to party like it’s 2015.

IOWA My dad lived in Wisconsin when the Badgers were bad.

IOWA Daviyon Nixon is out for Badger blood.

IOWA Why stop at five?

IOWA Hawkeyes finally break through against the Badgers.

IOWA Give Keith Duncan all the FGs.

NERBASKA I’m just here for the late timeouts and the sideline clapping.

MINNESOTA The boat still floats.

NEBRASKA I want Omaha Steaks now!

MINNESOTA Eh, flip a coin.

NEBRASKA No fan deserves to be this sad.

NEBRASKA I guess I have to pick someone, so it’s the Huskers.

NEBRASKA I need a shower after picking this one.

MIAMI U know it.

NORTH CAROLINA Michale Jordan > Michael Irvin.

MIAMI It’s acutally a tough school to get in to.

MIAMI Sam, how well can you play against the ‘Canes?

Not well enough.

MIAMI Whatever happened to the turnover chain?

MIAMI Always tough to play the Hurricanes at home.

MIAMI Hurricane season is not quite over.

OREGON Haven’t watched a Pac-12 game yet this season.

WASHINGTON How long has it been since Pac-12 football mattered?

OREGON Haven’t been to either of these states.

WASHINGTON I’m on the Grey’s Anatomy binging badwagon.

OREGON I forgot the Pac-12 was having a season.

OREGON A good Pac-12 matchup, if there is such a thing.

OREGON Huskies don’t pass the Duck test.

NAVY I LOVE option football.

ARMY Army runs Kirk Ferentz’s ideal offense. No passes.

ARMY I support America’s Armed Forces.

NAVY Thank you for your service.

ARMY Choosing between these teams is like choosing a favorite parent.

NAVY A coin-flip game.

ARMY A rare home game in this historic rivalry.

SPORTS WRITING COACH (22-11)

PUBLISHER (23-10)

4 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020

Goodson Sargent bring Goodson, the lightning lightning, thunder Iowa’s running game has dual weapons of speed and strength in the form of the team’s two star playmakers in the backfield.

BY CHRIS WERNER

christopher-werner@uiowa.edu It’s a relationship of balance.

Tyler Goodson and Mekhi Sargent are a productive running back combination for Iowa again this season.

Goodson is the shifty speed back, Sargent provides the power.

It’s something that Maurice Goodson, Tyler’s father, has seen.

“They’re jelling and meshing together to become a strong unit,” Maurice said. “They have strong chemistry and camaraderie.

They’re one unit.

“They’re one band, one sound, and they’re after the same goal.”

That goal? Reviving the rushing attack.

Goodson and Sargent have complemented each other exquisitely in the Hawkeye backfield this season. Although Goodson has more than twice as many carries as Sargent this year, Sargent has one more touchdown.

“We’re like a one-two punch,” Goodson said. “Mekhi, he’s a great runner, he’s very

smart, he has a lot of power to him. He’s tremendously strong and I think that puts fear in teams and individual defenders coming down and trying to fit the run. When I go in there, if I can lower my shoulder I will. But knowing that Mekhi has put that fear into a defender allows me to know that defender’s not going to come as hard if I have a chance to break the run.”

While Goodson is the primary back in most situations, in the red zone, Sargent shines. Thirteen of Sargent’s 63 rushes have come inside of the opponent’s 20 yard-line and seven of those runs have resulted in touchdowns.

In Iowa’s game against Nebraska on Nov. 27, after Sargent scored on a 2-yard run, Hawkeye radio broadcaster Ed Podolak called Sargent a “tremendous player inside the 10-yard line.”

It took some time for the Hawkeyes to start running the ball effectively enough to win games, though.

Before the season began, much of the conversation around Iowa was about new

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Tyler Goodson surveys the running lanes through the Nebraska defense on Nov. 27.

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Mekhi Sargent plows into the Michigan State defense on Nov. 7. starting quarterback Spencer Petras and how he would fare in his first season as a starter. When the season started, he had the ball in his hands a lot, perhaps throwing the ball a little more than Iowa fans expected.

But the emergence of a solid, reliable running game has helped the Hawkeyes to a current five-game winning streak and vaulted them into the national rankings, sitting at #16 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

Petras threw the ball 89 times in Iowa’s first two games, losses to Purdue and Northwestern.

In those two games, Goodson and Sargent only carried the ball 44 times combined.

After the Northwestern game, in which Petras threw 50 passes and Iowa only attempted 23 rushes — 17 of those by either Goodson or Sargent — head coach Kirk Ferentz stressed the need for more balance on offense.

“If you look historically at those kinds of numbers, it means the outcome wasn’t good,” Ferentz said in his post-game press conference after the loss to Northwestern.

“We don’t want to play that way. [We’re] looking for a lot more balance than that.”

And beginning with the 49-7 win over Michigan State, the start of the Hawkeyes’ current five-game winning streak, the Hawkeyes did what Ferentz wanted — played with a more balanced offense.

Petras attempted 27 passes, and Goodson and Sargent combined for 23 rushing attempts—Ivory Kelly-Martin got in on the ground game too, among others — as Iowa rushed a total of 40 times.

It was the first time any Iowa rusher had more than 100 rushing yards this season, as Goodson finished with 113 on the day, averaging more than eight yards per carry.

Iowa ran the ball more than it passed in the next four games, leading to more scoring and easier completions for Petras in the passing game. “[The running game] opens up the naked game, it opens up the play-action game, it’s huge,” Petras said after Iowa’s 41-21 win over Penn State in Week 5. “It slows the [pass] rush down, makes the lineback-

He’s a great runner. He’s very smart. He has a lot of power to him.

— Goodson, on Sargent

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020 - 5

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Mekhi Sargent carries the ball against Michigan State on Nov. 7. ers late into their drops if they’re in zone coverage, so it’s very important. Helps our rhythm offensively, so it’s huge.”

In the process of finding offensive balance, the running back duo of Goodson and Sargent has become one of the most productive tandems in the conference, and in the country.

Goodson is second in the Big Ten in rushing yards (656), and Sargent is eight (381). Sargent is third in the conference in rushing touchdowns (seven), and Goodson is fourth (six).

Goodson came to Iowa in 2019 as a threestar recruit with offers from more than 10 Power 5 schools, including Big Ten teams Indiana, Michigan State, and Nebraska.

Goodson, who was named the Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year as a high school senior, took over the starting role for Iowa’s last three regular-season games last season as well as the Hawkeyes’ bowl win over USC. The sophomore has taken over the leadback responsibilities for Iowa, taking handoffs, catching check-down passes from Petras on occasion, and even running the offense from time to time.

Goodson has taken some direct snaps out of the wildcat formation this season, although he has yet to throw a pass this year.

On one series against Illinois, Goodson took five straight direct snaps.

Sargent, a senior, took a different path to the Hawkeye backfield.

After graduating from Key West High School, Sargent went to Iowa Western Community College, where he redshirted his first year, then put up 1,449 rushing

He comes in, works hard, and competes.

— Sargent, on Goodson

yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground across 10 games, all while averaging more than seven yards a run. Sargent was named NJCAA offensive co-Most Valuable Player, and then arrived at Iowa ahead of the 2018 season.

Sargent took the same path to the starting job at Iowa as Goodson did, except a year earlier.

Sargent backed up Ivory Kelly-Martin and Toren Young for the majority of 2018 but worked his way into the starting role in that season’s final four games. A starting job Sargent would keep until Goodson came along.

Even when the team wasn’t finding success early in 2020, Goodson and Sargent each found the end zone in one of the Hawkeyes’ losses. Sargent ran for a touchdown in the season-opener against Purdue, and Goodson scored on Northwestern the following week.

In the red zone, Sargent credits the team’s blocking ability for the rushing success. Last season, Goodson and Sargent only combined for nine rushing touchdowns all season.

“Just our willpower,” Sargent said while meeting with the media on Dec. 1. “It starts upfront with the O-line, I give credit to those guys. O-line, fullbacks, tight ends, wide receivers, everybody is doing their job outside of the running back position. After that, it’s us versus whoever’s up. It’s the willpower to do so.”

The rushing attack was on full display for the Hawkeyes in the win over Michigan State. Both Goodson and Sargent scored two touchdowns and ran for a combined 144 yards.

“It’s all about having a fresh mentality going into each and every week that we’ll be able to be successful in the run game,” Goodson said in his post-game press conference. “That’s just gotta be my mentality,

the offensive line’s mentality, everybody that’s in the football game.”

Offensive lineman Cole Banwart said he views each running play as an opportunity for the linemen to prove themselves.

“Every time we get a run call, we kind of take that on our shoulders, thinking we’re doing things right,” Banwart said. “We’re trying to push forward because the more runs we get the better we’re looking and the more time we have the ball in our hands, the better off we’ll be.”

Even though Goodson has had the majority of the carries this season—he has 132 carries through the first six games to Sargent’s 63, both running backs play a pivotal role on the field. In five of the seven games, although Goodson has had the team’s most carries in every game this season, Sargent has carried it at least nine times.

Against Penn State, one of Sargent’s two two-touchdown performances, he outgained Goodson on the ground 101 to 78.

Ferentz said the running back room as a whole has been supportive of each other, adding to their on-field success.

“It’s a great room,” Ferentz said. “[Running backs coach] Derrick Foster does a great job coaching those guys first and foremost. The whole group is just a very good group, they’re very unselfish, they pull for each other. The guys are just really positive, they work with each other, they help each other. That’s what you hope your whole football team does. If anybody wants to model their behavior, that’s really a good thing for our football team.”

Ferentz noted that he considers Kelly-Martin to be a starting running back too, saying that he would have a starting spot in most seasons. After playing in four games in 2019, Kelly-Martin redshirted after playing behind Goodson, Sargent, and Young.

Kelly-Martin is focused on leading the younger guys and showing them how to be successful as Hawkeyes.

“I’m just trying to make myself as useful as I can on the field,” Kelly-Martin said. “I’m trying to do as much as I can off the field as well, whether that’s leadership, making sure I’m leading by example.”

Last season, Foster described Kelly-Martin as an extra assistant coach in the backfield and commended his attitude for redshirting for most of 2019.

Both Sargent and Kelly-Martin are upperclassmen and have helped Goodson along, as the sophomore has more of a workload than in his freshman year.

Goodson’s father Maurice, who has been instrumental in his son’s development as a football player, said that the relationship between his son and Sargent is ‘awesome.’

“I do talk to [Mekhi,] talk to Tyler the same,” Maurice said. “I try to treat Mekhi as he’s my own son.”

Goodson and his counterpart in the backfield are leading Iowa’s offense during the team’s five-game winning streak.

And they’re doing it together.

“Tyler is a great athlete,” Sargent said.

“He comes in, works hard, and competes.

He just makes the whole running back room better because all of us are striving to be great. He’s very smart and he’s very competitive.

“Throughout the course of [Tyler’s] time here, we’ve done a good job of coaching each other up, it’s not going to always come from Coach Foster. I feel like us being out there as athletes and players, it’s important for us to tell each other what we see or if Tyler’s in getting a rep, I’m going to tell him what I saw as opposed to what he saw if the play goes wrong. That way, we just help each other and progress into the next play.

That’s been the strategy and I feel like it’s been a really great one.”

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Tyler Goodson breaks a tackle during the game against Michigan State on Nov. 7.

6 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020

IOWA HAWKEYES vs. W SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 |

IOWA 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 17 17 18 19 20 21 21 22 25 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 31 32 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 40 41 42 43 44 45

Aaron Blom Nolan Donald Ryan Gersonde Deuce Hogan Keith Duncan Tyrone Tracy, Jr Dane Belton Leshon Williams Jestin Jacobs Ihmir Smith-Marsette Reggie Bracy Spencer Petras Matt Hankins Alex Padilla Jack Combs Tory Taylor Mekhi Sargent Caleb Shudak Connor Kapisak AJ Lawson Brandon Smith Joe Evans Henry Marchese Quavon Matthews Dallas Craddieth Tyler Goodson Charlie Jones Brenden Deasfernandes Wyatt Wegener Diante Vines Max Cooper Keontae Luckett Thomas Hartlieb Ivory Kelly-Martin Terry Roberts Gavin Williams Jamison Heinz Kaevon Merriweather Jermari Harris Jack Johnson Jack Koerner Isaiah Wagner Sebastian Castro Jackson Ritter Quinn Schulte Jack Campbell Djimon Colbert Johnny Plewa Riley Moss Jay Higgins Barrington Wade Mike Timm Kyler Fisher Monte Pottebaum Turner Pallissard Josef Smith Colton Dinsdale Shaun Beyer Matt Lorbeck Seth Benson Deontae Craig

K WR P QB K WR DB RB LB WR DB QB DB QB WR P RB K QB DB WR DE DB WR DB RB WR DB WR WR WR RB DB RB DB RB WR DB DB WR DB WR DB WR WR LB LB FB DB LB LB LB DB FB FB LB FB TE DL LB DL

5-11 5-9 6-4 6-4 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-4 5-9 5-8 6-5 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-5 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-5 6-4 6-0 6-3

188 194 194 213 179 203 205 208 235 179 203 231 180 198 190 225 209 178 209 178 215 248 199 168 196 200 187 176 206 187 192 204 196 204 177 213 200 205 177 190 205 205 197 208 197 243 225 232 191 219 236 234 213 244 248 210 232 248 255 231 249

Fr #Fr Jr Fr Sr Soph Soph Fr #Fr Sr Fr Soph Sr #Fr Jr Fr Sr Sr Soph Fr Sr Soph Jr Fr Soph Soph Jr Fr Fr Fr Sr #Fr #Fr Jr Soph Fr Fr Soph #Fr Fr Jr Fr #Fr #Fr #Fr Soph Jr #Fr Jr Fr Sr Soph #Fr Soph Soph Fr Sr Sr Sr Soph Fr

Oskaloosa, IA Morton, IL Milwaukee, WI Southlake, TX Weddington, NC Camby, IN Tampa, FL Chicago, IL Englewood, OH Newark, NJ Mobile, AL San Rafael, CA Lewisville, TX Greenwood Village, CO Grand Rapids, MI Melbourne, Australia Key West, FL Council Bluffs, IA South Windsor, CT Decatur, IL Lake Cormorant, MS Ames, IA Vernon Hills, IL Largo, FL St Louis, MO Suwanee, GA Deerfield, IL Belleville, MI Algona, IA Danbury, CT Waukesha, WI New London, IA Madison, WI Plainfield, IL Erie, PA Altoona, IA Humboldt, IA Belleville, MI Chicago, IL West Des Moines, IA Des Moines, IA Pleasant Hill, IA Oak Lawn, IL Frankfort, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Falls, IA Shawnee Mission, KS Franklin, WI Ankeny, IA Indianapolis, IN Skokie, IL Delafield, WI Farnhamville, IA Larchwood, IA Frankfort, IL Britt, IA Reinbeck, IA Shellsburg, IA Green Bay, WI Sioux Falls, SD Fort Wayne, IN

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Nick Phelps Logan Klemp Nick Anderson Andrew Wilson Ethan Hurkett Bryce Schulte Nick Niemann Zach Kluver Louie Stec Coy Cronk Asher Fahey Spencer Daufeldt Matt Fagan Daviyon Nixon Luke Empen Nick DeJong Chauncey Golston Clayton Thurm Taylor Fox Noah Fenske Cole Banwart Justin Britt Kyler Schott Tyler Linderbaum Dalles Jacobus Tyler Endres Mark Kallenberger Coy Kirkpatrick Cody Ince Austin Schulte Josh Volk Tyler Elsbury Alaric Jackson Mason Richman Jack Plumb Josiah Miamen Desmond Hutson Alec Kritta Sam LaPorta Austin Spiewak Luke Lachey Logan Lee Jameson Witte Tommy Kujawa Elijah Yelverton Isaiah Bruce Jackson Frericks Nico Ragaini Taajhir McCall Lukas Van Ness John Waggoner Jake Karchinski Yahya Black Logan Jones Lucas Amaya Jack Heflin Liam Reardon Zach VanValkenburg Chris Reames Noah Shannon

P LB LB TE DL TE LB LS DT OL OL DL OL DT OL OL DL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR TE LS TE DL DL TE TE DL TE WR DL DL DL DL DL DL K DL LS DL DL DL

5-10 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-5 6-5 6-1 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-7 6-4 6-3 5-11 6-4 6-1 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-6 6-0 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-4 6-7 6-0

207 232 230 220 245 241 233 195 261 305 270 295 294 305 287 296 270 283 288 307 296 293 293 289 294 310 290 291 285 283 314 302 315 289 293 242 210 190 249 239 237 267 276 237 247 273 215 193 215 259 271 279 279 267 207 312 190 270 255 288

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Kingsley, IA Jewell, IA Waukee, IA Sterling, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Sycamore, IL Ankeny, IA LaGrange Park, IL Lafayette, IN Waukon, IA West Liberty, IA Council Bluffs, IA Kenosha, WI Clinton, IA Pella, IA Detroit, MI Williamsburg, IA Winthrop, IA New Hampton, IA Ottosen, IA Indianapolis, IN Coggon, IA Solon, IA Palo, IA Norwalk, IA Bettendorf, IA Madrid, IA Balsam Lake, WI Pella, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Byron, IL Detroit, MI Leawood, KS Green Bay, WI Peoria, IL Raytown, MO St Charles, IL Highland, IL Rolling Meadows, IL Columbus, OH Orion, IL O’Fallon, MO Greendale, WI Royse City, TX Lena, IL Cedar Falls, IA East Haven, CT Pensacola, FL Barrington, IL West Des Moines, IA DePere, Wis Marshall, MN Council Bluffs, IA Muskego, WI Prophetstown, IL Chicago, IL Zeeland, MI Van Meter, IA Aurora, IL

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020 - 7

WISCONSIN BADGERS KINNICK STADIUM | 2:30 PM | FS1

WISCONSIN 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 24 24 25 25 26 26 28 28 29 30 31 31 32 32 34 34 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 41 42

Faion Hicks Chase Wolf Kendric Pryor Donte Burton Graham Mertz Rachad Wildgoose Dean Engram Danny Davis III Spencer Lytle Jalen Berger Deron Harrell Scott Nelson Stephan Bracey Alexander Smith Daniel Wright Titus Toler Chimere Dike Nakia Watson Danny Vanden Boom John Torchio Jack Dunn Amaun Williams Jack Coan Max Lofy Collin Wilder Nick Herbig Collin Larsh Isaac Guerendo Semar Melvin Cooper Nelson Caesar Williams Haakon Anderson Adam Krumholz Isaac Smith Eric Burrell Travian Blaylock Jack Van Dyke Quan Easterling Gavin Meyers Brady Schipper Tyler Mais Jordan DiBenedetto Madison Cone Julius Davis Marty Strey Mason Stokke Ross Gengler Kobe Knaak Garrett Groshek Riley Nowakowski Dante Caputo Andy Vujnovich Mike Gregoire Tatum Grass Noah Burks Jaylan Franklin

CB QB WR CB QB CB CB WR LB RB CB S WR CB QB S WR RB QB S WR CB QB CB S LB K RB CB WR CB WR WR WR S S K FB K S S WR S RB LB FB LB CB RB LB S P WR LB LB TE

5-10 6-1 5-11 5-10 6-3 5-11 5-9 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-10 5-11 6-8 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-5 6-1 5-7 5-10 6-3 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-4 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-5 6-3 6-1 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-9 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-2 5-9 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-3 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-4

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Jr Soph Sr Soph #Fr Jr #Fr Sr #Fr Fr Jr Jr #Fr Soph Fr #Fr Fr Soph Jr Soph Sr Fr Sr Fr Sr Fr Jr Soph #Fr #Fr Sr Fr Sr Fr Sr Soph Fr #Fr Fr Soph Jr Soph Sr #Fr Soph Sr Fr Sr Sr Fr #Fr Jr Soph #Fr Sr Fr

Miami, FL Cincinnati, OH Hazel Crest, IL Loganville, GA Overland Park, KS Miami, FL Columbia, MD Springfield, OH Redondo Beach, CA Newark, NJ Denver, CO Detroit, MI Grand Rapids, MI Culver City, CA Sergeant Bluff, IA Long Beach, CA Waukesha, WI Austin, TX Kimberly, WI Lafayette, CA Madison, WI Milwaukee, WI Sayville, NY Colorado Springs, CO Katy, TX Kauai, HI Marshall, WI Clayton, IN Pembroke Pines, FL Sun Prairie, WI Grand Prairie, TX Verona, WI Stoughton, WI Memphis, TN Severn, MD Humble, TX Neenah, WI Akron, OH Oshkosh, WI Stoughton, WI Waunakee, WI Stoughton, WI Kernersville, NC Menomonee Falls, WI Sun Prairie, WI Menomonie, WI Delavan, WI Franklin, WI Amherst Junction, WI Milwaukee, WI Pittsburgh, PA Columbus, WI Green Bay, WI Holmen, WI Carmel, IN Brownstown, MI

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Preston Zachman John Chenal Leo Chenal Gabe Lloyd Cole Dakovich Cam Large Logan Brown Izayah Green-May Gio Paez Adam Bay Kaden Johnson Josh Bernhagen Malik Reed Jordan Turner Maema Njongmeta Rodas Johnson Jack Sanborn Mike Maskalunas Aaron Witt Logan Bruss Dylan Barrett Cormac Sampson Tanor Bortolini Peter Bowden Sean Timmis Tyler Beach Jon Dietzen Ben Barten Aaron Vopal Josh Seltzner Cole Van Lanen Kerry Kodanko Michael Furtney Joe Tippmann Michael Balistreri Kayden Lyles Blake Smithback Trey Wedig Jack Nelson Taj Mustapha Jake Ferguson Clay Cundiff Devin Chandler Hayden Rucci A.J. Abbott James Thompson Jr. Bryson Williams Matt Henningsen Garrett Rand Boyd Dietzen Keeanu Benton Cade McDonald Conor Schlichting Isaiahh Loudermilk C.J. Goetz Isaiah Mullens

LB FB LB TE TE TE OL LB DE LS LB LS LB LB LB DE LB LB LB OL OL OL OL LS OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DE OL OL OL OL WR TE TE WR TE WR DE NT DE DE DE NT DE P DE LB DE

6-1 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-2 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-7 6-7 6-0 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-4 6-2 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-4

215 252 250 231 252 257 311 221 305 229 227 245 218 216 220 293 232 231 240 310 306 280 270 217 286 309 319 285 312 327 312 292 307 312 288 321 305 320 289 190 246 251 176 250 192 277 300 286 279 264 315 267 222 293 241 283

Fr Jr Soph Sr Fr Fr #Fr Jr #Fr Sr Fr Sr Fr Fr #Fr #Fr Jr Sr Fr Jr Fr Soph Fr #Fr Fr Jr Sr Fr Jr Jr Sr Fr Soph #Fr Jr Jr Jr Fr Fr Soph Jr #Fr Fr #Fr Soph Fr Jr Jr Sr Soph Soph Fr Jr Sr Soph Soph

Elysburg, PA Grantsburg, WI Grantsburg, WI Green Bay, WI Waukesha, WI Pomfret, CT Grand Rapids, MI Bolingbrook, IL Los Angeles, CA Mesa, AZ St. Paul, MN Madison, WI Chandler, AZ Farmington, MI Buffalo Grove, IL Columbus, OH Deer Park, IL Long Grove, IL Winona, MN Appleton, WI St. Charles, IL Eau Claire, WI Kewaunee, WI San Diego, CA Shorewood, WI Grafton, WI Black Creek, WI Stratford, WI De Pere, WI Columbus, WI Green Bay, WI Green Bay, WI Milan, MI Fort Wayne, IN Grafton, WI Madison, WI Waunakee, WI Oconomowoc, WI Stoughton, WI Southfield, MI Madison, WI Wichita, KS Huntersville, NC Lititz, PA Northville, MI Cincinnati, OH Lincoln, NE Menomonee Falls, WI Chandler, AZ Combined Locks, WI Janesville, WI Houlton, WI Madison, WI Howard, KS Muskego, WI Columbus, OH

8 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020

ONE ON ONE WITH Iowa clinched a share of the Big Ten title by defeating Wisconsin in 2004. DI Pregame Editor Robert Read spoke to Tate about that game and the rivalry with the Badgers.

than some of the other rivalries you guys have against Minneosta or are all those rivalries kind of similar?

DREW TATE

DI: You lost two of your first four that season, including your Big Ten opener, but you won out after that. What allowed the team to get going and get on that streak?

Tate: I think it was our defense, first off. The best defense that I’ve ever seen personally would be our defense that year.

They were at least going to give us an opportunity on offense. We could only take it one game at a time. We tried to make a leap every day. I was only a sophomore at the time. We had a lot of young players on of fense. So it took us a little time to get better. Our defense was lights-out from the beginning.

ROBERT READ

robert-read@uiowa.edu The Daily Iowan: Thinking back to that Iowa-Wisconsin matchup in 2004, do you remember anything leading up to the game, whether it’s in practice or anything that week, knowing what you guys had at stake?

Drew Tate: I know we knew that if we were able to win and Ohio State was able to beat Michigan we were going to be cochamps. At that point we’d won six in a row, we were already kinda rolling. And that’s kinda Iowa football with coach Ferentz.

Playing your best ball by November. We were able to start that off in October, and really hit our stride in November. Especially defensively, we were so good on defense.

Offensively it was one of those, ‘Alright, what are we going to do to win this week?’

We knew they were really good. They were undefeated to start off but lost their previous game against Michigan State. But where we were at in November mentally, we didn’t think anyone could beat us except ourselves.

DI: The touchdown you had at the end of the first half where you spun out of a hit and then threw it, was that all instincts on your part or what did you see on that play?

Tate: Yeah, playing football is pretty much all instincts. That was going in right before half, so I think we might have even been in two-minute mode where we’re just

Tate: It definitely picked up when they brought in the trophy. I think that year was the first year when they brought in the Heartland Trophy. That was a new trophy game. You had the Cy-Hawk and you had the Floyd of Rosedale, and then the Heartland came in. It wasn’t that kind of rivalry trophy game at the time. The best part about it is the managers, they have the biggest rivalry playing for the toolbox.

Aaron Holmgren/The Daily Iowan UI quarterback Drew Tate evades Ohio State defensive end Mike Kudla in the second half of the Hawkeye’s victory over Ohio State on Oct. 16, 2004. Tate passed for 331 yards with three touchdowns, rushed for 24 yards with one touchdown and completed 26 of 39 passing attempts. kinda calling the play out. When the play breaks down or something, you’ve just got to make stuff happen with your feet, that’s your job as a quarterback. Keeping the play alive with your feet at least.

DI: Winning a share of the Big Ten title, and doing it in a game you dominated at Kinnick Stadium against a top-10 team, what was it like to have the trophy presented?

Tate: Yeah that was the pinnacle really…

Winning the Big Ten in Kinnick Stadium like that, with the crowd. That was only my second night game. So I thought that was awesome. It was great for the fans, great for the program, the city, everything. You won a Big Ten Championship on your field. You get to have the trophy presentation with all your fans. That’s what you do it for. I don’t think there’s anything better than that.

DI: I’m sure I’m only the 100th person to ask you something like this, but how often does someone bring up the last-second touchdown in the Capital One Bowl? Can you even go a week without hearing something about it?

ning back Tom Busch] like, ‘Dude can you believe this? We’re about to win a Big Ten championship right here.’ We knew before the game started that Ohio State had won.

We were so focused by that point that it didn’t matter. A meteorite could have hit in Chicago and it wouldn’t have affected us in Iowa City one bit. We were so focused at that point.

Tate: In the spring and the summer it dies down a little bit. But during football season it picks up. That was cool. It was obviously amazing. The best part about it was that it was Warren Holloway’s only touchdown. People are always like, ‘Oh man, that was you?’ It’s just one of those things where you watch it like, ‘What are y’all doing? Oh my God you just won the game.’”

DI: Obviously you guys had plenty of motivation for what you could do as a team, was there any extra factor that you guys beating Wisconsin prevented them from going to the Rose Bowl?

DI: This is a question I have to ask whenever I talk to guys from older Iowa teams, I talked to Pat Angerer and Marvin McNutt and some other guys from that 2009 team last season and they were propping the 2009 team up as the best under Kirk Ferentz. When you talk to guys from other teams, is there any argument about things like that or do you stay out of it?

DI: In the second half of a game like that when you’ve pretty much taken control, did you ever catch yourself thinking, ‘We’re about to be conference champs’ or does that not really kick in until the game is over?

Tate: Me as a player, and I think coach Ferentz and his staff, it’s never been about anyone else. It’s about us and what we do and how we do it. Because if we do what we do, we’ll be fine. We don’t want others to dictate what we do. Our motivation was beating them and winning a Big Ten Championship on our field. We never thought anything about them, or preventing them from doing something. Because it’s not about them. The only team we thought could beat us was ourselves.

Tate: By the fourth quarter, I remember having a conversion with [former Iowa run-

DI: What was it like playing in the Iowa-Wisconsin rivalry? Is it any different

Tate: I don’t think you can really compare the teams. All the teams that won are good.

I mean there’s only two Kirk Ferentz teams that have won Big Ten championships, so I think those sort of stand alone to be honest with you.

Go to dailyiowan.com to read the full interview.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020 - 9

SCOUTING REPORT

WISCONSIN ISAAC GOFFIN isaac-goffin@uiowa.edu

The Wisconsin Badgers (2-2) have been playing on and off in 2020, literally.

Wisconsin’s first game of the season was against Illinois, which it won 45-7, but the Badgers canceled their contests against Nebraska and Purdue because of positive COVID-19 tests within their program.

The Badgers won their next game at Michigan, 49-11, and then lost at North-

western, 17-7. Their next opponent, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, had COVID-19 issues in their program. The Golden Gophers were forced to cancel the game.

Last week, the Badgers did get their game in against the No. 12 Indiana Hoosiers in Madison. Though the Hoosiers were without their starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., they got past the Badgers and won 14-6.

Though the Badgers have played four games, there is enough information for Iowa to know what it will be facing Saturday.

For one, Badgers redshirt freshman starting quarterback Graham Mertz has slowed down since the season started.

After having an amazing five touchdown performance and completing 20-of-21 of his passes in the season opener, Mertz SEE SCOUTING REPORT, 10

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa and Wisconsin line up before a play during a football game between Iowa and Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison Nov. 9, 2019. The Badgers defeated the Hawkeyes, 24-22.

10 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020

SCOUTING REPORT CONTINUED FROM 9

Tight end Jake Ferguson, a junior, is the Badgers’ leading receiver. He has 235 receiving yards and four touchdowns so far, and three of the touchhasn’t reached 10 touchdowns this sea- downs came against Illinois. Wisconsin son. has two other players with over 100 reHe threw three interceptions at ceiving yards — receivers Chimere Dike Northwestern and didn’t throw a (121) and Kendric Pryor (119). touchdown against Indiana. Mertz isn’t Defensively, the Badgers have ala great runner, and the Badgers have lowed only 12.25 points per game, sugallowed nine sacks in 2020. With the gesting the Hawkeye matchup could be Hawkeye defense showing they can de- a low-scoring, gritty game. fend opposing quarterbacks, as well as Forcing turnovers hasn’t been Wisget sacks, they should have an oppor- consin’s strong suit. Against Northtunity to show that again western and Indiana, Wisagainst the Badgers. consin forced one turnover Though Mertz isn’t Wisconsin’s defense in each of those games, contributing much to the which wasn’t good considerrunning game — unlike is only allowing 12.25 ing it committed five turnthe recent quarterbacks points per game overs against Northwestern Iowa has faced — the Badand two against Indiana. gers have other players that do. AveragQuarterbacks haven’t had a great ing 199.8 yards per game, the running time throwing the ball against Wiscongame is led by redshirt freshman Jalen sin, as the Badgers defense has allowed Berger. He has 267 yards on the ground 157 passing yards and 1.25 passing with one touchdown this season. touchdowns per game.

That number may seem low, but he Their rushing defense has been averaged 5.9 yards per carry, and he strong also. Allowing 2.9 rushing yards didn’t play in the first game. Sopho- per attempt, no opponent has scored more Nakia Watson is the team’s sec- a rushing touchdown. Iowa’s running ond leading rusher at 162 yards. back duo of Tyler Goodson and Mekhi

12.25

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan

Iowa wideout Tyrone Tracy, Jr. runs after a catch during a football game between Iowa and Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Nov. 9, 2019. The Badgers defeated the Hawkeyes, 24-22.

Sargent has scored 13 combined touchdowns in 2020, so it should be a contrasting matchup.

On special teams, punter Andy Vu-

jnovich has averaged 42.5 yards per punt, and kicker Collin Larsh has gone 3-for-3 on field attempts. Larsh’s longest field goal this season was 29 yards.

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The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020 - 11

MATCHUPS AUSTIN HANSON austin-hanson@uiowa.edu

POWER RANKINGS

Can COVID-19 be declared the winner of the Big Ten? Minnesota @ Nebraska 11 a.m. | FS1

Matchup between two programs that think they’re better than they actually are.

D E L CE

Michigan @ No. 4 Ohio State 11 a.m. | FOX

CAN

The only way Michigan “wins” in this scenario is if this game isn’t played.

Michigan would avoid a blowout loss and render the Buckeyes ineligible (maybe?) for the Big Ten Championship Game.

Illinois @ No. 14 Northwestern 11 a.m. | ESPN 2

Illinois will probably win this game just to keep the Hawkeyes and their fans asking “what if” until next season rolls around.

Rutgers at Maryland 11 a.m. | BTN

Do people actually acknowledge that these two schools are in the Big Ten? Should these institutions be in the Big Ten? These are the questions I need answered.

Wisconsin @ No. 16 Iowa 2:30 p.m. | FS1 or BTN

This game should’ve been a primetime showdown for a Big Ten West title. Instead, it features a Badger team that’s ineligible for the Big Ten Championship Game and an Iowa team that can’t win the West.

D E L CE

Purdue @ Indiana 2:30 p.m. | BTN

CAN

Can this game really be a battle to see which team is the best in the state of Indiana if Notre Dame isn’t playing?

Michigan State @ Penn State 2:30 p.m. | ESPN

Both of these teams have supplied Iowa fans with a great deal of scar tissue in the last five years or so, but not this season.

1) Ohio State

The Buckeyes aren’t CFP material.

There, I said it.

2) Indiana

No Penix, no problem.

3) Northwestern

Not my Big Ten West champion.

4) Iowa

We all know this is the team that should’ve won the Big Ten West this year.

5) Wisconsin

It’s week eight of the Big Ten football season, and Wisconsin is 2-2.

6) Maryland

Maryland hasn’t played enough games to even qualify for an eye test.

7) Minnesota

CAUTION: NO TEAMS WITH A WINNING RECORD BEYOND THIS POINT.

8) Illinois

I thought this team was dangerous. Last weekend’s game has proven me so wrong.

9) Nebraska

Painful to put the Cornhuskers this high.

10) Purdue

How did Iowa lose to this team?

11) Rutgers

Sing us a song, you’re the Schiano man.

12) Michigan State

SPARTY ON!? Nah, SPARTY OFF.

13) Penn State

Thankfully, we AREN’T Penn State.

14) Michigan

What are the Wolverines waiting for?

Fire Jim Harbaugh already.

12 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 11, 2020

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