IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa opens the season against Illinois State in Iowa City on Saturday. The game will be the first time in his 26-year tenure that Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz won't be on the sidelines.
Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr are each serving a one-game suspension Saturday for committing a recruiting violation. But the Hawkeyes aren't thinking about Ferentz' absence.
"We're focusing on trying to go out there and get a win," senior defensive lineman Deontae Craig told Local 5. "I mean, if you overthink it too much, it could turn into a distraction. And I mean, I know that nobody in the building wants to go out there and start off the season with a loss."
Here's what else fans can expect.
- Illinois State at No. 25 Iowa, Saturday, 11 a.m. CT (Big Ten Network)
- BetMGM College Football Odds: No line.
- Series record: Iowa leads 1-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Iowa got all it could handle the last time it played an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision, winning 7-3 over South Dakota State in the 2022 opener. The Hawkeyes will be without coach Kirk Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr. They'll serve self-imposed one-game suspensions for committing a recruiting violation. Seth Wallace will be acting head coach. The Redbirds last played a Big Ten opponent in 2022, losing 38-0 at Wisconsin.
KEY MATCHUP
Iowa fans get their first look at the offense under new coordinator Tim Lester, who takes over for the fired Brian Ferentz after the Hawkeyes ranked last and second-to-last in yards per game the last two years. QB Cade McNamara, whose season ended in the fifth game because of a major knee injury, returns as the starter. The Redbirds bring back nine of their top 11 tacklers from the defense that allowed 20.5 points per game to rank 22nd in the FCS.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Illinois State: LB Amir Abdullah is one of the most disruptive defenders in the FCS. Last season he had 9.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss among his 64 total stops. He also had three quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.
Iowa: TE Luke Lachey passed on declaring for the NFL draft and returns from the knee injury that knocked him out for the season in the third game.
FACTS & FIGURES
Iowa has been ranked in the preseason five straight years, matching the longest streak in program history (1957-61). ... Kamari Moulton is listed as the No. 1 running back on the Iowa depth chart ahead of veterans Leshon Williams and Kaleb Johnson. Ferentz said Williams has been battling a nagging injury and Moulton merits the job for being consistently sharp at practice. ... The Hawkeyes have allowed fewer than 20 points per game in eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the nation. ... Illinois State had not named a starting quarterback as of midweek. It will be either 2023 backup Tommy Rittenhouse or Kansas State transfer Jake Rubley.