Tuesday's Quotebook: Ferentz Says Running Game Is A Block Party

Iowa's running game is one of the best in the Big Ten through the first four games of the season.

The Hawkeyes are averaging 217.5 yards per game, fourth best in the conference. Mekhi Sargent is seventh in the conference in rushing yards at 74.8 per game.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said on Tuesday that kind of yardage comes from blocking, but not just from the offensive line.

"So far, four games into it, our line has done a pretty good job, but the level of competition goes up this week, certainly," Ferentz said, previewing Saturday's 11 a.m. game at Michigan. "I'll also throw in our receivers — I think they're doing a good job. Brandon Smith in particular is doing a nice job, coming in there, digging safeties out, those types of things, and we've talked about this pretty consistently probably since the end of spring ball."

It also helps that Sargent and Toren Young, both juniors, have plenty of game experience, as is Ivory Kelly-Martin, who hasn't seen many carries but is still a key part of the group. Freshman Tyler Goodson also has been impressive to start the season.

"I think we've seen a lot of progress with our running backs and receivers, and certainly the older three guys are the same three guys they were a year ago, but they're better football players than last season at any time," Ferentz said.

"And then you throw Goodson in there, too, he's giving us a little juice. But I think all those guys — at least the three returning guys — are playing better now than they have at any time in their career, and that's the key to success for any football team is guys moving forward and improving."

Other quotes from Tuesday:

• Iowa has had big wins over Michigan that have often led to big seasons.

The last win over the Wolverines came in 2016 on Keith Duncan's last-second field goal for a 14-13 victory.

"They are a premier program in the history of college football," Ferentz said. "I mean, it's in the numbers. It documents it. There are a very small, maybe handful plus, teams that can say that, and they're one of them. It's on paper, and more importantly it's on the field. When you look at their teams, it's hard to find a team that's struggled. It's just really hard to find one."

• Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley is in his third season as a starter, and Ferentz thinks that could play a key part of Saturday's game.

"That experience I think certainly helped him on the road last time out," Ferentz said, referring to Iowa's 18-17 win at Iowa State on Sept. 14. "That was a really tough environment. Again, I say people outside of the state really can't appreciate ... I think people around here get it, but that's a tough place for us to play, just like I think it's tough when they come here.

"So the intensity of that series and being on the road and the conditions there, that's really great preparation for playing in tough stadiums in our conference. Again, having a veteran quarterback I think is certainly a plus. It doesn't guarantee anything, but it's certainly a plus."

• Stanley, of course, isn't the only veteran on this team.

Ferentz pointed at that Iowa State win as a sign of the Hawkeyes' maturity.

"Maturity helps. Experience and maturity help," Ferentz said. "But really the trick is just to focus on the game, as simple as that sounds. But it's like everything. Focusing on what's important, it's tougher and tougher to do than any one time we've ever had probably, so I think that's really the key is understanding that once the game gets going, it's all about the game, and it's all about our preparation and staying focused on that. I think that's probably the biggest thing.

"But it's no different than a couple weeks ago. If you go in there wide-eyed and you're paying attention to everything going on outside of what's going on on the field, it's going to work to your disadvantage."

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