Iowa HC Looking for Any Indiana Weakness

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz is readying his team for a matchup against a jauggernaut.

"Probably score more points than whoever it is we're playing. That's about as good as I can do on that one," Ferentz said in his weekly news conference, responding to a question referencing his 0-10 record in the driver's seat against the last 10 ranked teams Iowa has played.

As blunt as his answer may be, Ferentz' sharp attitude shouldn't be mistaken for any sort of neglect; in fact, he went out of his way to recognize the challenge that the Hoosiers, ranked 11th nationally, represent in their incoming bout at Kinnick Stadium.

"Where do you want to start? It's hard to find a weakness. It really is," Ferentz said of Indiana's scalding hot offense. Last week, the Hoosiers hosted the then ninth-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini; in a blowout victory, IU hung 63 points on their helpless visitors, amassing a vast total of 579 yards on the game. 31 first downs, zero turnovers and only two punts in total.

Oh, and the win, which lifted the Hoosiers to a 4-0 record, marked the third straight game in which Indiana both scored more than 50 points and held their opponents to 10 or less. They're unkind hosts, to say the least.

You've got that, and then in the backfield they have two really good running backs right now, and then the quarterback might be the best quarterback in the country," he continued. "They can run the ball, pass it, got the ability to hit the big play." Fernando Mendoza, the Hoosiers' signal caller, was just announced to have won B1G Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors for his near-flawless performance against the Illini.

21-23 passing, 267 yards, five touchdowns.

Fernando Mendoza is the B1G Co-Offensive Player of the Week. pic.twitter.com/zjvUoZmMGZ
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) September 22, 2025

Across the sideline from Ferentz is Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers' fan-favorite head coach with a trademark snark that is almost as potent and well-known as his offense. Since being hired at the program in late 2023, Cignetti has completely turned Bloomington on its head with a football program that is arguably better than it has ever been.

Of Cignetti, Ferentz continued the compliments, saying, "It's been very impressive. Part of it is we're in a new era, if you will, where it's a little different when a coach comes in because of the portal."

"They did it last year and they're doing it right now, too, with a lot of new players again," he continued. "That's really impressive. That's good coaching. They clearly have a vision of what they want to be, and it looks like it's working really well for them."

While Ferentz has rightfully given Indiana their flowers, it'll be a tooth-and-nail battle this weekend for a 3-1 Hawkeyes team still in search of their own signature win. If Iowa can keep Indiana's offense in relative check, as Old Dominion surprisingly did in their first game this season, perhaps the Hawkeyes' own scoring unit could benefit from a little home-field energy and transform expectations - both for this game, and the season as a whole - into something much greater.

As much as he may hate to admit it, that "0-10" statistic is a garish blemish on an otherwise pristine coaching record. Now, with just one loss and a strong rush of momentum at his team's back, appears to be as good a time to break the ranked-game curse as ever for Ferentz and the Hawkeyes.

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