IOWA CITY- Iowa is heading into Big Ten play with its first road trip of the season, and Kirk Ferentz knows exactly what’s waiting at the other end.
The No. 17 Hawkeyes travel to No.
18 Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 26, with quarterback Hank Brown making his first road start for Iowa. Ferentz met with reporters Tuesday, Sept. 22, and spent much of the session laying out just how demanding the matchup figures to be - while also offering a few encouraging updates on injured players.
Ferentz didn’t dress it up. He called the trip to the Big House a “tough challenge” and said Michigan has consistently been a difficult opponent during his time in Iowa City.
“It’s going to be a really tough challenge, on all three levels,” Ferentz said. “They’re good in all three phases, do a good job offensively, defensively, play really hard on special teams.”
One of the biggest issues for Iowa’s defense will be Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, whom Ferentz described as a threat both as a passer and when he gets loose outside the pocket. His message to the Hawkeyes was straightforward: stay disciplined and handle your own responsibility.
“Two weeks ago, the Oklahoma game, where they let him (Underwood) or somebody else get outside, and if you do that, they’ve got the ability to get out there and do damage,” Ferentz said.
Ferentz also said the injury picture around the Hawkeyes is trending in the right direction. He described the situation as “fairly optimistic” and said several players are making progress.
“I think everybody appears to be working back,” Ferentz said. “DJ (Vonnahme), Kamari (Moulton), L.J. (Phillips), those guys are all working back.”
He also addressed defensive lineman Bryce Hawthorne, who exited the UNI game after an illegal block. Ferentz said the low block was not intentional and added that he even received a text from the UNI line coach checking on Hawthorne.
“He was fine yesterday and on the field Monday morning,” Ferentz said. “We dodged a bullet on that one, fortunately.”
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It fits the family history, too. Jackson is the son of Fred Jackson, the former Coe College standout who went from unrecruited long shot to a nine-season NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, and Braeden followed a similarly determined path after a strong high school career as both a football player and track star. He chose to walk on at Iowa in part because of his fathers connection to the coaching staff, and performances like this only deepen the sense that the Hawkeyes may have found another name worth remembering. [Read more 🡒]
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The broader upset board stretches beyond the spotlight games, with Tulsa over Arkansas also getting a look as part of the Week 4 analysis. For Iowa followers, the Michigan angle is the one that stands out most, since it fits the usual Hawkeye appetite for a game that could turn on field position, execution, and one swing sequence. The story also folds in a sportsbook promotion, but the real draw is the same one that keeps these September columns relevant - identifying where the early-season hierarchy might crack before the rest of the country catches up. [Read more 🡒]