Hawkeyes hope momentum carries
over to this season
Editor's Note: This is part three of a 10-part
series examining every football team in the Big Ten other than Purdue.
The Purdue preview Tailgate Guide will appear Aug. 31.
 By
Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor
Just when things started well for the Iowa football
team, the season was over, and the Hawkeyes had nothing to do but prepare
for this season.
But the confidence the team gained from winning
two of its last three games, including a 27-17 win over eventual conference
tri-champion Northwestern, carried over to the offseason. The bad memories
from the season in which the Hawkeyes went 3-9 were erased, and all
that remained were the positive ones.
"With the Northwestern game and the way we finished
the entire second half, we started feeling that momentum and started
feeling like we can beat the good teams in the Big Ten," defensive lineman
Aaron Kampman said.
After a positive spring, the team went through
a weightlifting program consisting of four weeks of lifting, a week
off, four more weeks of lifting and so on. According to Kampman, Iowa
improved more than its physical strength this summer.
"Everything worked great this summer," he said.
"Our chemistry this year is going to be excellent. We love each other."
Kampman, a 6-foot-4, 288-pound senior who has gained
40 pounds since coming to Iowa, said this offseason was the best he's
been a part of.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, in his third year at Iowa,
said his team is excited heading into this season.
"I think we went into last season and we were a
little inexperienced in a couple of positions," Ferentz said. "Both
our lines weren't at the standard we wanted them to be at and in our
secondary we had some concerns, graduating three seniors."
This year Iowa returns eight of 11 starters on
both sides of the ball, including five honorable mention All-Big Ten
selections — Kampman, running back Ladell Betts, receiver Kahlil
Hill, guard Bruce Nelson and defensive back Bob Sanders.
One of those 16 starters, senior quarterback Kyle
McCann, may not return to his position right away though. Sophomore
Jon Beutjer has been seriously challenging McCann for the starting spot.
"You can look at it as a controversy or as a problem,"
Ferentz said. "I think it's a good thing for us right now."
Last season senior Scott Mullen started the first
four games but got benched; Beutjer, a freshman at the time, started
the next four but got injured; and McCann started the final four. McCann
had the best record, 2-2, as a starter among the three. Beutjer, however,
had a higher efficiency rating — 129.16, compared to McCann's 117.58
— and averaged more yards per game (210.3 to 143.7).
"I think everyone involved feels good about those
guys," Ferentz said.
No matter who plays quarterback, they'll be handing
the ball off to Iowa's best all-around athlete, Betts. The senior ran
for 1,090 yards and five touchdowns last season behind an inexperienced
offensive line.
The running game could be Iowa's strength as four
of five starters from the offensive line return.
"We have really gone through a growing process
over the last season," Ferentz said. "We feel we are a more experienced
team so we are looking forward to getting going."
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