Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, 'NFL defense,' path to victory

Michigan Wolverines football is the latest top-five team to roll into Iowa City, where those squads often “go to die,” as U-M head man Jim Harbaugh put it this week. The Hawkeyes are 6-1 in their last seven games against such foes since 2008. Michigan knows all too well, having lost 14-13 in 2016.

“With Michigan coming to town, we’ve got a really tough challenge here,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Traditionally, they’ve been one of the best teams in the conference, and might as well just say, best teams in the country as well. They had a really good year last year, and they’ve continued that play moving forward this season. They’re off to a really good start.

“As always, it’s just a really, really impressive team. They’ve got a lot of talent in all three phases, and certainly they’re well-coached.

“Just pick out the special teams, grab that one. They have three very veteran guys in terms of their specialists — the punter and kicker, one’s a fifth-year guy and one’s a sixth-year guy, and their deep snapper is a veteran guy as well. Excellent return guys, and they do a really nice job. It’s the same thing offensively and defensively, so they’ve got a lot of really good players, and they’ve been very productive, very successful.

“It’s going to take our best team effort to have a chance in this ball game, so it’s a big challenge for us. I look forward to that on Saturday.”

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In Iowa's last 6 home games against AP top-5 foes:
2008 vs. 3. Penn State, W 24-23
2010 vs. 5. Michigan State, W 37-6
2016 vs. 2. Michigan, W 14-13
2017 vs. 4. Penn State, L 21-19
2017 vs. 3. Ohio State, W 55-24
2021 vs. 4. Penn State, W 23-20

This week, No. 4 Michigan

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) September 26, 2022

Ferentz said that when his team is overmatched on paper against an opponent like Michigan, it has to execute on every down. The margin for error is slim. The Kinnick Stadium environment, where Michigan hasn’t won since 2005, will give the Hawkeyes a boost, but Ferentz knows the winner will be decided between the white lines.

“The environment is easy. Our fans do a great job. Certainly, it’s gotten even better now, with the north end zone; that’s helped a great deal as well,” Ferentz explained of what makes it such a daunting task for road teams.

“The important thing for our team to understand is that the fans can only do so much — and they’ve been great, and we appreciate that — but we’re going to be playing on the field. I think the challenge in the games you referenced [versus top-five opponents], and this one will hopefully be like that, our players need to understand that each and every play is like an NFL playoff game.

“Each and every play, something can happen, so if you’re not at your absolute best, with the kind of talent and ability that they have — I cited their kicking game; that’s a good example. They’re going to make field position challenging for us, and they’ve got return guys that, if you’re not really good in coverage, they can hurt you real fast. It’s kind of like that at every position offensively, defensively.

“They’ve recruited really well. They’re a big, strong, athletic team. So, if you’re not on your game each and every play, big things can happen against you. The games you referenced, our guys have had a good understanding and appreciation for that. Can we close that game at 11 o’clock? That’s the challenge we’ve got.”

Revenge game?

Last year’s matchup between Michigan and Iowa in the Big Ten championship game, a 42-3 U-M victory — which has been playing on the television screens inside Iowa’s facility this week — is a great example of how it can go wrong, Ferentz explained. He’s not viewing the showdown as a “revenge game,” but he understands some of his players may be using last year’s tilt as motivation.

“It depends on the individual,” Ferentz said. “Those words aren’t coming out of my mouth. I’m looking [forward]. But it is a reminder of, if you aren’t on top of things and you give up a couple of big plays, all of a sudden the hole gets pretty steep. And when you’re trying to ascend a hill like that against a team that’s that talented, it’s tough; it’s really tough. And then they’ve got you where they want you.

“That’s the first thing you’ve got to do, is just keep it close, and make sure we play sound. If they’re going to get something, make them really work and earn it — and we didn’t do that, necessarily, last year. If somebody has motivation that comes out of that, I think we all want to do better, needless to say. But it’s not as simple as, hey, let’s go get these guys. I wish it was.”

Defending Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy

Michigan sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy has shined through four games, including three starts. This will be his toughest task yet, though, going against an Iowa defense that leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 5.8 points per game.

McCarthy has completed 48 of his 60 pass attempts for 693 yards and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions. He did almost throw a pick last week against Maryland, though, and did fumble twice, with the offense fortunately recovering both times. Iowa has notched 5 interceptions, including a pick-six last week, and recovered 2 fumbles this season.

Ferentz saw McCarthy last season and has been aware of him for a while. He believes he might make the Michigan offense better than what it was when senior Cade McNamara (who’s unlikely to play this weekend with a lower-body injury) was behind center.

“You might argue they’re better. I don’t know,” Ferentz said. “They’re both really good players. I don’t want to call it a dilemma. It’s been a discussion point, at least it sounds like, in Ann Arbor and maybe points beyond that. From where I’m sitting, it looks like it’s tough to go wrong either way, and maybe that’s the situation they’re facing. I’m not sure who we’re going to see, but they’re both really good football players.”

The Michigan quarterback’s ability to scramble outside of the pocket and tuck and run will stress the Hawkeyes’ defense.

“He’s an excellent football player, and we’ve just got to be cognizant when we’re playing defense,” Ferentz said of McCarthy’s mobility. “You’ve got to realize this guy can pull down and hurt you that way. Some quarterbacks can’t, but he certainly can. They’ve got a couple guys that are pretty adept back there, moving around and making plays with their feet, but also able to throw the ball even when they are moving the ball. That’s tougher to defend.”

‘These guys look like an NFL defense’

The Michigan defense has been strong itself, though it was tested against Maryland last week. The Terrapins kept a clean pocket for the most part and threw for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. They also ran for 128 yards and 1 score, averaging 4.6 yards per carry adjusting for sacks.

Iowa ranks dead last in the country in total offense (232.5 yards per contest), and the offensive line has underperformed. However, the group up front is improving, Ferentz said, just in time to take on a Michigan front-seven that was pushed around by Maryland at times.

“This is going to be a big challenge,” Ferentz said. “These guys look like an NFL defense. They’re big, they’re strong and they’re athletic. Other than that, no problem. Good scheme.”