Iowa City Today

Kirk Ferentz, head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes men's football team, addressed the media on September 9 to discuss the team's recent performance and upcoming challenges.

Ferentz began by reflecting on the team's most recent game, noting that while he was pleased with their preparation and effort, there were still areas needing improvement. "As I said Saturday, it was good to get the win first and foremost. Overall I was pleased with the guys' preparation. I thought our guys were focused and certainly gave great effort, and really it's the first time we've gone through game competition, live work and various situations that come up," Ferentz stated.

He acknowledged positive aspects such as special teams play and tackling but emphasized ongoing development: "A lot of things there, certainly a lot of things to get better at, and now the whole idea is to push to improve, like it is every week basically."

Looking ahead to their next matchup against Iowa State, Ferentz announced that team captains would be Ethan Hurkett, Koen Entringer, Logan Jones, and Mark Gronowski. He also provided an injury update: Kamari Moulton will not play in the upcoming game; Vander Zee and Bryce George are also out due to injuries.

Ferentz described Iowa State as a strong opponent off to a promising start this season after impressive performances against Kansas State and South Dakota. He highlighted their experience across all three phases of play: "Overall, a really well-coached team. They're good where it counts and veteran where it counts, and strong in all three phases."

On offense, Ferentz noted Iowa State's depth along the offensive line and experience at quarterback. Defensively, he observed that although there are fewer returning starters this year for Iowa State, many players have significant playing time from previous seasons.

Special teams were also mentioned as a key component for both programs: "They're an outstanding special teams group as well... Both teams I think work hard at that. A good match-up that way."

The weekly Kid Captain honor went to James Hall from Dyersville—a young child undergoing ongoing treatment for brain tumors.

Ferentz took a moment to recognize the strength of football 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... Both our teams have a high percentage of guys on the roster from the state of Iowa."

He predicted another close contest between Iowa and Iowa State based on recent history: "Five of the last five games have been separated by four points on the average."

When asked about player development from week one to week two—an oft-cited period for growth—Ferentz replied: "I think it can be [true], but it's not automatic... Getting on the field, having that first game experience is really critical..."

The news conference also included comments about former University of Iowa basketball coach George Raveling following his death earlier in the day. Ferentz shared memories about Raveling’s impact: "People that knew him better just say what an amazing human being he was... Sorry to hear that."

Regarding quarterback Mark Gronowski's performance after his first start at Iowa, Ferentz said: "My take was he was a little bit anxious and pressing too hard... Good to get that first game done, and really looking forward to him leading the team Saturday." He added later regarding Gronowski's mindset since Saturday's game: "Same as he was before. It wasn't how he wanted to play... But he's going to be fine."

On injuries within his squad—specifically Kamari Moulton—Ferentz estimated recovery could take several weeks but did not commit firmly on timing.

Discussing improvements needed in pass defense after last year's challenges against Rocco Becht’s passing attack from Iowa State, Ferentz commented: “We're going to find out... The common denominator there is the quarterback. He's done a really good job.”

Questions about running back rotation prompted Ferentz’s assessment: “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…”

When asked about balancing responsibilities as both coach and mentor over 27 years at Iowa—and being one of the highest-paid public employees in state—Ferentz reflected: “My approach when I got here 27 years ago… my goal was to build this hopefully like a good high school football program… The best part about football is the people that you get to work with…”

The Hawkeyes will face their first road test against ranked rival Iowa State later this week.