Rested Iowa ready for road test

A tough loss. A big win to open Big Ten season.

It was the perfect time for the Iowa football team to have its bye week. It was an extra week for the Hawkeyes to break down the Michigan Wolverines and their slippery quarterback Denard Robinson.

"We needed to recharge our batteries," said Iowa running back Adam Robinson. "The break was much needed."

"I think it came at a good time for us, an opportune time for us to get some rest and also work some younger guys along," said head coach Kirk Ferentz.

The No. 18 Hawkeyes (4-1 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) had a chance to watch Michigan -- their opponent Saturday at Michigan Stadium -- in a loss to Michigan State. And a chance to watch Denard Robinson in action.

The quarterback is a dual-threat, rushing for 991 yards and throwing for 1,223 so far this season. He had a subpar game against the Spartans, running for a mere 86 yards and one touchdown, and throwing for 215 and another score. He was intercepted three times.

Denard Robinson's rushing total is more than double that of Adam Robinson, Iowa's leading rusher (480 yards).

"You may think he's going to run it, and all of a sudden he pulls up and throws it down the field," Ferentz said. "If you wait for him to get across the line, he's not easy to catch. So he's got great speed, and he's proven to be very durable as well. It just puts a lot of pressure on you."

The Hawkeyes saw Denard Robinson a little bit last season when he replaced Tate Forcier in Iowa's 30-28 victory at Kinnick Stadium.

"If you can be very sound and if everybody takes care of their responsibilities and does a good job that way, at least you have a chance to maybe contain them a little bit," said Ferentz.

The coach noted that even though Denard Robinson accounted for 301 yards of offense, it was gloom and doom in Ann Arbor.

"Most people would be celebrating that," Ferentz said. "That just kind of puts it all right there in perspective."

Iowa boasts the nation's top defense, allowing 10.2 points per game, and will face its toughest challenge yet against the Wolverines (5-1, 1-1), who are scoring 37.3 per contest.

The expanded Michigan Stadium has not been friendly to Iowa in recent years. The Hawkeyes have lost eight of their last 11 games in the Big House. The notable exception came in 2002 when Iowa went to Ann Arbor and topped Michigan 34-9.