The Iowa football team’s vaccination rate is in the “upper 90s” four days before its season-opening game against Indiana, coach Kirk Ferentz said on Tuesday.

At Big Ten Media Days in late July, the team’s rate was just approaching 70 percent. Ferentz, who is vaccinated, said Aug. 13 that his goal was for the team’s vaccination rate to be above 90 percent by the start of the season.

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras has appeared in social media promotions on behalf of the University of Iowa, encouraging people to get vaccinated.

“I hope everyone has correct information and listens to doctors and medical experts,” Petras said Tuesday, noting that he has echoed these sentiments to the team.

The Big Ten announced earlier this month that teams unable to play a game because of COVID-19 issues will be charged with a forfeit. The forfeiting team will be assigned with a loss, and if both teams are unable to play, the game will be declared a no contest.

Several Iowa players said Tuesday they consider a higher vaccination rate among the team a competitive advantage, as well as a safety measure.

“It’s seen as if you want to be able to be on the field and help out the team, it’s hard to do that when you pose a challenge of maybe getting taken out with COVID because you don’t have the vaccine,” cornerback Riley Moss said.

“I’ve definitely been encouraging anyone that I can to get vaccinated,” defensive end John Waggoner added. “I think it’s important just for protection of the community and the team. We’re trying to treat COVID just as we did last year, really trying to be diligent with who we hang out with in our social circles.”

Preparing for Michael Penix Jr. and Indiana’s WR corps

Indiana coach Tom Allen said at his press conference Monday that his team’s quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., is “100 percent ready” for the season-opener after tearing the ACL in his right knee last year.

With Penix healthy, Iowa’s defense is spending this week preparing to contain a mobile quarterback who is on the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, and Walter Camp watch lists.

“He’s just a great player overall,” defensive back Dane Belton said. “He’s got a strong arm and reads the defense well. I feel like that puts a lot of pressure on the defense knowing he won’t get flustered very easily. We have to be very disciplined on the back end no matter what.”

Penix threw for 1,645 yards and 14 touchdowns before suffering the injury in Indiana’s sixth game of last season. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound signal caller led the Hoosiers to a 5-1 record, with a seven-point loss against Ohio State at Columbus — where he threw five touchdowns — as the only blemish to their record.

Moss said the Hawkeye defense has been studying Indiana’s offense since last Thursday.

RELATED: Iowa football team releases depth chart for Week 1 against Indiana

Along with Penix, another component of the Hoosier offense that the Hawkeyes have prioritized is Indiana’s receiving corps — led by the reigning Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year.

Ty Fryfogle opted to return for a fifth year with Indiana after recording 721 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season. Ferentz said Fryfogle may be the best receiver that Iowa will play against this year. Iowa’s players echoed that, and noted the depth that Iowa has at that position.

“He’s a great player,” Belton said. “Top to bottom they have really great receivers overall — not just one. This displays a challenge for us every play. They’ve got play action, deep balls, quick passes — all that stuff.”

Members of Iowa’s secondary noted that preventing big plays — Fryfogle averaged 19.5 yards per catch last season — will be crucial against the Hoosiers.

“Just stick to our keys, and our responsibilities,” Moss said. “Staying on top and eliminating the big plays, because that’s what really hurts a defense and ultimately hurts our teams.”

Taking care of the football

The Hoosiers picked off 17 passes and recovered three fumbles in eight games last season.

Petras has definitely taken note of that while going through film. Last season in his first year as Iowa’s starter under center, the now-redshirt junior threw five interceptions, including three in a loss to Northwestern. In Iowa’s season-opening loss to Purdue last season, it also lost two fumbles.

To avoid the kind of start the team had last season, Petras knows taking care of the football will be critical against an aggressive Indiana defense.

“They take advantage of opportunities and it’s important for me to take care of the football,” Petras said. “Our work is cut out for us. We have to take care of the football … The cliche of [defensive backs] being DBs because they can’t catch — these guys take care of the opportunities we give them. So it becomes really important to me that balls are placed correctly, because if they’re not. Then you run the risk of turning the ball over.”

Some additional notes:

• Roughly 2,500 tickets remain available for Saturday’s game, according to Iowa athletic director Gary Barta.
• Barta also said that Hy-Vee will be providing COVID-19 vaccines at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, and encouraged fans who have not already done so to show up early and get vaccinated.
• Ferentz said Petras, center Tyler Linderbaum, cornerback Matt Hankins, and safety Jack Koerner will serve as team captains this week.
• Roughly six-to-eight offensive linemen will see the field against Indiana. Ferentz said Iowa will rotate players, and could do so at any position except for center.
• Starting right guard Kyler Schott is still out with a foot injury after suffering a hay baling injury over the summer. Ferentz said he could miss a couple more weeks. Justin Britt is listed as the new starter on the depth chart. Other than Schott, Ferentz said all other starters should be healthy for Week 1.
• Freshmen wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce are firmly in Iowa’s wide receiver rotation and will see the field plenty, Ferentz said. Luke Lachey also has a grasp on the No. 2 tight end spot behind Sam LaPorta, according to Ferentz.
• No. 17 Indiana is ranked in the preseason for the first time since 1969.

No. 18 Iowa will take on No. 17 Indiana at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.