Your Northwestern Two Deeps: Alvis out with back injury

-- Senior DE Dominic Alvis tried to play Saturday, made it through a few series, but jogged quickly off the field in the first quarter of last week's loss at Ohio State.

On the bench, Iowa trainers worked over his back fairly thoroughly. So, it looks like a back injury will keep Alvis off the field this week against Northwestern (4-3, 0-3 Big Ten).

"Dom never came back, I think that's going to be day-to-day, week-to-week," coach Kirk Ferentz said after OSU.

Fullback Adam Cox also came out of the game after a kick return in the first half and didn't return. He is listed No. 1 on the depth chart this week.

Who knows with Alvis. He's an important player, with four tackles for loss (third on the team) and a sack.

Junior Mike Hardy is the replacement. He's a 6-5, 275-pounder. He's in the Alvis mode, in that he's a big channel changer kind of DE, one that can set an edge. He got caught out of position a few times at OSU (not the big backside blowout on that Terrelle Pryor play, though), but they all got caught out of position a few times at Ohio State. They all did.

DT Louis Trinca-Pasat briefly left the Ohio State game with what looked like an ankle injury. He returned and was in interviews, so we'll assume he's OK.

RB Damon Bullock took a nasty shot along the Iowa sideline in the first half and was out for a series or so. In watching the highlight, his body language said he looked unconscious when he hit the turf. After the game, he said he had the wind knocked out of him. He returned and led the Hawkeyes in rushing.

Bullock has two career 100-yard games. His last one (22 rushes for 107 yards) came against Northwestern last season.

-- I'm not sure what's going on here, but redshirt freshman Cole Croston is listed as No. 2 RT behind senior Brett Van Sloten this week. That was a spot redshirt freshman Ryan Ward held for every week this season so far. This is the type of change only nerds like me notice on the depth chart. Not sure how meaningful it is.

-- One more, sophomore Jordan Lomax appears to be back. He has played a few special teams plays since injuring his hamstring in week 1 against Northern Illinois. He's listed as No. 2 this week behind senior B.J. Lowery. True freshman Desmond King is No. 1 at the other corner and No. 1 freshman in the Big Ten this week.

King, from Detroit, Mich., was named Iowa's first B1G freshman of the week. I think it's been three years since this award started.

From the Big Ten:

Desmond King, Iowa 

DB, Detroit, Mich./East English Village

• Totaled a career-best 12 tackles, including 10 solo stops, in the Hawkeyes road contest against Ohio State

• Was part of an Iowa defense that held the Buckeyes to more than 12 points below their season average

• Ranks second among all Big Ten freshmen in tackles, averaging nearly six stops per contest

• Wins his first career weekly award

• Last Iowa Freshman of the Week: N/A

-- The Wisconsin-Iowa game at Kinnick Stadium on Nov. 2 will kick off at 11 a.m. It will be televised on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2. One of those, not all three.

-- Sophomore Nate Meier is listed as backup DE at both spots. He leads the Hawkeyes with two sacks. Iowa is 11th in the Big Ten with eight sacks, ahead of only Illinois (five). Redshirt freshman Faith Ekakitie appears to be the emergency guy at DE. No sign of sophomore Riley McMinn, who, reportedly, has been battling a shoulder injury all season and hasn't played.

-- Junior Tommy Gaul is listed as the No. 2 center. In warmups the last several weeks, sophomore Eric Simmons has been the No. 2 center with Gaul as a No. 2 guard. Just FYI.

-- Iowa has 2,400 tickets left for this weekend's game. The Hawkeyes haven't had a sell out this season.

-- TE Jake Duzey came alive at Ohio State with six catches for 168 yards and an 85-yard TD. He earned a national award, according to this UI sports info release:

KING, DUZEY EARN RECOGNITION

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa defensive back Desmond King was named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week for his play in Iowa's 34-24 loss at Ohio State.  In addition, sophomore tight end Jake Duzey earned honorable mention tight end of the week recognition from the College Football Performance Awards.

King (5-11, 185) is a true freshman from Detroit, Mich., where he attended East English Village HS.  King has played in all seven games, while starting six games at right cornerback.  King registered a career-best 12 tackles in the loss at No. 3/4 Ohio State, including 10 solo stops.

King ranks fourth on the team with 41 tackles, while also recording 1.5 tackles for loss, three pass break-ups and a recovered fumble.  In three Big Ten games, he is averaging nine tackles per contest.  He is the first true freshman to start in Iowa's defensive secondary since Jovon Johnson in 2002.

Duzey (6-4, 245) is a sophomore from Troy, Mich. (Athens HS).  He had the best game of his career at Ohio State, with six receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown.  Duzey had three receptions for 24 yards on the opening possession as Iowa scored a touchdown to take a 7-0 advantage.

Duzey scored his first career touchdown in the third quarter on an 85-yard reception from QB Jake Rudock to tie the score at 24.  That score ranks as the ninth longest scoring reception in school history and the second longest scoring reception by a Hawkeye tight end.  Duzey's 138 receiving yards are the most in a game by a tight end under Kirk Ferentz.

The Big Ten honor is the first for King and marks the first time a Hawkeye has earned the freshman award.