Early Scouting Report of MSU’s Next Opponent: Iowa's Kirk Ferentz
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The Michigan State Spartans are attempting to end a seven-game losing streak as they travel to face the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa is currently the No. 21 team in the country, but that ranking is likely to change after the Hawkeyes dropped a road game to USC. Despite the loss, the Hawkeyes have had a tremendous season.
That has often been the case with Iowa, led by the longest-tenured head coach in college football, Kirk Ferentz. He has led the team since 1999.
MSU has had success against Ferentz in some years, while he beats the Spartans in others.
What should we know about Ferentz as the Spartans face his Hawkeyes another time?
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz
Ferentz is 210-127 in 27 seasons at Iowa, and he has won 10 bowl games in 21 attempts. He has eight double-digit victory seasons and 21 winning seasons in his long history.
The book has long been out on Ferentz and how he is able to win so many games every year. He has strong rushing attacks and great defenses, and that remains the same this season.
Iowa has the sixth-best defense in college football based on total yardage allowed, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. The conference features several elite defenses, including those of Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, and the Hawkeyes.
Iowa does not allow teams to run the ball or have much success through the air, and Ferentz’s strategy is to get his offense as many possessions as possible, even if that group is not good.
Offensively, the Hawkeyes are strong in the trenches and can wear defenses down by running the football repeatedly. Ferentz has never needed a strong passing attack to win games, but it certainly helped when Ricky Stanzi was his quarterback in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Ferentz has an 8-10 record against MSU in his career, and Jonathan Smith and the Spartans were able to take care of the Hawkeyes last season at home, 32-20. Smith hopes to repeat that performance this season in a tough road environment.
The Spartans’ biggest win against Ferentz came in the 2015 Big Ten Championship game, when LJ Scott scored the game-winning touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter. MSU went on a 22-play drive to win the game.
MSU is in a rough spot, while the Hawkeyes are trying to finish the season with eight wins for the 17th time in Ferentz’s career.
He has remained one of the most consistent coaches in college football, and his success continues in his 27th season.
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Carter Landis studied journalism at Michigan State University, where I graduated in May of 2022. He is currently a sports reporter for a local television station and is a writer covering the Michigan State Spartans