BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Iowa's mistake-prone ways over the last two games has coach Kirk Ferentz slightly concerned, although his team showed last week it could earn a Big Ten win on the road despite playing far from perfect. The Hawkeyes will attempt to continue their best start since winning 12 in a row to begin 2015 on Saturday when they visit Indiana.
TV: Noon ET, ESPN2. LINE: Iowa -5.5.
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Despite forcing a season-high four turnovers and amassing more than 400 total yards of offense, Ferentz lamented Iowa's two giveaways that led to 14 of Minnesota's first 24 points before his team buckled down for a 48-31 victory. "There were two critical errors that made this game tougher than it needed to be, but the good news is we played through those things. I am not saying we gave them 14 points, but we set the ball up on the tee for them for two touchdowns," Ferentz said one week after the Hawkeyes committed three turnovers in a loss to No. 10 Wisconsin. The Hoosiers hung with No. 3 Ohio State for a little over three quarters last weekend before falling 49-26, allowing Heisman hopeful Dwayne Haskins to tie multiple single-game school passing records while also throwing for a career-high 455 yards. "No moral victories - that's in the past. We didn't execute to our standard all the time and it cost us in some critical situations. But the kids battled. Proud of that," Indiana coach Tom Allen said.
ABOUT IOWA (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)
Junior Nate Stanley threw for four touchdowns last weekend to increase his career total to 35, two shy of tying Chuck Hartlieb (1995-98) for seventh in program history. Junior Noah Fant collected his 17th career TD reception last weekend, extending his own personal school record for a tight end while moving into a tie with Wisconsin's Jacob Pedersen (2010-13) for third place in Big Ten history for a tight end. Junior defensive end Anthony Nelson was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week after notching three of the Hawkeyes' five sacks versus Minnesota, while true freshman cornerback Riley Moss took home freshman of the week honors after recording two of Iowa's four interceptions in his first career start.
ABOUT INDIANA (4-2, 1-2)
Peyton Ramsey set career highs with 322 yards passing while tying another with three touchdowns versus the Buckeyes; the sophomore quarterback ranks eighth in FBS in completions (141) and second in the Big Ten in TD passes (11). Junior Nick Westbrook eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark for the fourth time in his career, while senior J-Shun Harris II set career highs with eight receptions and 104 yards receiving. Running back Stevie Scott enjoyed his finest day in three conference games with 64 yards rushing, but he has run for only 254 yards in the last four contests overall since rushing for 204 - three shy of a school record for a true freshman - in his second career game against Virginia on Sept. 8.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Iowa is second in the conference in total defense (272.4 yards), rushing defense (84.4) and passing defense (188.0), leaving it as the only Big Ten school to rank in the top two in all three categories.
2. Scott ranks second among FBS freshmen with 107 carries and third with 528 rushing yards.
3. The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten with 18 sacks, notching at least three in four of their first five games.
PREDICTION: Iowa 34, Indiana 27