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Kirk Ferentz updates injury status of two key Hawkeyes for Illinois game
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Iowa has seen a string of tight contests lately, but the Hawkeyes are coming off of an upset win over previously undefeated Minnesota.
Going back to Iowa’s loss against Michigan, five of the past six games have been decided by seven points or less. The Hawkeyes are 3-3 in that span with the lone blowout coming against Northwestern. The three losses were by a total of 14 points to ranked opponents.
Moving on to Illinois, Iowa will be favored playing at home in Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes are currently 5-1 at home this season, and head coach Kirk Ferentz is optimistic the team will get two key players back against the Illini.
Hawkeye Sports shared Ferentz’s update:
Senior cornerback Michael Ojemudia and junior wide receiver Brandon Smith have returned to practice and Ferentz says time will tell how much they see the field Saturday against Illinois.
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“I don’t want to say they’re full speed, but at least they’re moving in the right direction,” Ferentz said. “Hopefully they’ll be able to play at least partially on Saturday. We’ll see how the rest of the week goes, but it’s encouraging from that standpoint.”
Ojemudia is tied for the team lead with two interceptions and leads the team with six passes defended and also has 35 tackles on the year. Smith is third on the team in receptions and receiving yardage and is tied for the team lead with four receiving touchdowns. Hopefully, they have an impact against the Illini.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.