Iowa City Today

Kirk Ferentz, head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, addressed the media on September 2, reflecting on his team's recent performance and looking ahead to their upcoming matchup against Iowa State.

Ferentz began by expressing satisfaction with his team's preparation and effort in their last game. He noted several positive aspects, including the play of special teams and the offensive line's tempo. However, he acknowledged there are still areas that need improvement as the season progresses.

The team is now focused on preparing for their first road game against Iowa State. Ferentz named Ethan Hurkett, Koen Entringer, Logan Jones, and Mark Gronowski as captains for the week. On the injury front, Kamari Moulton, Vander Zee, and Bryce George will not be available for the next game.

Ferentz praised Iowa State's strong start to the season and described them as a well-coached team with depth in key positions. He highlighted their experienced offensive line and quarterback play. "They're off to a really good start, not a big surprise. They're a really good football team, worthy of their ranking," Ferentz said.

He also spoke about the significance of having two competitive college football programs in Iowa. "For a state of our size to have two programs that are really strong programs I think is a credit to everybody involved," Ferentz stated.

When asked about player development between games one and two, Ferentz said: "I think it can be, but it's not automatic... Getting on the field, having that first game experience is really critical, and then if you take something out of that and learn from it... hopefully you're taking a step forward."

Ferentz commented on former Iowa coach George Raveling’s passing: "I'm sorry to hear that. I have his book in my office... People that knew him better just say what an amazing human being he was." He shared an anecdote about Raveling’s support for student-athletes during his time at Iowa.

Discussing quarterback Mark Gronowski’s performance and mindset after his first game at Iowa, Ferentz observed: "What we saw Saturday was a guy who wants to really do well... But my take was he was a little bit anxious and pressing too hard." He expressed confidence in Gronowski's ability to lead moving forward.

On running back Kamari Moulton’s recovery timeline following injury, Ferentz estimated: "Probably a couple weeks... But definitely not this week. He's doing fine, but it's going to take some time."

Ferentz evaluated his secondary’s readiness against Iowa State’s passing attack: "We're going to find out... The common denominator there is the quarterback. He's done a really good job. He plays like a veteran." He emphasized that both teams have changed since last year.

Asked about three offensive linemen gaining significant playing experience—Trevor Lauck, Gennings Dunker (Dotzler), and Rusty Feth (Pieper)—Ferentz responded: "I was pleased... It's going to keep getting tougher as we go along, but I think they got some confidence out of what they did."

Regarding running back rotation with Moulton sidelined, Ferentz said: "I thought all three guys did a nice job on Saturday... My guess is we're going to need all four of them moving forward."

Finally, when asked how he balances professional responsibilities with mentoring young athletes over 27 years as head coach—and being one of the highest-paid public employees in Iowa—Ferentz explained: "My approach when I got here 27 years ago... my goal was to build this hopefully like a good high school football program." He added: "The best part about football is the people that you get to work with and the day-to-day..."

As both teams prepare for another close contest—the past five meetings have been decided by an average margin of four points—Ferentz underscored the importance of continued growth and preparation.