With Big Ten play starting next weekend, Iowa's injury situation will be closely watched.
The Hawkeyes will need to be as close to healthy as possible if they want to beat Michigan, Ohio State
, and Washington over the next few weeks. They were without some key playmakers against Northern Iowa, as LJ Phillips Jr., Kamari Moulton, and DJ Vonnahme were held out with injury. A few players also went out during Saturday's game.After the win, Kirk Ferentz addressed the media and gave a few key updates on some injured Hawks. He started with fourth-year defensive lineman Bryce Hawthorne, who hobbled off the field after getting rolled up. Here's what Ferentz had to say about him after the game.
“Yeah, you guys saw it on the board like I did probably,"
Ferentz said. "He got caught there. Could have been potentially scary, but it seems like he’s fine. He was good after coming off the field there and they looked deeper in the halftime locker room here and it seems like he’s doing fine. You never know. We’ll see. I’ll know Tuesday for sure, but he seems like he’s great. He cosigned that one himself, so feel good about that.”
Third-year running back Xavier Williams has been dinged up all season. With the other injuries in the room, he stepped up on Saturday. He rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns against UNI. Ferentz was very complimentary of Williams and the offensive line after the game.
“Xavier’s been a little bit injured, nicked up, so it was good to see him look like his old self again, too. So, that’s positive. Just happy about that and that doesn’t happen without the line doing a good job, tight ends doing a good job, and our receivers—you may or may not notice—but they’re doing a really good job getting in there and being effective. That’s how the big plays happen.”
Finally, Ferentz addressed the playmakers who missed the game. While he didn't give a huge update on their status going forward, he acknowledged the importance of having them on the field.
"“We’re a better team with all those guys healthy. Kamari and Addison, LJ, and Brevin Doll, too, on special teams. He couldn’t go today. So, we’ll be better when we get those guys back.”
Fans will get a more concrete picture of Phillips, Moulton, and Vonnahme's status for the Michigan game when the depth chart is released on Monday.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football updates injury situation following UNI win
