Iowa Week

 Q.  Danny, with facing an Iowa team, you're going against a quarterback who has been very accurate and very efficient, especially with his touchdown/interception ratio.  What makes him so impressive?
 COACH HOPE:  Iowa has great balance offensively.  Starts with their offensive line.  Quick with their stance, great technicians.  They have a very strong running game, excellent running back, a thousand-yard rusher a guy that can take over a game in a lot of ways.  They have an outstanding receiver, leading receiver in the history of their school, one of the great receivers in the country.  His numbers will speak for themselves. 
 The quarterback is efficient, with all the balance he has around him, the quality of execution around the quarterback really heightens his performance in a lot of ways.  He's very accurate with his passes.  They very seldom turn the ball over.  He's thrown maybe 20 touchdowns, has had only maybe half a dozen picks.  I think his numbers speak for themselves. 
 He manages their offense superbly.  He's a heck of a football player.  They'll be a huge challenge for our defense because they're balanced their attack.  

 Q.  With McNutt, the receiver who is averaging 17 yards a catch, is he doing that because of his speed ability or his ability to get yards off the catch? 
 COACH HOPE:  He has it all.  He has really good size, really good speed.  We think he's one of the best receivers we have faced all season long, certainly one of the best receivers we faced all season long.  He makes great catches, sure-handed.  Makes people miss in space.  He can be a physical runner with the ball if he needs to.  I think he has it all, a total package as a receiver. 

 Q.  Short gets a lot of credit on the defensive line.  Gaston, the way he played with that blocked extra point, can you talk about him. 
 COACH HOPE:  Bruce is gaining some momentum in his game.  The last year he started for us as a true freshman, he made great progress throughout the course of the season.  Came into the 2011 season, possibly the best pair of defensive tackles in the league with he and Short in the lineup. 
 Bruce injured his back early in camp in our two-a-days, struggled with lower back issues in the early part of the season.  That negated some of the reps he got in practice at a very important time
of the year where you really have to push yourself in practice, practice yourself into game shape in the 100 degree weather of camp. 
 Thought he started the season off slow.  Took us longer to get him into game shape.  I think he has a lot of personal pride about him and wanted to step his game up and finish strong the last half of the season. 
 The last couple games he's made real progress.  The last game I think was the best he played all year long.