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National Ranking for Hawkeyes
The
national ranking listed next to the University of Iowa football team
shows the Hawkeyes are doing something right in 2015, but it doesn't
mean much more than that heading into Week 6.
Iowa is ranked
22nd in The Associated Press and 23rd in the coaches' poll heading into
Saturday's Homecoming matchup against Illinois (4-1, 1-0). It is the
program's first AP ranking since 2010 -- a span of 75 weeks.
"It
feels good (to be ranked), but at this point, it doesn't really mean
too much," said senior center Austin Blythe. "It means a lot more at
the end of the season after all the games are played."
Junior
quarterback C.J. Beathard doesn't think the ranking will affect the
team's mindset because the unpredictability of college football (and UI
head coach Kirk Ferentz) keeps the players grounded.
"We're
handling (being ranked) well," said Beathard, who is undefeated in the
first six starts of his Hawkeye career. "We have a level head on our
shoulders.
"Coach Ferentz is making sure we don't get our
heads too high. He has preached to us and we all know we are one game
into Big Ten play. We still have seven Big Ten games left, so it's
still too early to look at any picture now. We're focusing on the next
game and taking it one game at a time. Hopefully we continue to win
games."
The Hawkeyes needed a different formula to notch their
fifth win -- a 10-6 Big Ten-opening victory Oct. 3 at Wisconsin. Iowa's
defense rose to the occasion, holding the Badgers to two field goals to
pick up an Iowa offense that was grounded to the tune of 221 yards.
"It
showed a lot of fight in us and our willingness to win," said Beathard.
"We feel like we can go out there and if the offense is struggling like
it did (at Wisconsin) the defense will pick us up. Same thing goes if
the defense struggles.
"We're handling (being ranked) well. We have a level head on our shoulders."
UI junior C.J. Beathard
"That shows how close we are as a team. We feel good and we have a lot of confidence and trust in each other."
The
Hawkeyes look to run their record to 6-0 against a team coming to
Kinnick Stadium on an emotional high. Illinois scored two fourth
quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner with 10 seconds
remaining, to rally past Nebraska, 14-13, on Oct. 3.
"They're
an improved team this year, especially defensively," Blythe said of an
Illinois team that Iowa defeated 30-14 last season in Champaign. "They
do a lot of things better and are coming off an emotional win, so
they're going to be ready to go."
Illinois' defense has
sparked the turnaround. After ranking outside the top 100 a season ago,
the Fighting Illini are 21st in total defense (303.4 yards per game)
and 23rd in scoring defense (17.8 points). Illinois has forced 10
turnovers in five contests.
"They're a more disciplined,
better fundamentally sound group," said Blythe. "They're another
high-effort group, and we have to finish plays."
Ranking or no ranking, Beathard is making sure the Hawkeyes are staying in the present.
"It
doesn't matter who we're playing, we have to stay grounded," he said.
"Anybody can beat anybody in this league; there is no game you can
overlook. We've seen that in college football this season.
"We've
done a good job so far, but there is so much more we can do. We can't
get complacent. We have to continue to get better because the sky is
the limit for us."
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