SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
The intelligence and passing ability of QB Drew Tate has kept this unit riding high through the injury problems at running back. Tate's steady development and heady play made Iowa's season a success. He was the Big Ten's second-highest rated passer with a mark of 133.6, earning first-team all-conference honors as selected by the coaches.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
The Hawkeyes play great team defense, giving up just 289.1 yards per game and ranking 10th nationally overall. DT Jonathan Babineaux, LBs Abdul Hodge and Chad Greenway and FS Sean Considine are all big-time hitters. To beat LSU, the Hawkeyes are going to have to play a physical game from start to finish.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"This is a good job. People forget that we've got 15 years invested here. In our adult lives, we haven't lived anywhere as long as we've lived in Iowa. If you do your research, for me to walk into a team meeting saying I'm going somewhere else -- I need a pretty compelling reason. I'm not saying there would never be that reason, but I don't know what that would be right this second." -- Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on why he continues to stay at Iowa despite frequent offers to coach elsewhere

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