By Courtney Baumann

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NEW YORK — Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and Boston College head coach Steve Addazio addressed the media in a press conference at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 26 in preparation for the Pinstripe Bowl.

The coaches, who have never been in a head-to-head matchup, talked about the trip so far, gave injury updates, noted the weather, and more.

Here are some highlights:

• • When asked to compare Wisconsin’s freshman running back Jonathan Taylor and Boston College’s freshman running back A.J. Dillon, Ferentz noted a few similarities. “What is similar is their production and the impact they’ve had on the football team.”
  • Ferentz is one win away from tying former Iowa head coach Hayden Fry’s number of victories (143). “I had no idea when I went to Iowa City in 1981 what was about to happen in the next X-number of years in my life … I went there in 1981, a really magical time in our football program’s history,” Ferentz said. “I was really fortunate to be on the staff, an outstanding staff with a tremendous head coach. To me, that’s kind of the commonality of this whole thing. I’ve been around great people during my years at Iowa.”
  • Boston College’s star defensive end Harold Landry will not play, Addazio said.

• The main focal point for Boston College in its preparation for the game against Iowa is making sure not to make mental mistakes. “I think what we’re most impressed with and concerned about is how fundamentally sound Iowa is, how tough they are. We realize that they believe in some of the same principles we do,” Addazio said. “In our preparation, to be quite frank with you, one of the things we talk about is we can’t beat ourselves.”
• The cold weather forecast for the evening of Dec. 27 will be nothing new for either team. Iowa has been practicing outdoors since the end of the regular season, and so has Boston College. In fact, the Eagles do not have an indoor football facility.
• There has been no feedback from Josh Jackson or James Daniels on whether they will stay for another year at Iowa or head to the NFL Draft. “We’ll figure that out next week,” Ferentz said.
• When asked about Nate Stanley’s touchdown-to-interception ratio, Ferentz laughed. He said the first two things that came to his mind were the two passes that out of Stanley’s hands against Wyoming and Michigan State.
• Both coaches acknowledged how fundamentally sound the opposition is.
• Though Adazzio does not know Fry, he discussed his longevity and Ferentz’s, showing respect for Iowa’s coach. “I’m glad you asked me that, because I sincerely have always admired Coach [Ferentz], his career, what he’s done, what he’s accomplished,” Addazio said. “Really watched the Iowa program and what’s gotten done with longevity, and he’s regarded as one of the finest coaches in the country and a man with great integrity.”