Iowa preparing for 'toughest challenge' in Nebraska

IOWA CITY — The version of Nebraska with Tommy Armstrong is more dangerous than the version without. And it's not by a little bit, either.

So Iowa is preparing like the senior Husker star is going to be in the lineup and at full strength. They do that, Coach Kirk Ferentz said, for the obvious: prepare for the hardest situation possible, and you'll be ready for every situation possible.

Yeah, it would be nice if Armstrong was limited in what he could do — especially with his mobility — with the hamstring injury.

'That wouldn't bother me at all,' Ferentz said. 'I'm not being smart (aleck) here, that's an honest answer.'

But given Nebraska Coach Mike Riley said on a conference call Tuesday that Armstrong practiced Monday night, Ferentz said 'we have to assume he's going to be ready to go.'

'I'm not a doctor, and certainly those things are hard to predict. But we have to prepare like he's going to be full throttle,' Ferentz said. 'The real question is how do we prepare for him full throttle, because nobody's really done too good a job with that one.'

Armstrong missed just his second game since the start of 2014 last week, and is approaching or has surpassed multiple Nebraska quarterbacking records.

He's thrown for 2,055 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and has rushed for 499 yards and eight touchdowns this season for a Husker team that, while needing help, still has a chance to win the Big Ten West at 9-2 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten play.

Defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson rightly talked about the defensive line needing to keep contain. Defensive back Desmond King said Armstrong's injury has its biggest effect, obviously, in his impact on the run game. Armstrong still can be effective as a single threat, after all. Linebacker Josey Jewell said it's hard to tell now how exactly that would manifest itself, but they have to play out scenarios in their heads during preparation.

If Armstrong can't go, the start normally would go to Ryker Fyfe, who started last week against Maryland. But a broken bone in Fyfe's non-throwing, left hand held him out of practice Monday. Riley said he anticipates Fyfe getting some work Tuesday and Wednesday, but the extent still is uncertain.

After that, it falls to Zack Darlington — listed on the roster as a wide receiver — who took equal reps with Armstrong at Tuesday's practice.

In preparing for the toughest scenario, Ferentz said Iowa is going to be ready for multiple guys and different situations, while in the back of their minds knowing Armstrong still is the likeliest of possibilities.

'(Armstrong has) had an unbelievable career and he's a tremendous player,' Ferentz said. 'But if he's not there, I mean, like they showed last week, they're a really good football team, and they'll find a way to balance that out.

'We're not 100 percent sure, but we'd be fools if we didn't prepare to face the toughest challenge.'

KITTLE, BOETTGER GETTING CLOSER

C.J. Beathard might have one of his lifelines back on Friday. Emphasis on might.

Tight end George Kittle has missed the last two games dealing with a leg injury, but got back to practice on Tuesday, and has a chance to play. The main question now is how effective he can or will be if he does, which is why Beathard having a lifeline is only a 'might,' even if Kittle is on the field.

The senior tight end said he'll be out there.

'I'll be out there,' Kittle said. 'I'll be good to go.'

His coach backed him up. Ferentz said Tuesday he thinks Kittle is going to play against Nebraska, but there are a few things that might hold him back even if he's out there.

Along with Kittle, Ferentz was upbeat about Boettger, but said the pair are 'certainly not at 100 percent right now, but they've got some work in, so we'll see where that goes.'

'Can (Kittle) drive off? Can he be effective? In the run game, you've got to drive off and strain a little bit with resistance and passing game, can you make a decisive break or cut and that type of thing,' Ferentz said. 'He's out there practicing, he's been climbing the ladder with the trainers. But it's a little different when you have a nationally ranked team playing against you. That's a little different challenge.'

HE SAID, HE SAID

It's always fun when current teammates share stories from when they faced off in high school. It's fairly rare for two Hawkeyes to have played each other in high school, but defensive tackles Jaleel Johnson and Faith Ekakite did while the two were at St. Joseph's High School and Lake Forest Academy, respectively.

Both players played on the offensive and defensive line, and were charged with going head to head against each other on both sides of the ball.

They both said they remember it well, with Ekakite mentioning his high school coach pointed Johnson out when Johnson's team got off the bus. How that matchup went depends on which guy you ask.

Ekakite's version:

'I mean, my team won, so,' Ekakite said through a smile. 'I'll bring it up once in a while that we blew his team out of the water, but he says his claim to fame in that game is he pancaked me. There's no film that proves it. I don't remember it happening. I'm still waiting for him to pull the film up. If you ask him, he'll tell you he pancaked me.'

Ekakite was right — about the last part.

Johnson's version:

'He can look up the highlights. It's on YouTube. I flapjacked him,' Johnson said. 'It wasn't even fair. I put him on his back. They did (win). Yeah, we lost, but I still flapjacked, pancaked him. I've showed him multiple times. Don't let him lie to you like that. It's on my highlight tape from high school.'

The YouTube clip in question is below, cued up to the start of their matchup. Johnson is in No. 67 (and highlighted), while Ekakitie is in No. 56.

IOWA TO HONOR FOLTZ

Kirk Ferentz announced Tuesday the Hawkeyes would be the latest in the line of Big Ten teams to honor former Nebraska punter Sam Foltz, who died in a car accident over the summer.

Several Big Ten teams have made tributes to Foltz through jerseys, pregame moments of silence or other honors. Foltz's family is expected to be at Kinnick Stadium for the game on Friday, and Ferentz said at his weekly media availability that there will be something done for Foltz before the game.

'As all of us know, Sam Foltz's passing this past summer was very, very tragic,' Ferentz said. 'To our understanding his parents will be at the game on Friday. Our plan is to give a private tribute to Sam in the locker room prior to the ballgame.'

The Big Ten also has honored Foltz, as well as former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler, who died in the same accident. Both were featured on either side of the coin used in the coin toss for multiple games this season.

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