Iowa got a timely boost out of the bye week, and L.J. Phillips Jr. appears ready to take advantage of it.
The fourth-year running back was shaken up late in the Hawkeyes’ 41-24 win at Washington after being thrown to the ground once the play was already over. He left the field limping, and on Tuesday he explained that the issue was a small re-aggravation of the ankle injury that had already sidelined him for a stretch earlier this season.
The good news for Iowa is that Phillips said he’ll be available Saturday against Minnesota. That means the Hawkeyes should have their full group of skill-position players for the rivalry game.
Phillips has had a stop-and-start start to his Iowa career, with the ankle injury from Week 1 keeping him out until the Ohio State game. Even with the interruptions, he has flashed when he’s been on the field. Through the season, Phillips has 18 carries for 63 yards, including 10 rushes for 42 yards against Washington.
The South Dakota transfer brought plenty of production with him after rushing for 1,920 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. At 5-foot-8, he was a major addition for Kirk Ferentz through the transfer portal.
Iowa is still waiting for Phillips to settle into a rhythm, but his return matters. When he’s healthy, he can change the shape of this offense, and after the bye, the Hawkeyes are hoping that version shows up down the stretch.
In Other News...
P.J. Fleck Just Raised The Stakes For Kirk Ferentz And Iowa
The build-up to Iowas meeting with Minnesota already carried plenty of weight, and P.J. Fleck added another layer by putting Kirk Ferentz in rare company. Fleck called Ferentz one of the greatest football coaches and pointed to the steadiness and adaptability that have defined nearly three decades in Iowa City, a nod that fits the stakes of a rivalry game that usually reveals plenty about where both teams stand.
Ferentz, meanwhile, is preparing for the kind of opponent he knows well: veteran, physical and thoroughly coached. With both teams coming in off recent performances that have shaped their early-season records, the conversation around this one is less about hype than about proof, and Iowa now has a chance to answer a compliment with a result when the rivalry lands on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Secondary Could Get A Needed Boost Before Minnesota
Zach Lutmers status is one of the quieter but more important developments as Iowa gets ready for Minnesota. The safety was hurt against Washington, but after the bye week he said he was feeling significantly better, which matters for a defense already operating without another starting safety in Tyler Brown. For an Iowa unit that leans so heavily on sound coverage and tackling, getting even a little healthier in the back end can change how the whole defense functions.
The timing is especially relevant with Minnesota next on the schedule, because the Hawkeyes are built to make teams work for every yard and to force opponents into a style they prefer. Stopping the run remains the first priority, but Iowa also needs its secondary to hold up if the game becomes about limiting space and winning late downs. Lutmers progress gives the Hawkeyes at least a reason to think the back end could be closer to full strength when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Minnesota Formula Comes Down To 3 Hawkeyes
Iowas prep for Minnesota has settled into the kind of rivalry-week basics the Hawkeyes trust most: run the ball, get steadier play at quarterback and try to create the turnover or two that can swing a close game. In a matchup with that kind of margin for error, the spotlight naturally lands on a few players who can shape the tone on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback Drake Lindsey and running back Xavier Williams.
Lindseys ability to keep Iowa moving on offense, Williams importance in the ground game and Deshaun Lees role in the secondary all feel central to how this one could unfold. With Minnesota looming, Iowas path looks tied to whether those three can tilt the game in the areas the Hawkeyes value most, even if the final answer will only come once the rivalry kicks off. [Read more 🡒]